The Rise and Fall of LeFev

Marshal LeFev had been a sergeant in the old royal army. He rose rapidly through the ranks, commanding an entire brigade within a year. Out of roughly 45,000 men under LeFev's command, only about 10,000 were actually recruited from France. They arrived outside the enemy defensive perimeter on March 19th, 1807. With their superior numbers, they were able to push the Prussians back and begin shrinking that perimeter. It took nearly two weeks for the French to get close enough to the city to begin setting up their siege lines.