La Grande Armée
Active	1805–15
Country	France
Size	At its height in 1812, consisted of 554,500 men: • 300,000 Frenchmen and Dutchmen • 95,000 Poles • 30,000 Italians[1] • 24,000 Bavarians • 20,000 Saxons • 17,000 Westphalians • 20,000 Prussians • 35,000 Austrians • 15,000 Swiss • 3,500 Croats
Patron	Napoleon I of the French
Motto	Valeur et Discipline (Bravery and Discipline)
Colors	Le Tricolore
March	La Victoire Est a Nous (Victory is ours/upon us), La Marseillaise
Engagements	War of the Third Coalition: Ulm, Austerlitz. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Dutch people ( Dutch:) are the dominant Ethnic group of the Netherlands. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The Kingdom of Italy ( Italian: Regno d'Italia, but also Regno Italico; 17 March 1805 – 11 April King of Bavaria was a title held by the hereditary Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria in the state known as the Kingdom of Bavaria from 1805 till 1918 when The Free State of Saxony (Freistaat Sachsen ˈzaksən Swobodny Stat Sakska is the easternmost federal state of Germany. Westphalia (Westfalen) is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Bielefeld, Bochum, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Münster Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The National flag of France (known in French as drapeau tricolore, drapeau français,and in military parlance les couleurs " La Marseillaise " (la maʁsɛˡjɛz in English The Song of Marseille) is the National anthem of France. The War of the Third Coalition in 1805 saw the defeat of an alliance of Austria, Portugal, Russia, and others by France and its client states The Battle of Ulm ( October 16 - 19, 1805) was a series of minor skirmishes at the end of Napoleon Bonaparte's Ulm Campaign, culminating The Battle of Austerlitz (Bitva u Slavkova also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories effectively destroying the War of the Fourth Coalition Jena-Auerstedt, Eylau, Friedland War of the Fifth Coalition Aspern-Essling, Wagram Peninsular War Battle of Bailén, Battle of Somosierra, Battle of Talavera, Battle of Vitoria Invasion of Russia Smolensk, Borodino, Berezina War of the Sixth Coalition Lützen, Dresden, Leipzig, Vauchamps, Arcis-sur-Aube. The Fourth Coalition against Napoleon's French Empire was defeated in a war spanning 1806&ndash1807 The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt (older name Auerstädt were fought on October 14, 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale The Battle of Eylau or Battle of Preussisch-Eylau (February 7–8 1807 was a bloody and inconclusive battle between Napoléon's Grande Armée and The Battle of Friedland ( June 14, 1807) saw Napoleon's French army decisively defeat Bennigsen's Russian army about twenty-seven Miles The War of the Fifth Coalition in 1809 pitted a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon 's French Empire and In the Battle of Aspern-Essling ( 21 May – 22 May, 1809) Napoleon attempted a forced crossing of the Danube near Vienna In the Battle of Wagram ( 5 – 6 July 1809) Napoleon Bonaparte 's French forces defeated Archduke Charles' Austrian The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France The Battle of Bailén was contested between the Spanish regular army, led by Generals Francisco Castaños and Theodor von Reding, and In the Battle of Somosierra (La batalla de Somosierra ( November 30, 1808) a heavily outnumbered Spanish force failed to prevent Napoleon from capturing The Battle of Talavera ( July 27 &ndash 28, 1809) was a bloody yet inconclusive battle seventy miles southwest of Madrid, Spain In the Battle of Vitoria ( June 21 1813) General Arthur Wellesley Marquess of Wellington, and his Portuguese and Spanish allies finally The French invasion of Russia in 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. The First Battle of Smolensk took place on August 17 1812, between 175000 men of the Grande Armée under Napoleon Bonaparte and 130000 The Battle of Borodino (Бородинская битва Borodinskaja bitva, Bataille de la Moskowa) fought on September 7, 1812, was The Battle of Berezina took place November 26 - 29, 1812 between the French army of Napoleon, retreating after his invasion of Russia In the War of the Sixth Coalition (1812–1814 a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and a number In the Battle of Lützen ( May 2, 1813) Napoleon lured a combined Prussian and Russian force into a trap halting the advances The Battle of Dresden was fought on 26 - 27 August, 1813 around Dresden, Germany resulting in a French victory under Napoleon The Battle of the Nations (or Battle of Leipzig or Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig) on 16–19 October 1813 was one of the most decisive defeats suffered by Napoleon The Battle of Vauchamps, the final major engagement of the Six Days Campaign of the Napoleonic Wars, was fought on February 14, 1814 and resulted The Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube ( March 20 - 21, 1814) was Napoleon’s penultimate battle before his abdication and exile to Elba (the last was War of the Seventh Coalition Battle of Ligny, Waterloo, Battle of Wavre. The Hundred Days was the period between Napoleon Bonaparte 's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the restoration The Battle of Ligny ( 16 June 1815) was the last victory of the military career of Napoleon Bonaparte. In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium In the Battle of Wavre was the final major military action of the of the Hundred Days campaign and the Napoleonic Wars.
Commanders
Notable commanders	Napoleon I of France
Insignia
Identification symbol	French Imperial Eagle

La Grande Armée (French for "the Great Army" or "the Grand Army") first entered the annals of history when, in 1805, Napoleon I renamed the army that he had assembled on the French coast of the English Channel for the proposed invasion of Britain and re-deployed it East to commence the Campaign of 1805 against Austria and Russia. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Although they were presented with Regimental Colours the regiments of Napoleon I tended to carry at their head the Imperial Eagle. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Napoleon 's planned Invasion of England at the start of the War of the Third Coalition, although never carried out was a major influence The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya

Thereafter, the name was used for the principal French army deployed in the Campaigns of 1806-07, 1812, and 1813-14. In practice, however, the term "Grande Armée" is used in English to refer to all of the multinational forces gathered by Napoleon I in his campaigns of the early nineteenth century (see Napoleonic Wars). Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions ^[2]

The first Grande Armée consisted of six corps under the command of Napoleon's marshals and senior generals. This article is about a military unit For alternative meanings see Corps (disambiguation. The Marshal of France (Maréchal de France and pl Maréchaux de France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a Military rank. When Napoleon discovered that Russian and Austrian armies were preparing to invade France in late 1805, the Grande Armée was quickly ordered across the Rhine into Southern Germany, leading to Napoleon's victories at Ulm and Austerlitz. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Battle of Ulm ( October 16 - 19, 1805) was a series of minor skirmishes at the end of Napoleon Bonaparte's Ulm Campaign, culminating The Battle of Austerlitz (Bitva u Slavkova also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories effectively destroying the

