Which French marshal was killed at the Battle of Aspern-Essling?

Jean Lannes was the French marshal killed at the Battle of Aspern-Essling. He was struck by a cannonball on 22 May 1809, the battle’s second day, suffering catastrophic injuries to both legs.

Lannes’s left leg was amputated by Napoleon’s surgeon Dominique-Jean Larrey, but the marshal died from his wounds on 31 May. Napoleon regarded him as one of his closest friends and most capable commanders.

Aspern-Essling was a major French setback during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Austrian forces under Archduke Charles forced Napoleon to withdraw across the Danube, marking one of Napoleon’s first major battlefield defeats. Lannes’s death was especially damaging because he was trusted to exercise independent command.

The battle is also commonly called the Battle of Aspern or the Battle of Essling. It took place near Vienna on 21–22 May 1809, several weeks before Napoleon’s eventual victory at Wagram.