Could the surgeons have saved Marshal Lannes?
Seance of wednesday 18 february 2026 (Napoléon et les chirurgiens)
DOI number : 10.26299/t2pp-c376/emem.2026.08.04
Abstract
Marshal Lannes was very close to Emperor Napoleon I.
He participated in the 18th Brumaire, he was the only marshal to address him informally, and his death was a true tragedy for the emperor. Even in exile on the island of Saint Helena, he still spoke of him: "With Lannes, courage prevailed over intellect; but intellect rose each day to find balance; I had taken him as a pygmy, I lost him as a giant".
• The 180th promotion of the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr (1993-1996) chose Marshal Lannes as their patron.
• First marshal of the empire to die in battle
Born in Lectoure in the Gers in 1769, he enlisted in 1792 in the 2nd battalion of volunteers from Gers. Appointed second lieutenant and then in Italy in 1796-1797, at which time he met the future Napoleon I. Lannes was involved in all campaigns and all major battles between 1792 and 1809.
Italy, Egypt, Austria, Spain... he was appointed ambassador to Portugal from 1802 to 1803 during a brief period of disgrace.
He was made Marshal of the Empire in 1804, distinguished himself on the battlefield, winning the victory at Montebello on June 9, 1800 (he would be made Duke of Montebello in 1808). Renowned for his bravery, Lannes sustained several injuries at Arcole, at Saint-Jean d'Acre.", at Aboukir.
During the Battle of Essling on May 22, 1809
The death of Lannes recalls that of ancient tragedies: on the evening of Essling, walking across the battlefield with his friend General Rouzet, Lannes saw him fall at his feet, struck by a gunshot. He fled, wanting to escape the sight of this corpse. But the soldiers carried him before him, making him exclaim: "Ah, will this dreadful spectacle haunt me forever?" He leaned against a ditch, covering his eyes to see nothing more, and it was there that a cannonball that had ricocheted off the ground pierced his knee. He had his legs crossed and both lower limbs were affected. Only the right one bled profusely. Operated on by Larrey, Lannes was transported, after his amputation (right leg) to Lobau, to Kaiser-Ebersdorf, at 12 Mailergasse. There five doctors (Lanfranc, Yvan, Paulet, Larrey, and, a little later, Frank) would take care of him, unable to prevent the worsening of his condition. It was there that Napoleon visited him twice. He lingered for six days, calling out, cursing, some said, the Emperor who came only to gather his last words, on May 31, 1809. On May 27, fever appeared. He died on May 31, at five o'clock in the morning. He was 40 years old. At Napoleon's request, his the body is embalmed.
The Emperor wrote to the Marshal, whom he did not care for much, telling him to share in his sorrow. The Marshal did not believe him and shut himself up in silence.
In fact, Marshal Lannes died from an infectious complication of his wound on the non-amputated leg, which had been hit by cannonballs (gas gangrene). Even though this is hypothetical, it appears that the amputation of the contralateral leg would have saved Marshal Lannes. A bilateral amputation was, however, severe as it would have forever compromised his ability to ride and command again. The lack of understanding of the infectious process certainly led the surgeons of the time not to perform this heavy but life-saving procedure.
He participated in the 18th Brumaire, he was the only marshal to address him informally, and his death was a true tragedy for the emperor. Even in exile on the island of Saint Helena, he still spoke of him: "With Lannes, courage prevailed over intellect; but intellect rose each day to find balance; I had taken him as a pygmy, I lost him as a giant".
• The 180th promotion of the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr (1993-1996) chose Marshal Lannes as their patron.
• First marshal of the empire to die in battle
Born in Lectoure in the Gers in 1769, he enlisted in 1792 in the 2nd battalion of volunteers from Gers. Appointed second lieutenant and then in Italy in 1796-1797, at which time he met the future Napoleon I. Lannes was involved in all campaigns and all major battles between 1792 and 1809.
Italy, Egypt, Austria, Spain... he was appointed ambassador to Portugal from 1802 to 1803 during a brief period of disgrace.
He was made Marshal of the Empire in 1804, distinguished himself on the battlefield, winning the victory at Montebello on June 9, 1800 (he would be made Duke of Montebello in 1808). Renowned for his bravery, Lannes sustained several injuries at Arcole, at Saint-Jean d'Acre.", at Aboukir.
During the Battle of Essling on May 22, 1809
The death of Lannes recalls that of ancient tragedies: on the evening of Essling, walking across the battlefield with his friend General Rouzet, Lannes saw him fall at his feet, struck by a gunshot. He fled, wanting to escape the sight of this corpse. But the soldiers carried him before him, making him exclaim: "Ah, will this dreadful spectacle haunt me forever?" He leaned against a ditch, covering his eyes to see nothing more, and it was there that a cannonball that had ricocheted off the ground pierced his knee. He had his legs crossed and both lower limbs were affected. Only the right one bled profusely. Operated on by Larrey, Lannes was transported, after his amputation (right leg) to Lobau, to Kaiser-Ebersdorf, at 12 Mailergasse. There five doctors (Lanfranc, Yvan, Paulet, Larrey, and, a little later, Frank) would take care of him, unable to prevent the worsening of his condition. It was there that Napoleon visited him twice. He lingered for six days, calling out, cursing, some said, the Emperor who came only to gather his last words, on May 31, 1809. On May 27, fever appeared. He died on May 31, at five o'clock in the morning. He was 40 years old. At Napoleon's request, his the body is embalmed.
The Emperor wrote to the Marshal, whom he did not care for much, telling him to share in his sorrow. The Marshal did not believe him and shut himself up in silence.
In fact, Marshal Lannes died from an infectious complication of his wound on the non-amputated leg, which had been hit by cannonballs (gas gangrene). Even though this is hypothetical, it appears that the amputation of the contralateral leg would have saved Marshal Lannes. A bilateral amputation was, however, severe as it would have forever compromised his ability to ride and command again. The lack of understanding of the infectious process certainly led the surgeons of the time not to perform this heavy but life-saving procedure.