The army grew in size as Napoleon's might spread across Europe. It reached its maximum size of 600,000 men at the start of the invasion of Russia against the Sixth Coalition in 1812. The French invasion of Russia in 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. In the War of the Sixth Coalition (1812–1814 a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and a number All contingents were commanded by French generals, except for a Polish and an Austrian corps. The huge multinational army marched slowly eastwards, with the Russians falling back before it. After the capture of Smolensk and victory in the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon and a large part of the Grande Armée reached Moscow on 14 September 1812; however, the army was already drastically reduced in numbers due to bloody battles with Russians, disease (principally typhus) and long communication lines. Smolensk (Смоленск is a city in western Russia, located on the Dnieper River, the administrative centre of Smolensk Oblast. The Battle of Borodino (Бородинская битва Borodinskaja bitva, Bataille de la Moskowa) fought on September 7, 1812, was Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Typhus is any of several similar diseases caused by Louse -borne bacteria The army spent a month in Moscow, but was ultimately forced to march back westwards. Assailed by cold, starvation and disease, and constantly harassed by Cossacks and Russian irregulars, the retreat utterly destroyed the Grande Armée as a fighting force. The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern As many as 400,000 died in the adventure and only a few tens of thousands of ravaged troops returned. ^[3]

Napoleon led a new army to the Battle of Nations at Leipzig in 1813, in the furious defence of France in 1814, and in the Waterloo campaign in 1815, but the Napoleonic French army would never regain the heights of the Grande Armée in June 1812. The Battle of the Nations (or Battle of Leipzig or Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig) on 16–19 October 1813 was one of the most decisive defeats suffered by Napoleon This sort of fix restores section edit linkpoints to where they belong The Hundred Days was the period between Napoleon Bonaparte 's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the restoration

Contents 1 Staff system 1.1 Napoleon's military household 1.2 Army General Headquarters 2 Ranks of the Grande Armée 2.1 Grande Armee Marshals 2.2 Portraits 3 Organization 4 Forces of La Grande Armée 4.1 Imperial Guard 4.1.1 Infantry of the Guard 4.1.2 Cavalry of the Guard 4.2 Foreign Troops in La Grande Armée 4.3 Cavalry 4.3.1 Heavy cavalry 4.3.1.1 Cuirassiers 4.3.1.2 Dragoons (Dragons) 4.3.1.3 Carabiniers-à-Cheval 4.3.2 Light cavalry 4.3.2.1 Hussars (Hussards) 4.3.2.2 Chasseurs-à-Cheval 4.3.2.3 Lancers (Lanciers) 4.4 Infantry 4.4.1 Infantry of the Line 4.4.1.1 Fusiliers 4.4.1.2 Grenadiers 4.4.1.3 Voltigeurs 4.4.2 Light Infantry 4.4.2.1 Chasseurs 4.4.2.2 Carabiniers 4.4.2.3 Voltigeurs 4.5 Artillery 4.5.1 Foot artillery 4.5.2 Horse artillery 4.5.3 Artillery Train 5 Imperial Marines 6 Support services 6.1 Engineers 6.2 Logistics 6.3 Medical staff 6.4 Communications 7 Formations and tactics 8 History 8.1 1804–1806 8.2 1807–1809 8.3 1810–1812 8.4 1813–1815 9 See also 10 Footnotes 11 References 12 External links

Staff system

Prior to the late 18th century, there was generally no organizational support for staff functions such as military intelligence, logistics, planning or personnel. Military intelligence (abbreviated MI int Commonwealth, or intel Logistics is the management of the flow of Goods, Information and other resources including Energy and people between the point of origin and the point Unit commanders handled such functions for their units, with informal help from subordinates who were usually not trained for or assigned to a specific task. A military organization is a way of structuring the armed forces of a State as a need to offer Military capability required by the National defence policy The commanding officer ( CO) is the officer in command of a Military unit.

The first modern use of a General Staff was in the French Revolutionary Wars, when General Louis Alexandre Berthier (later the first Marshal of Empire) was assigned as Chief of Staff to the French Army of Italy in 1795. The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts from 1792 until 1802 fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states Louis Alexandre Berthier, 1st Duc de Wagram, 1st Duc de Valengin, 1st Sovereign Prince de Neuchâtel ( February This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Army of Italy (Armée d'Italie was a Field army of the French Army stationed on the Italian border and used for operations in Italy itself Year 1795 ( MDCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Berthier was able to establish a well organized staff support team. Napoleon Bonaparte took over the army the following year and rapidly came to appreciate Berthier's system, adopting it for his own headquarters, although Napoleon's usage was limited to his own command group. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe.

The Staff of the Grande Armee was known as the Imperial Headquarters and was divided into the Napoleon's military household, and the Army General Headquarters.

Napoleon's military household

The military household of the Emperor included the department of Aides-de-camp, orderly officers (until 1809), the Emperor's Cabinet with the Secretariat, a department that collected intelligence about the enemy using spies, and the topographical department. An aide-de-camp ( French for camp assistant) is a personal assistant secretary or Adjutant to a person of high rank usually a senior military officer Attached was also the Emperor's Civil Cabinet that included the office of the Grand Marshal of the Palace and the Grand Equerry.

Army General Headquarters

The Grand État-Major Général (Chief Staff Major General Headquarters) included the office of the Etats-Major-General's Cabinet (Berthier) with their four departments: Movements, Secretariat, Accounting and Intelligence (order of battles). Berthier also had his own private Military Staff which included duty Generals and Staff Aides-de-camp. Finally there was the Army General Staff with the offices of the three Assistant Major-Generals to Berthier.

Lest one think this was a safe office job of the modern staff officers, a contemporary subordinate staff officer Brossier reports that at the Battle of Marengo

The General-in-chief Berthier gave his orders with the precision of a consummate warrior, and at the Marengo maintained the reputation that he so rightly acquired in Italy and in Egypt under the orders of Bonaparte. In the Battle of Marengo was fought on 14 June 1800 between French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces near the city of Alessandria He himself was hit by a bullet in the arm. Two of his aides-de-camp, Dutaillis and La Borde, had their horses killed. ^[4]

Ranks of the Grande Armée

Unlike the armies of the Ancien Régime and other monarchies, advancement in the Grande Armée was based on proven ability rather than social class or wealth. Ancien Régime ( pronounced: /ɑ̃sjɛ̃ ʁeʒim/ refers primarily to the aristocratic social and political system established in Napoleon wanted his army to be a meritocracy, where every soldier, no matter how humble of birth, could rise rapidly to the highest levels of command, much as he had done (provided, of course, they did not rise too high or too fast). Meritocracy is a system of a government or another organization wherein Appointments are made and responsibilities are given based on demonstrated talent and Ability This was equally applied to the French and foreign officers, and no less than 140 foreigners attained the rank of Général. ^[5] By and large this goal was achieved. Given the right opportunities to prove themselves, capable men could rise to the top within a few years, whereas in other armies it usually required decades if at all. It was said that even the lowliest private carried a marshal's baton in his knapsack. Here is a list of officer and enlisted ranks with their contemporary Anglo-American equivalents, followed by a gallery of some of those who rose to the top, earned their batons and played key roles in the Armée's campaigns and operations. For other uses see Baton The word baton, from the French bâton (stick also in ordinary senses itself from Late Latin bastum

