Louis Alexandre Berthier (French Marshal), chief of staff and minister of war under Napoleon I [2], converted the emperor’s plans into orders to the field commanders. His abilities to coordinate supply and logistics for large, rapidly moving forces proved so exceptional that it often appeared that Berthier knew Napoleon’s desires before the emperor expressed them. Napoleon described his chief of staff as “the man who has served me longest and has never failed me” and claimed that he would not have lost at Waterloo if Berthier had been present. Berthier joins this list of influential military leaders not as a battlefront captain but as the first professional staff officer who made his mark through his mastery of staff coordination and support.<\/p>