War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy [827]
Marat, Jean-Paul (1743–93): French revolutionary politician, editor of L’Ami du peuple (“The Friend of the People”), deputy of the violent Montagnard party in the National Convention. He was assassinated by Charlotte Corday.
Marchand, Jean Gabriel (1765–1851): Made major general in 1805, fought at Jena and Friedland, saw four campaigns in Spain, and commanded a division at Borodino.
Marengo: Town in the Piedmont, in the north of Italy, scene of a battle on 14 June 1800 between the French and the Austrians. General Desaix, who led the French counterattack, was killed, but the battle, which ended in a French victory and the withdrawal of Austrian forces from Italy, crowned the success of Napoleon’s Italian campaign.
Maria Feodorovna (1759–1828): Born Sophia Maria Louisa of Württemberg, second wife of Paul I, mother of the emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I. On the assassination of her husband, she attempted to take the throne herself, as Catherine the Great had done before her, but gave way to her son and remained at court as dowager empress.
Metternich, Klemens Lothar Wenzel von (1773–1859): Austrian statesman and diplomat, ambassador to Berlin and, in 1806, to Paris; Austrian foreign minister in 1809. After the disastrous Russian campaign of 1812, he tried unsuccessfully to persuade Napoleon to stop his wars, and then brought Austria into the anti-French alliance. Made count and prince by Franz I, he was the chief Austrian negotiator at the Congress of Vienna.
Michaud de Beauretour, Alexandre (1772–1841): Born in Nice, then part of the kingdom of Sardinia, he fought against the French revolutionary forces in southern France and northern Italy, joined the Russian army, became an imperial adjutant, and was much decorated for his services. After Borodino, Kutuzov sent him to Petersburg with news of the abandoning of Moscow. In 1815 Alexander I sent him to invite the king of Sardinia, Victor Emmanuel I, to return to his throne, for which the king rewarded Michaud with the title “Count of Beauretour,” referring not to a place but to his own beau retour (“beautiful return”) to his kingdom.
Mikhelson, Ivan Ivanovich (1755–1807): Russian cavalry general, took part in most of the major wars of the mid to late eighteenth century. Known as the “vanquisher of Pugachev” because of his final crushing of the popular revolt in the Volga region led by the impostor Emelyan Pugachev. In 1806 he was made commander in chief of the army in Moldavia.
Miloradovich, Mikhail Andreevich (1771–1825): Served under Suvorov in the Polish and Turkish wars, and against the French in Italy and Switzerland. In 1805, he served under Kutuzov at the battle of Austerlitz, where he defended the Pratzen heights. In 1812 he commanded the reserves at Borodino and the rear guard that delayed Napoleon’s advance on Moscow. During the French retreat, he was victorious at the battle of Vyazma, and went on to the campaign in Europe. From 1818 to 1825, he was military governor of Petersburg, where he was killed while trying to quash the Decembrist uprising.
Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat, Baron (1689–1755): French philosopher and writer, author of Lettres persanes (“Persian Letters,” 1721) and above all of L’Esprit des lois (“The Spirit of the Laws,” 1748), in which he formulated important principles of the separation of powers that had great influence on later constitutional thinking.
Morand, Charles Antoine Louis Alexis (1771–1835): French general, participated in virtually all the campaigns of the republic and the empire, served with Soult at Austerlitz, where he led the assault on the Pratzen heights, and with Davout at Auerstädt, Eylau, and Wagram. Was made governor of Hamburg. In the Russian campaign, he fought at Smolensk, Borodino, and the Berezina; in 1815 he commanded part of the old guard at Waterloo.
Moreau, Jean Victor Marie (1763–1813): Joined the French republican volunteers in 1791, served in the Army of the North,