Grande Armée rank	Modern U. S. equivalent
Commissioned officers
Maréchal[6]	Lieutenant General
Général de division	Major General
Général de brigade	Brigadier General
Colonel	Colonel
Colonel en second (Chef de brigade 1793-1803)	Lieutenant Colonel
Chef de bataillon or Chef d'escadron[7]	Major
Capitaine	Captain
Lieutenant	First Lieutenant
Sous-lieutenant	Second Lieutenant
Non-commissioned officers
Adjudant-Chef	Warrant Officer
Adjudant	Sergeant-Major
Sergent-Major or Maréchal des logis Chef[7]	First sergeant
Sergent or Maréchal des Logis[7]	Sergeant
Caporal-Fourrier or Brigadier-Fourrier[7]	Company clerk/supply Sergeant
Caporal or Brigadier. This article is about a United States military rank For other countries that use a similar rank see Lieutenant General. Major General or Major-General is a Military rank used in many countries Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General. See also Colonel In the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, colonel Please see " Lieutenant Colonel " for other countries which use this rank In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps Please see " Major " for other countries that use this rank In the United States, Major is a Military rank denotes First Lieutenant is a Military rank. The rank of Lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations (see Comparative military ranks Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer Military rank in many Armed forces. A Warrant Officer ( WO) is a member of a military organization holding one of a specific group of ranks. A Sergeant Major is a rank or appointment in many militaries around the world First Sergeant is the name of a military rank used in some countries Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries police forces and other uniformed organizations around the world [7]	Corporal
Soldat or Cavalier(Cavalry) or Canonnier(Artillery)	Private

Grande Armee Marshals

• Louis Alexandre Berthier, Prince of Neufchatel and of Wagram, Duke of Valengin. Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations A Private is a Soldier of the lowest Military rank (equivalent to NATO Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in Louis Alexandre Berthier, 1st Duc de Wagram, 1st Duc de Valengin, 1st Sovereign Prince de Neuchâtel ( February (1753 - 1815), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• Joachim Murat, Prince d'Empire, Grand Duke of Clèves and Berg, King of Naples (1767 - 1815), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• Bon Adrien Jeannot de Moncey, Duke of Conégliano (1754 - 1842), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, Count Jourdan (1762 - 1833), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• André Masséna, Duke of Rivoli, Prince of Essling (1758 - 1817), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• Charles Pierre Francois Augereau, Duke of Castiglione (1757 - 1816), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, Prince of Ponte Corvo, Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• Guillaume Marie Anne Brune, Count Brune (1763 - 1815), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• Jean de Dieu Soult, Duke of Dalmatie (1769 - 1851), Marshal of the Empire in 1804, Marshal General of France in 1847
• Jean Lannes, Duke of Montebello (1769 - 1809), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• Édouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier, Duke of Trévise (1768 - 1835), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• Michel Ney, Duke of Elchingen, Prince of Moscow (1769 - 1815), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• Louis Nicolas Davout, Duke of Auerstaedt, Prince of Eckmühl (1770 - 1823), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• Jean-Baptiste Bessières, Duke of Istria (1768 - 1813), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
• François Christophe de Kellermann, Duke of Valmy (1737 - 1820), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 (Honorary)
• François Joseph Lefebvre, Duke of Dantzig (1755 - 1820), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 (Honorary)
• Dominique Catherine de Pérignon, Marquis of Grenade (1754 - 1818), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 (Honorary)
• Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier, Count Sérurier (1742 - 1819), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 (Honorary)
• Claude Victor, Duke of Bellune (1764 - 1841), Marshal of the Empire in 1807
• Étienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre MacDonald, Duke of Tarento (1765 - 1840), Marshal of the Empire in 1809
• Nicolas Oudinot, Duke of Reggio (1767 - 1847), Marshal of the Empire in 1809
• Auguste Marmont, Duke of Ragusa (1774 - 1852), Marshal of the Empire in 1809
• Louis Gabriel Suchet, Duke of Albufera (1770 - 1826), Marshal of the Empire in 1811
• Laurent, Marquis de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, Marquis of Gouvion-Saint-Cyr (1764 - 1830), Marshal of the Empire in 1812
• Józef Antoni Poniatowski, Prince Poniatowski (1763 - 1813), Marshal of the Empire in 1813
• Emmanuel, marquis de Grouchy, (1766 - 1847), Marshal of the Empire in 1815

Portraits

Organization

One of the most important factors in the Grande Armée's success was its superior and highly flexible organization. Joachim-Napoléon Murat (born Joachim Murat) ( Gioacchino Napoleone Murat) ( March 25 1767 &ndash October 13 1815) Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey, 1st Duc de Conegliano ( July 31, 1754 &ndash April 20, 1842) Marshal of France Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, 1st Comte Jourdan ( April 29, 1762 &ndash November 23, 1833) was a Marshal of France. Charles Pierre François Augereau 1st Duc de Castiglione ( October 21, 1757 &ndash June 12, 1816) was a French soldier and military Charles XIV John ( Karl XIV Johan) born Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, later renamed Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte (26 January 1763 &ndash 8 March 1844 Guillaume Marie Anne Brune 1st Comte Brune ( March 13, 1763 &mdash August 2, 1815) was a French soldier and political figure who rose Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duc de Dalmatie (29 March 1769 26 November 1851 the Hand of Iron, was a French general and statesman named The title Marshal General of France or more exactly "Marshal General of the King's camps and armies" ( maréchal général des camps et armées du roi) was given to Jean Lannes, 1st Duc de Montebello, 1st Sovereign Prince de Sievers ( April 11, 1769 &ndash May 31, Édouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier, 1st Duc de Trévise (13 February 1768 28 July 1835 was a French General and Marshal of France Michel Ney, 1st Duc d' Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa ( January 10 1769 &ndash December 7 1815 Louis-Nicolas d'Avout ( May 10, 1770 &ndash June 1, 1823) better known as Davout, 1st Duc d' Auerstaedt Jean-Baptiste Bessières, 1st Duc d' Istria ( August 6, 1768 &ndash May 1, 1813) was a Marshal of France François Christophe Kellermann or de Kellermann 1st Duc de Valmy (28 May 1735 - 23 September 1820) was Marshal of France during François Joseph Lefebvre, 1st Duc de Dantzig ( 25 October, 1755 &ndash 14 September, 1820) was Marshal of France Catherine-Dominique de Pérignon, 1st Marquis de Grenade ( May 31, 1754 - December 25, 1818) was Marshal Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier, 1st Comte Sérurier ( December 8, 1742 &mdash December 24, 1819) was a French Claude Victor-Perrin, 1st Duc de Belluno ( 7 December 1764 &ndash 1 March 1841) was a Marshal of France Nicolas Charles Oudinot, 1st Comte Oudinot, 1st Duc de Reggio ( 25 April, 1767 &ndash 13 September, 1847) was Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont, 1st Duc de Ragusa ( 20 July 1774 &ndash 22 March 1852) was a French Louis Gabriel Suchet, 1st Duc d' Albufera ( March 2, 1770 &ndash January 3, 1826) Marshal of France, one of Laurent de Gouvion-Saint-Cyr, 1st Marquis de Gouvion-Saint-Cyr ( Toul, May 13, 1764 &ndash Hyères, March 17, 1830 Early Austrian years war with Turkey Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski was born in Vienna, Austria in the Palais Kinsky (others say he was actually Grouchy redirects here For the musical theorist Jean de Grouchy (ca It was subdivided into several Corps (usually from five to seven), each numbering anywhere between 10,000 to 50,000, with the average size being around 20,000 to 30,000 troops. This article is about a military unit For alternative meanings see Corps (disambiguation. These Corps d'Armée were self-contained, smaller armies of combined arms, consisting of elements from all the forces and support services discussed below. Combined arms is an approach to Warfare which seeks to integrate different arms of a Military to achieve mutually complementary effects While capable of fully independent operations, the Corps usually worked in close concert together and kept within a day's marching distance of one another. A Corps, depending on its size and the importance of its mission, was commanded by a Marshal, or Général de division (Divisional General). The Marshal of France (Maréchal de France and pl Maréchaux de France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a Military rank. Divisional General is a rank used in many armies to denote a rank of general corresponding to command of a division ^[8]

