Berthier did not respond at once but raised his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly to one side as if he was considering a very complicated proposition.

Napoleon shook his head.‘No, the real victory was won here, at Jena. That is what people will say.’

‘Yes, sire. I imagine so.’

Napoleon eyed him coldly. ‘You imagine so?’

Berthier shifted uncomfortably but did not reply and Napoleon sighed with exasperation. He did not want to believe that one of his corps commanders had taken on the main Prussian army and won a victory that so clearly eclipsed his own. Yet all the evidence of the reports was that Davout had achieved precisely what he claimed to have done. There was no denying that the victory at Auerstadt was an astonishing achievement, and one that Napoleon could not help feeling a surge of jealousy over. Once word of Davout’s success spread through the army, and then across Europe, any attempt made by Napoleon to claim that the real glory was won on the field at Jena would be seen through at once as a petty attempt to outshine his subordinate. People would laugh at him, Napoleon reflected bitterly.There was no avoiding the painful humiliation that the true glory of the previous day belonged to Davout.Very well then, Napoleon resolved. He would be magnanimous and accord Marshal Davout the praise and recognition that was due. Besides, a show of respect for the man would be sure to play well with the rankers, and in the newspapers. By such gestures he would be seen to remain a man of the people, and not the petty despot and tyrant his enemies tried to depict him as.

Napoleon took a deep calming breath and eased himself back in his chair as he looked at Berthier. ‘Send Davout to me the moment he arrives.’>

‘Yes, sire.’

‘In the meantime, have the army newspapers prepare an article on the magnificent victory a handful of French soldiers achieved over an enemy army many times their strength. The writers are not to stint in their praise of Davout. You are to let them know that the Emperor himself pays his profound respect and gratitude to the marshal and adds his voice to the honour that the rest of the Grand Army bestows on Davout and his heroic men. Is that quite clear?’

Berthier nodded.

‘Then leave me. I must be shaved and properly dressed to receive France’s hero of the hour.’

Once Berthier had gone, Napoleon clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he indulged in a seething rage over the mistake he had made in assuming that he had attacked and defeated the main Prussian army at Jena.The reasons behind the ready success of the previous day were now apparent and the words of triumph he had penned for the newspapers in Paris the night before now mocked him. Napoleon hurriedly searched through the morning paperwork left on the table for his signature until he found the despatch announcing the victory at Jena. He glanced over the neatly transcribed paragraphs and then folded the letter and tore it in half, and then again and again until there was only a scattering of paper fragments on the table.

Marshal Davout arrived at headquarters as Napoleon was finishing his breakfast and the Emperor instantly rose to his feet and thrust his napkin aside as he smiled at his subordinate.

‘Marshal Davout, it is a pleasure to greet the victor of Auerstadt! Please, sit down and join me. Coffee? Something to eat?’

‘Thank you, sire. Coffee would be most welcome.’

Once Napoleon had ordered a clerk to bring refreshments for the marshal, he glanced over at his guest. Davout had ridden through the night, and had not slept for three days. A thick stubble encrusted his cheeks and his eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot. He eased himself stiffly into the chair opposite the Emperor and smiled wearily. ‘May I offer my congratulations to you, sire, on your victory here at Jena?’

Napoleon laughed.‘Two triumphs in one day. Providence was surely shining on French arms yesterday.’

‘Yes, sire.’

‘So tell me, Davout. What happened? According to Murat’s scouts you should have been facing a small corps protecting the enemy flank.’

‘Even Marshal Murat makes mistakes from time to time, sire,’ Davout replied wryly and they both smiled before he collected his thoughts and continued. ‘I crossed the Saale ten miles along the river from here, in accordance with your orders, sire. I deemed it best to march on Apolda as quickly as possible in order to block any Prussian retreat from Jena. So I advanced with Gudin’s division and ordered the others to follow as swiftly as possible. We were over the Saale by dawn, and there was a dense fog covering the landscape.You must have had the same here.’

Napoleon nodded.

‘So we continued to advance and our cavalry patrols ran into enemy scouts. The prisoners told us that they belonged to Brunswick’s army. I doubted their word, as you can imagine, and continued advancing as far as the village of Hassenhausen, when the fog began to lift and we saw for the first time the Prussian army spread out before us. I sent word to you at once, sire, and also to Marshal Bernadotte to march his corps to support mine.There was very little time to do anything else before the Prussians attacked. Gudin’s men formed squares and held them off and they fell back.There was a delay while they prepared to attack again, but by now Friant’s division had reached the field and I could see that Brunswick would attempt to get round our right flank, so I sent Friant to the right and shifted Gudin’s centre in the same direction.’

‘What of your other flank?’ Napoleon asked sharply. ‘You can’t have left that unguarded, surely?’

‘No, sire. It was covered by one regiment.’

‘One regiment?’

‘It was all that could be spared, sire. Until the last of my divisions arrived,’ Davout explained. ‘The Prussians threw in a massive attack against our right, which we beat back with heavy losses on their part. But then they immediately advanced on our left, and broke the regiment I had left there. As soon as the right flank looked safe I rode across to the left, taking two of Gudin’s regiments, and rallied the broken regiment. We charged the enemy and drove them back and retook the village.’

‘You led the charge in person?’

Davout looked at him steadily. ‘Yes, sire. As I said, we needed every man who could hold a musket. There were no exceptions. I even had the men in the supply wagons armed and brought forward as a final reserve.’

Napoleon nodded approvingly, as he realised how desperate Davout’s situation had been. ‘What then?’

‘The Prussians mounted four more assaults on the village, but we drove them off.’

‘Must have been a hard fight.’

‘Yes, sire. I have never seen my men so resolute. So brave.’

Napoleon smiled. ‘I am equally certain that they have never seen a marshal fight at their side before.Your men are a credit to you, as you are to them.’