Michel Ordener

Count of the Empire Michel Ordener
Portrait by Henri-François Riesener
Born	(1755-09-02)2 September 1755 L'Hôpital, Lorraine, France
Died	30 August 1811(1811-08-30) (aged 55) Compiegne, France
Allegiance	Kingdom of France  Kingdom of the French  First French Republic  First French Empire
Years of service	1776–1811
Rank	General of Division
Commands	Horse Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars Upper Danube Campaign Napoleonic Wars Battle of Austerlitz
Awards	Grand Officer of the Legion d’Honneur Order of the Iron Crown Count of the Empire[1]
Other work	Senator, First Equerry to the Empress, Governor of the Imperial Palace at Compiegne

Michel Ordener (French pronunciation: [miʃɛl ɔʁdənɛːʁ]; 2 September 1755 – 30 August 1811) was a French general of division and a commander in Napoleon's elite Imperial Guard. Of plebeian origins, he was born in L'Hôpital and enlisted as private at the age of 18 years in the Prince Condé's Legion. He was promoted through the ranks; as warrant officer of a regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval, he embraced the French Revolution in 1789. He advanced quickly through the officer ranks during the French Revolutionary Wars.

In 1804, Ordener organized and led the controversial kidnapping of the Duke d'Enghien. In 1805, he commanded a regiment of the Imperial Guard cavalry at several important battles, including the Battle of Austerlitz; although he led an energetic and opportune charge, Napoleon noted that Ordener seemed tired and predicted that the general would last only five or six years more. Ordener participated in one more campaign and then accepted a post in the Senate. Napoleon appointed him as Josephine Bonaparte's equerry, supervising the care and maintenance of her horses. He followed this with the post as governor of the Emperor's household in Compiegne, where Ordener died on 30 August 1811.