Napoleon placed great trust in his Corps commanders and usually allowed them a wide freedom of action, provided they acted within the outlines of his strategic objectives and worked together to accomplish them. When they failed to do this to his satisfaction, however, he would not hesitate to reprimand or relieve them and in many cases took personal command of their Corps himself. Corps were first formed in 1800, when General Moreau divided the Army Of The Rhine into 4 Corps. Jean Victor Marie Moreau ( February 14, 1763 &ndash September 2, 1813) was a French general who helped Napoleon Bonaparte These were only temporary groupings, however, and it was not until 1804 that Napoleon made them permanent units. He would sometimes form the cavalry into separate Corps, so they would be able to move and mass more quickly without being slowed by the infantry.

The main tactical units of the Corps were the Divisions, usually consisting of 4,000 to 6,000 infantry or cavalrymen. A division is a large Military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to thirty thousand soldiers These in turn were made up of 2 or 3 Brigades of 2 Regiments apiece and supported by an Artillery Brigade of 3 or 4 Batteries, each with 4 field cannons and 2 howitzers, making 18 to 24 guns in all. A brigade is a Military unit Echelon: is A regiment is a Military unit, composed of a variable number of Battalions – commanded by a Colonel. An artillery brigade is a specialised form of Military Brigade dedicated to providing Artillery support In Military organizations an artillery battery is a unit of Guns mortars or Rockets so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural A howitzer is a type of Artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles The Divisions were also permanent administrative and operational units, commanded by a General de Division (Major General) and likewise capable of independent actions. Major General or Major-General is a Military rank used in many countries

Forces of La Grande Armée

Imperial Guard

France's Imperial Guard (Garde Impériale) was the elite military force of its time and grew out of the Garde des Consuls and Garde Consulaire. This article discusses the soldiers who guarded Napoleon For other uses of the term see Imperial Guard (disambiguation The Imperial Guard (French It was, quite literally, a Corps d'Armée itself with infantry, cavalry and artillery divisions. Napoleon wanted it also to be an example for the entire army to follow, and a force that, since it had fought with him over several campaigns, was completely loyal. Although the infantry was rarely committed en masse, the Guard's cavalry was often thrown into battle as the killing blow and its artillery used to pound enemies prior to assaults.

From a single regiment in 1800, it was steadily expanded until it was the size of a field army.

Size Of The Guard Over Time
Year	Number Of Soldiers
1800	3,000
1804	8,000
1805	12,000
1810	56,000
1812	112,000
1813	85,000 (mostly Young Guards)
1815	28,000

Infantry of the Guard

There were three sections:

• Old Guard (Vieille Garde): Composed of the longest serving veterans who had served three to five campaigns in Napoleon's army, the Old Guard consisted of two regiments and was the crème de la crème of La Grande Armée.

