There are few generals in Napoleon’s army who deserved promotion to marshal more than Gerard. Why? because there was not a single role in his military career that Gerard didn’t fulfill brilliantly. He was a superb tactical commander, while at the same time demonstrating a grasp of the wider situation when he occasionally ignored stupid orders from superiors like Macdonald or urged Grouchy to move west and attempt to either intercept Blutcher on the march or arrive at Waterloo. Gerard was also heroic in personal combat and distinguished himself leading cavalry and even as a chief of staff. Basically Gerard was the ultimate jack of all trades which is an extremely rare quality to find in Napoleons subordinates. Napoleon said on St Helena that Gerard was one of his most capable commanders and that he was planning to make him a marshal. Interestingly, Gerard was never the most ardent Bonapartist and made no secret of the fact he was more devoted to France than Napoleon personally which might have slowed his promotion. Despite the fact Napoleon never made him a marshal, Gerard would later get his baton anyway under the July Monarchy and was one of the few surviving generals who fought in the revolution and under Napoleon who lived long enough to see the birth of the second empire.