War and Peace · Character
Louis-Nicolas Davout
Also known as Marshal Davout, Davout
- Supporting
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 171
Davout’s spectacles and severe, appraising gaze make him seem to measure every person and circumstance as if reducing them to an account. There is little warmth in his manner—only a precise, cold composure that makes even silence feel like judgment.
- Gender
- male
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 171
- Books
- 1
Marshal Davout is introduced as a hard, exacting French commander, seated in a peasant’s hut with spectacles on as he writes and audits accounts. His cold, measured manner and malevolent scowl define his encounters, including his dealings with Balashëv and his military deliberations. Though reports briefly claim he has been killed, he survives, only slightly bruised, and remains part of the retreating French army.
Description
Davout is shown wearing spectacles, often bent over a table in a French military uniform. His expression is described as a scowl or sneer, and his precise, cold manner gives his presence an austere, carefully controlled edge. The text does not specify his height, build, complexion, hair, or eye color.
Connections
Family & partnersFriends & mentorsRivals
Mikhail Balashëvenvoy and hostile military custodian
Davout takes Balashëv’s letter, refuses to let him deliver it personally, and confines him to the French army’s movements under strict orders.
Napoleon Bonapartemarshal and emperor
Davout serves Napoleon with severe discipline and cruelty; the narration compares his role for Napoleon to Arakcheev’s role for Alexander.
Pierre BezúkhovRussian prisoner and French general
Davout interrogates Pierre as a suspected spy and holds power over his life. A moment of mutual recognition as fellow human beings briefly softens their encounter, but Pierre remains in French custody.
Story so far
BOOK 1War and Peace
Key events
Appearances
Meet Louis-Nicolas Davout in Bookworm
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