• • Grenadiers à Pied de la Garde Impériale:^[9][10] The Grenadiers of the Guard was the most senior regiment in La Grande Armée. A regiment is a Military unit, composed of a variable number of Battalions – commanded by a Colonel. During the 1807 campaign in Poland, the Grenadiers were given the nickname les grognards ("the grumblers") by Napoleon himself. The Fourth Coalition against Napoleon's French Empire was defeated in a war spanning 1806&ndash1807 They were the most experienced and brave infantrymen in the Guard, some veterans having served in over 20 campaigns. To join the Grenadiers, a recruit had to have been under the colours for at least 10 years, have received a citation for bravery, be literate and be over 178 cm tall. The Grenadiers à Pied did not see combat as often as the infantry of the Young or Middle guard, but when they did they performed admirably. In 1815, The Old Guard grenadiers were expanded to four regiments. The new regiments, the 2e, 3e and 4e Grenadiers were immediately classed as Old Guard, despite the fact that they were nowhere near the calibre of 1er Grenadiers. In fact, the army referred to them as Middle Guard. It was these regiments which were defeated by the British Guards at Waterloo. The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS is the most senior Regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, and as such is the most senior regiment of infantry In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium The 1er Grenadiers was engaged in fighting the Prussians at Placenoit. The Grenadiers à Pied wore a dark blue habit long (coat with long tails) with red turnbacks, epaulettes and white lapels. The Grenadiers most distinguishing feature was the tall bearskin hat, decorated with an engraved gold plate, a red plume and white cords. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 The hackle is a Feather Plume (most plumes are made of Horsehair that is attached to the Headdress.
  • Chasseurs à Pied de la Garde Impériale:^[11] The Chasseurs of the Guard were the second most senior regiment in La Grande Armée. The 1er Chasseurs were the sister formation to the 1er Grenadiers à Pied. They had the same entry criteria, however accepted men who were 172 cm and taller. The Chasseurs performed just as well as the Grenadiers in combat, seeing action in several crucial battles. Following Napoleon's return in 1815, the Chasseurs was expanded to four regiments also, with the 2e, 3e and 4e regiments being formed from recruits with only four years experience. These regiments, together with 'Middle Guard' regiments of Grenadiers à Pied, formed the assault of the Guard during the final phase of the battle of Waterloo. As with the 1er Grenadiers à Pied, the 1er Chasseurs à Pied was engaged at Placenoit. The Chasseurs à Pied wore a dark blue habit long (coat with long tails) with red turnbacks, red epaulettes fringed green and white lapels. On campaign, the Chasseurs often wore dark blue trousers. As with the Grenadiers, the Chasseurs most distinguishing feature was the tall bearskin, decorated with a red over green plume and white cords.
• Middle Guard (Moyenne Garde):^[12] Consisted of veterans of 2-3 campaigns.
  • Fusiliers-Chasseurs: In 1806, the Fusiliers-Chasseurs was formed as a regiment of middle guard infantry. All members of the Middle guard were veterans of 2-3 campaigns, and were commissioned as NCOs in the Line regiments. Arguably the best infantry of the entire Guard, the Fusiliers-Chasseurs most often operated together with its sister formation, the Fusiliers-Grenadiers, as part of a Guard Fusilier-Brigade. The Fusilier-Chasseurs saw extensive action, proving their worth time and time again, until they were disbanded in 1814 following Napoleon's abdication. The Fusiliers-Chasseurs were not reformed in 1815 for the Waterloo campaign. The Hundred Days was the period between Napoleon Bonaparte 's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the restoration Fusiliers-Chasseurs wore a dark blue habit (or coat) with green epaulettes fringed red, red turnbacks and white lapels. Under this they wore a white waistcoat and either blue or brown trousers. The Fusiliers-Chasseurs shako had white cords and a tall red over green plume. A shako is a tall cylindrical military Cap, usually with a peak ( British English) or Visor ( American English) sometimes tapered at the The Fusiliers-Chasseurs were armed with a Charleville modele 1777 musket, bayonet and a short sabre. The Charleville musket was the primary Musket used exclusively by the Canadian Militia from the early 1700s right up to the early 1800s because of its solidity and lightness A musket is a muzzle -loaded Smoothbore Long gun, which is intended to be fired from the shoulder
  • Fusiliers-Grenadiers:^[13] Formed in 1807, the Fusiliers-Grenadiers was a regiment of middle guard infantry. The Fusiliers-Grenadiers was organised in the same way as the Fusiliers-Chasseurs, being a slightly larger formation. The Fusiliers-Grenadiers most often operated together with its sister formation, the Fusiliers-Chasseurs, as a part of a Guard Fusilier-Brigade. The Fusilier-Grenadiers saw extensive action, proving their worth time and time again, until they were disbanded in 1814 following Napoleon's abdication. The Fusiliers-Grenadiers were not reformed in 1815. Fusiliers-Grenadiers wore a dark blue habit (or coat) with red epaulettes, red turnbacks and white lapels. Under this they wore a white waistcoat and white trousers. The Fusiliers-Grenadiers shako had white cords and a tall red plume. A shako is a tall cylindrical military Cap, usually with a peak ( British English) or Visor ( American English) sometimes tapered at the The Fusiliers-Grenadiers were armed with a Charleville modele 1777 musket, bayonet and a short sabre.
  • Marines of the Guard (Marins de la Garde): Sometimes translated as The Seamen of the guard, were formed in 1803, with their initial purpose being to man the vessel transporting the Emperor during the expected crossing of the English channel prior to the invasion of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The battalion was formed with five equipages (or crews), companies in all but name. After the cancellation of the invasion, the Marines remained a part of the Guard, manning whatever boat, barge or other water vessel Napoleon traveled in, as well as acting as a combat unit. A boat is a Watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water and provide transport over it BARGE, the Big August RecGambling Excursion is a yearly convention held in Las Vegas during the first weekend of August Seamen of the Guard wore navy blue hussar-style dolman jackets, laced gold, with navy blue Hungarian style trousers decorated with gold lace. A Dolman (from Turkish dolaman "robe") is a type of clothing Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic They wore a shako trimmed in Gold with a tall red plume. A shako is a tall cylindrical military Cap, usually with a peak ( British English) or Visor ( American English) sometimes tapered at the ^[14] Seamen were armed as infantry, with a Charleville modele 1777 musket and bayonet, and many seamen were also equipped with pistols, less cumbersome during their engineering tasks. The Charleville musket was the primary Musket used exclusively by the Canadian Militia from the early 1700s right up to the early 1800s because of its solidity and lightness A musket is a muzzle -loaded Smoothbore Long gun, which is intended to be fired from the shoulder
• Young Guard(Jeune Garde):^[15] Initially was made up of veterans with at least one campaign under their belts, together with bright young officers and the best of the annual intake of conscripts. Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority Later its ranks would be filled almost entirely by select conscripts and volunteers. They were known for their enthusiasm more than their combat abilities.
  • Tirailleurs-Grenadiers: In 1808, Napoleon ordered the most intelligent and strongest recruits to be formed into the first regiments of the Young Guard. The taller of the recruits were inducted into the Tirailleurs-Grenadier regiments (renamed to Tirailleurs in 1810). All officers of the Tirailleurs-Grenadiers were drawn from the Old Guard, and as such were entitled to wear bearskins. The NCOs were drawn from the Middle Guard. Having this leavening of hardened veterans helped to increase the morale and combat abilities of the Tirailleurs-Grenadiers, and its sister formations the Tirailleurs-Chasseurs. Tirailleurs-Grenadiers wore a dark blue habit (or coat) with red epaulettes and dark blue turnbacks and lapels piped white. The Tirailleurs-Grenadiers' shako had red cords, with a long red plume. A shako is a tall cylindrical military Cap, usually with a peak ( British English) or Visor ( American English) sometimes tapered at the
  • Tirailleurs-Chasseurs: The shorter recruits of the Young Guard were inducted into the Tirailleurs-Chasseurs (renamed to Voltigeurs in 1810). The formation was identical to that of the Tirailleurs-Grenadiers, with all officers being drawn from the Old Guard, and NCOs coming from the Middle Guard. Tirailleurs-Grenadiers wore a dark blue habit (or coat) with red turnbacks and dark blue lapels piped white. This was further decorated by green epaulettes with red fringing. Their shako was decorated with a large plume, which could be coloured either green or red over green.

Grenadier à Pied, 1812 (Napoleon can be seen in the background)

Grognard of the Old Guard in 1813

Tirailleur of the 1e Regiment Tirailleurs, Young Guard 1811.

Fusilier-Grenadiers and Fusilier-Chasseurs of the Middle Guard, 1806-1814.

Cavalry of the Guard

In 1804, the Cavalry of the Guard consisted of two regiments, the Chasseurs à Cheval and the Grenadiers à Cheval, along with a small unit of elite Gendarmes and a squadron of Mamelukes. The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on A regiment is a Military unit, composed of a variable number of Battalions – commanded by a Colonel. A squadron is a small unit or formation of Cavalry, armour, Aircraft (including Balloons) or Warships Army A third regiment was added in 1806, the Regiment de Dragons de la Garde Impériale (Later known as the Dragons de l’Imperatice, the Empress Dragoons). Following the Campaign in Poland in 1807, a regiment of Polish Lancers, the Regiment de Chevau-Légers de la Garde Impériale Polonais was added. The Fourth Coalition against Napoleon's French Empire was defeated in a war spanning 1806&ndash1807 Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland A lancer ( Uhlan) was a type of Cavalryman who fought with a Lance. The final addition was made in 1810, with another Regiment of Lancers, this time drawn from French and Dutch recruits, the 2e Regiment de Chevau-Légers Lanciers de la Garde Impériale or Red Lancers. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The cavalry of the Guard was involved in combat numerous times, and with few exceptions proved its worth in action. Perhaps the most famous episode in the history of the Guard cavalry was the charge of the Polish Lancers at the Battle of Waterloo, where, alongside line cuirassiers, they routed the Scots Greys and the Union Brigade. In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium Cuirassiers were mounted Cavalry Soldiers equipped with Armour and Firearms first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1678 until 1971 when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon

• Horse Grenadiers (Grenadiers à Cheval de la Garde Impériale): Known as the Gods or the Giants, these troopers were the elite of Napoleon's guard cavalry and the mounted counterparts of the Grognards. The Horse Grenadiers wore tall bearskins, dark blue coats and collars, white lapels and tall boots. The entire formation was mounted on large black horses. A prospective recruit had to be over 176 cm tall, have accrued 10 years of service serving in a minimum of four campaigns, and have received a citation for bravery. The Grenadiers performed admirably at Austerlitz, where they defeated the Russian Guard Cavalry, but their most famous combat was at the Battle of Eylau. The Battle of Eylau or Battle of Preussisch-Eylau (February 7–8 1807 was a bloody and inconclusive battle between Napoléon's Grande Armée and After standing under the fire of sixty Russian guns for a time, the troopers began to search for cover. Their commander, Colonel Louis Lepic, ordered the troops "Up with your heads gentlemen, those are only bullets, not turds". Louis Lepic was a high-ranking French General born in the Montpellier region in the south of France ^[16] Soon after they joined Murat's charge into the Russian lines. The Horse Grenadiers, together with the Polish Lancers, were the only Guard Cavalry units never beaten in battle.

• Chasseurs à Cheval of the Guard (Chasseurs à cheval de la Garde Impériale): Known as the "Favoured Children" (connotations of Spoiled Brats), the Chasseurs à Cheval of the Guard were the light cavalry of the Guard, Napoleon's favourites and one of the most recognisable units in La Grande Armée. In 1796, during the Italian Campaign, Napoleon ordered the formation of a bodyguard unit after he narrowly escaped an attack by Austrian light cavalry at Borghetto while at lunch. The French Revolutionary Wars continued from 1795, with the French in an increasingly strong position as members of the First Coalition made separate peaces ^[17] This 200 man unit of Guides was the forerunner of the Chasseurs à Cheval of the Guard, and their close affiliation with the Emperor was shown by the fact that he often wore the uniform of a Colonel of their regiment. In their flamboyant green, red and gold hussar style uniforms, the chasseurs were known to exploit their position as the emperor's favourites, showing poor discipline and even insubordination on some occasions. They first saw combat during the battle of Austerlitz, where they played a role in defeating the Russian Guard cavalry. During the Peninsular Campaign the Chasseurs were ambushed by a large British cavalry force at Benavente in 1808 and defeated. The Peninsula Campaign (also known as the Peninsular Campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Climate It is characterized as a Mediterranean climate with continental characteristics as with the altitude of the municipality and its distance to the sea They regained their reputation by showing extreme bravery during the Battle of Waterloo.
• Elite Gendarmes (Gendarmerie d’Elite): Nicknamed The Immortals due to the fact that they rarely saw combat, the Gendarmes nonetheless performed a vital role. Gendarmes were the military police of La Grande Armée. Military police ( MPs) are normally the Police of a Military Organization. Along with maintaining security and order near the headquarters, the Gendarmes would provide honour guards for high ranking visitors, interrogate prisoners and protect the Emperor's personal baggage. The Gendarmes wore dark blue coats with red lapels and tall boots, along with a bearskin slightly smaller than that of the Horse Grenadiers. After 1807, the Gendarmes began to see more combat, distinguishing themselves in guarding the Danube bridge at Aspern-Essling in 1809. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj
• Squadron of Mamelukes (Escadron de Mamalukes): Fearsome desert warriors, whose loyalty Bonaparte purchased during his Egyptian campaign. They combined superb horsemanship and swordsmanship with fanatical courage. Often romantically viewed as "authentic sons of the desert" or even "head-hunters", their officers were French, the NCOs and ranks comprised not only Egyptians and Turks but Greeks, Georgians, Syrians and Cypriots as well. Originally they were an attached company (or "Half-Squadron") of the Chasseurs-a-Cheval de la Garde. They distinguished themselves at Austerlitz in 1805, winning their own standard, a second trumpeter and promotion to full Squadron. The Battle of Austerlitz (Bitva u Slavkova also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories effectively destroying the A squadron is a small unit or formation of Cavalry, armour, Aircraft (including Balloons) or Warships Army This unit eventually became part of the Old guard, and served the Emperor right up to Waterloo. In 1813, a second Mameluke company was raised and attached to the Young guard. As with their predecessors, they were incorporated into the Chasseurs, and served alongside with them during the Hundred days in 1815. Their distinct and colourful uniforms consisted of a green (later red) cahouk (hat), white turban, a loose shirt and a vest and red saroual (pants), with yellow, red or tan boots. Their weapons consisted of a long, curved Scimitar, a brace of pistols and a dagger. A scimitar (ˈsɪmɪtə is a Sword with a curved blade design finding its origins in Southwest Asia Their hats and weapons were inscribed with a crescent and star insignia of brass.
• Lancers of the Guard (Chevau-Légers-Lanciers de la Garde Impériale):^[18]
  • 1e Regt (Polish) In 1807 Napoleon authorized the raising of a guard regiment of Polish light horse. They were to be given French instructors and training. But during their first review before the Emperor, their ranks became so entangled that Bonaparte quipped, "These people only know how to fight!" and dismissed their instructors on the spot. But he kept his Poles by his side and the following year at Somosierra they would have another opportunity to prove themselves, on the battlefield instead of the parade ground. In the Battle of Somosierra (La batalla de Somosierra ( November 30, 1808) a heavily outnumbered Spanish force failed to prevent Napoleon from capturing Napoleon ordered them to charge against a heavily fortified Spanish artillery position. Armed with only sabres and pistols, they overran four batteries, capturing over 20 cannons and decisively turned the tide. Following this, almost legendary, feat Napoleon proclaimed "Poles, You are worthy of my Old Guard I proclaim you my bravest cavalry!". Promoted to the Old Guard, they were then given lances, remained at the Emperor's side until Waterloo, and were never defeated by enemy cavalry. The 1e Regiment of the Guard developed a rivalry with their fellow Poles of the 1e Vistula Uhlans of the regular Armee. This was not simply based on who was the better unit, but on deep political differences as well, with the Lancers fanatical Bonapartists, while many, if not most, of the Uhlans held fiercely Republican sentiments. Such differences, political and otherwise, between units were not unusual and are well illustrated here. From being instructed by the French, they, along with their Vistula rivals, would go on to serve as instructors and models for the French and most other lancer regiments of the Armée, thus greatly multiplying their fearsome effectiveness.
  • 2e Regt (French-Dutch) Formed in 1810 from a French and Dutch cadre. They were called Les Lanciers Rouges (the Red Lancers) due to their distinctive uniforms. They too suffered heavily in Russia at the hands of the Cossacks and the hardships of the winter, with most of its men and all but a handful of the horses lost. The regiment was rebuilt in 1813 and it became a powerful unit with its first four squadrons of veterans in the Old Guard and the new recruits of 6 junior squadrons in the young. They would distinguish themselves in numerous engagements, including, finally, Waterloo.
  • 3e regt (Polish) was formed in 1812 as part of the Young Guard. Its officers and NCOs were veterans, but its ranks were filled by enthusiastic yet inexperienced students and sons of Polish and Lithuanian landholders. With little training, they were thrown into the Russian campaign where they were surrounded and the entire regiment wiped out at Slonim, later that year by Cossacks and hussars. Slonim ( Belarusian: Сло́нім is a city in Belarus in the Hrodna voblast and Slonim Rayon, located at the junction of the Shchara

• Empress Dragoons (Dragons de l’Impératice): Formed in 1806 as the Imperial Guard Dragoon Regiment (Regiment de Dragons de la Garde Impériale), it was renamed in honor of Empress Josephine the following year. Joséphine de Beauharnais (born Marie Josèphe Rose de Tascher de la Pagerie June 23 1763 &ndash May 29 1814) was the first Originally candidates had to have at least 6 (later 10) years of service, participated in no fewer than 2 campaigns with citations for bravery, be literate and at least 173 cm tall (slightly shorter than for the Horse Grenadier Guards). No more than 12 candidates from each of the 30 regular Dragoon regiments were allowed to apply at any one call, this quota would later be reduced to 10. Volunteers from other guard regiments were also allowed to transfer. Since this was as much a ceremonial as a combat unit and was rarely committed in battle, billets in the Empress Dragoons were highly sought after positions. As with the Red Lancers, it had squadrons in both the Old and Young guards and served with the Emperor until the end.

• Scouts of the Imperial Guard (Eclaireurs de la Garde Impériale) : During the terrible retreat from Moscow, Napoleon was very impressed by the skills of many regiments of cossacks. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern He used them as a model to create a new cavalry brigade, the Scouts, which were formed during the Imperial Guard reorganization in December 1813. 3 regiments of a thousand men each were created and their squardrons attached to existing regiments:
  • 1st Rgt: scouts-grenadiers under Colonel-Major Claude Testot-Ferry’s command (wounded and titled Baron of the Empire by Napoleon himself on the battlefield of Craonne on the 7th March 1814)
  • 2nd Rgt: scouts-dragoons under Colonel Hoffmayer’s command
  • 3rd Rgt: scouts-lanciers under Jean Kozietulski’s command

The scouts had only the time to distinguish themselves during the French Campaign in 1814 and were dissolved by Louis XVIII upon his restoration. Général Baron Claude Testot-Ferry ( 20 May 1773, Arnay-le-Duc - 25 August 1856, Châtillon-sur-Seine, The Battle of Craonne was fought on March 7, 1814, and resulted in a French victory under Napoleon I against Russians and Louis XVIII (17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824 Louis Stanislas Xavier de France, was a King of France and Navarre.

A Red Lancer.

Foreign Troops in La Grande Armée

Many European armies recruited foreign troops, and Napoleonic France was no exception. Foreign troops played an important role and fought with distinction in La Grande Armée during the Napoleonic Wars. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions Almost every continental European country was, at different stages, a part of La Grande Armée. By the end of the conflict tens-of-thousands had served. In 1805 35,000 troops from the Confederation of the Rhine were used to protect lines of communications and flanks of the main army. The Confederation of the Rhine or Rhine Confederation (Rheinbund États confédérés du Rhin officially and Confédération du Rhin in practice) lasted In 1806 27,000 more troops were called up for similar purposes, plus 20,000 Saxon troops were used for mopping up operations against the Prussians. In the Winter Campaign of 1806-7, Germans, Poles, and Spaniards helped seize Baltic ports at Stralsund and Danzig on La Grande Armée's left flank. Stralsund (ˈʃtʁaːlzʊnt is a city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, situated at the southern Coast of the Strelasund (a sound Gdańsk ( Polish pronunciation; 'Danzig', Gduńsk Gedania Dantiscum is the City at the centre of the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in Poland At the Battle of Friedland in 1807, the Corps of Marshal Lannes was formed considerably from Poles, Saxons, and Dutch. The Battle of Friedland ( June 14, 1807) saw Napoleon's French army decisively defeat Bennigsen's Russian army about twenty-seven Miles For the first time foreign troops had played a role in a major battle, and done so with distinction. In the 1809 Austrian Campaign possibly as many as one-third of the La Grande Armée, were from the Confederation of the Rhine,^[19] and one-quarter of the Army in Italy was Italian. At La Grande Armée's peak in 1812, more than half the troops that marched into Russia were non-French and represented 20 different countries, including Austrian and Prussian troops. Grawert initially led the Prussian detachment, but was replaced by Yorck. Julius August Reinhold von Grawert (1746 &ndash 1821 was a Prussian General. Hans David Ludwig Graf Yorck von Wartenburg ( September 26, 1759 - October 4, 1830) was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall

See also: Polish Legions in Italy

Cavalry

By decree of the Emperor himself, cavalry typically comprised between a fifth and a sixth of the Grande Armée. Polish Legions, during the Napoleonic Period, were collectively several Polish units serving in the French army from the 1790s to 1810s The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on Cavalry regiments of 800-1,200 men were made up of three or four Escadrons of two companies each, plus supporting elements. A squadron is a small unit or formation of Cavalry, armour, Aircraft (including Balloons) or Warships Army The first company of the every regiment's first escadron, was always designated as 'Elite', with presumably, the best men and horses. In the revolution's wake, the cavalry suffered the greatest from the loss of experienced aristocratic officers and NCOs still loyal to the crown of the Ancien Régime. Ancien Régime ( pronounced: /ɑ̃sjɛ̃ ʁeʒim/ refers primarily to the aristocratic social and political system established in Consequently, the quality of French cavalry drastically declined. Napoleon rebuilt the branch, turning it into arguably the finest in the world. Until 1812 it was undefeated in any large engagements above the regimental level. There were two primary types of cavalry for different roles, heavy and light.

Heavy cavalry

Cuirassiers

The heavy (Lourde) cavalry, equipped and armed almost like the knights of old with a heavy cuirass (breastplate) and helmets of brass and iron and armed with straight long sabers, pistols and later carbines. Cuirassiers were mounted Cavalry Soldiers equipped with Armour and Firearms first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. Cuirass ( French cuirasse, Latin coriaceus, made of leather from corium, the original breastplate being of Leather) the A carbine is a Firearm similar to a Rifle or Musket, but generally shorter and of lesser power As with the knights, they served as the shock troops of the cavalry. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. Shock troops or assault troops are Infantry formations and their supporting units intended to lead an attack Because of the weight of their armour and weapons, both trooper and horse had to be big and strong, and could consequently put a lot of force behind their charge. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. However, they mostly served to support the light cavalry and dragoons. Despite this, they proved a potent force on the battlefield, leaving their opponents impressed if not awestruck. The British, in particular, who mistakenly believed the cuirassiers were Napoleon's bodyguard, and would later come to adapt their distinctive helmets and breastplates for their own Horse Guards. There were originally 25 cuirassier regiments, later 18.

Dragoons (Dragons)

The medium-weight mainstays of the French cavalry, although considered heavy cavalry, who were used for battle, skirmishing and scouting. A dragoon is a soldier intended primarily to fight on foot but trained also in Horse riding and cavalry combat especially Skirmishers are Infantry or Cavalry Soldiers stationed ahead or alongside of a larger body of friendly troops They were highly versatile being armed not only with traditional sabres (the finest with three edges made of Toledo steel), but also pistols and muskets (which were kept in a saddleboot when riding), enabling them to fight on foot as infantry as well as mounted. The sabre or saber (see spelling differences) is a kind of Sword that usually but not always has Toledo Spain locationpng|thumb|right|200px|Location of Toledo in Spain A musket is a muzzle -loaded Smoothbore Long gun, which is intended to be fired from the shoulder The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists Part of the price for this versatility was their horsemanship and swordsmanship were often not up to the same standards as that of the other cavalry troops, which made them the subjects of some mockery and derision. Finding enough of the right kinds of horses for these part-time cavalrymen also proved a challenge. Some infantry officers were even required to give up their mounts for the dragoons, creating resentment towards them from this branch as well. There were 25, later 30, dragoon regiments. In 1815, only 15 could be raised and mounted in time for the Hundred Days. The Hundred Days was the period between Napoleon Bonaparte 's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the restoration

Carabiniers-à-Cheval

Similar in arms and role to Dragoons. For the device used to connect ropes see Carabiner A Carabinier (also sometimes spelled Carabineer or Carbineer) ( Carabinero However, being more lightly armed and (initially) unarmored, they were less suited for close-quarters, melee combat. Melee (from the French mêlée meˈleː generally refers to disorganized Close combat involving a group of fighters This made them less versatile, and therefore less numerous (only 2 regiments originally) and less regarded than the Dragoons. In 1809, appalled by their mauling at the hands of the Austrian Uhlans, Napoleon ordered that they be given armour. Uhlans (in Polish: "Ułan" "Ulan" in German, from Turkish oğlan) were Polish light Cavalry armed with But this did not prevent them from being defeated by the Russian cuirassiers at Borodino in 1812, and panicking before the Hungarian hussars at Leipzig the following year.

Light cavalry

Hussars (Hussards)

These fast, light cavalrymen were the eyes, ears and egos of Napoleonic armies. Hussar (original Hungarian spelling huszár, plural huszárok, Husaria refers to a number of types of Light cavalry created in Hungary They regarded themselves as the best horsemen and swordsmen (beau sabreurs) in the entire Armée. This opinion was not entirely unjustified and their flamboyant uniforms reflected their panache. Tactically, they were used for reconnaissance, skirmishing and screening for the army to keep their commanders informed of enemy movements while denying the foe the same information and to pursue fleeing enemy troops. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information Armed only with curved sabres and pistols, they had reputations for reckless bravery to the point of being almost suicidal. It was said a Hussar who lived to be 30 was truly old guard and very fortunate. There were 10 regiments in 1804, with an 11th added in 1810 and two more in 1813.

Chasseurs-à-Cheval

(Mounted Hunters) These were light cavalry identical to Hussars in arms and role. A Chasseur (a French term for "hunter" is the designation given to certain regiments of French light Infantry ( Chasseurs à pied But, unlike the chasseurs of the Imperial guard discussed previously and their infantry counterparts discussed below, they were considered less prestigious or elite. Their uniforms were less colourful as well, consisting of infantry-style shakos (in contrast to the hussars' distinctive bearskins), green coats, green breeches and short boots. They were, however, the most numerous of the light cavalry, with 31 regiments in 1811, 6 of which comprised non-French Belgians, Swiss, Italians and Germans.

Lancers (Lanciers)

Some of the most feared cavalry in Napoleon's armies were the Polish lancers of the Vistula Uhlans. A lancer ( Uhlan) was a type of Cavalryman who fought with a Lance. Uhlans (in Polish: "Ułan" "Ulan" in German, from Turkish oğlan) were Polish light Cavalry armed with Nicknamed Hell's Picadors or Los Diablos Polacos (The Polish Devils) by the Spanish, these medium and light horse (Chevau-Légère Lanciers) cavalry had speed nearly equal to the Hussars, shock power almost as great as the Cuirassiers and were nearly as versatile as the Dragoons. The Chevau-légers (from French cheval - horse and léger - light was a generic French name for several units of light cavalry roughly similar to They were armed with, as their name indicates, lances along with sabres and pistols. Lancers were the best cavalry for charging against infantry in square, where their lances could outreach the infantry's bayonets, (as happened to Colborne's British brigade at Albuera in 1811) and also in hunting down a routed enemy. A bayonet (from French baïonnette) is a Knife - Dagger - or spike-shaped Weapon designed to fit on or over the muzzle The Battle of Albuera (16 May 1811 was an indecisive battle during the Peninsular War. They could be deadly against other types of cavalry as well, most famously demonstrated by the fate of Sir William Ponsonby and his Scots Greys at Waterloo. For the Elizabethan publisher see William Ponsonby (publisher. The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1678 until 1971 when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Excluding those of the guard, there were 9 lancer regiments. After the wars, the British were impressed enough to create their own lancer regiments.

A French Cuirassier charging at Waterloo	A French Carabiner. Cuirassiers were mounted Cavalry Soldiers equipped with Armour and Firearms first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. A carabiner or karabiner (colloquially crab, D ring, krab, or 'biner) is a metal loop with a sprung or	Dragoon Officer of the 21ér Regiment de Dragons	Hussar of the 2éme Regiment du Hussards, 1807. A dragoon is a soldier intended primarily to fight on foot but trained also in Horse riding and cavalry combat especially Hussar (original Hungarian spelling huszár, plural huszárok, Husaria refers to a number of types of Light cavalry created in Hungary
Lancer of the Régiment de la Vistule Uhlans

Infantry

While the infantry was perhaps not the most glamorous arm of service in the Grand Armée, they bore the brunt of most of the fighting, and their performance resulted in victory or defeat. A lancer ( Uhlan) was a type of Cavalryman who fought with a Lance. The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists The Infantry was divided up into two major types, the Infantry of the Line (Infanterie de Ligne) and the Light Infantry (Infanterie Légère).

Infantry of the Line

The Infantry of the Line made up the majority of the Grande Armée. Infantry of the Line or Line Infantry refers to the soldiers forming the bulk of any dismounted force as distinct from Guards, Light infantry and more In 1803, Napoleon had reinstated the term Regiment, the revolutionary term demi-brigade (due to the fact there were two per brigade and it lacked the royal connotations) was now only used for provisional troops and depot units. A regiment is a Military unit, composed of a variable number of Battalions – commanded by a Colonel. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an The Demi-brigade (Half-brigade was a military formation first used by the French Army during the French Revolutionary Wars. At the time of the formation of the Grande Armée, the French Army had 89 Régiments de Ligne, a number which roughly corresponded with the number of départements in France. In the Terminology of Political geography and Historiography a National department (département departamento is an administrative There would eventually be 156 Ligne regiments.

The Régiments de Ligne varied in size throughout the Napoleonic Wars, but the basic building block of the Infanterie of the Line was the battalion. A battalion is a Military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel A line infantry battalion was numbered at about 840 men; however, this was the battalion's 'full strength' and few units ever reached this. A more typical strength for a battalion would be 400-600 men. From 1800 to 1803 a line infantry battalion had eight fusilier companies, and one grenadier company. From 1804 to 1807 a line infantry battalion had seven fusilier companies, one grenadier company, and one voltigeur company. From 1808 to 1815 a line infantry battalion had four companies of fusiliers, one company of grenadiers, and one company of voltigeurs.

Fusiliers

The Fusiliers made up the majority of a line infantry battalion, and may be considered the typical infantryman of the Grande Armée. The Fusilier was armed with a smoothbore, muzzle-loaded flintlock Charleville model 1777 musket and a bayonet. Smoothbore refers to a Firearm or Cannon which does not have a rifled barrel. Flintlock is the general term for any Firearm based on the flintlock mechanism The Charleville musket was the primary Musket used exclusively by the Canadian Militia from the early 1700s right up to the early 1800s because of its solidity and lightness A musket is a muzzle -loaded Smoothbore Long gun, which is intended to be fired from the shoulder A bayonet (from French baïonnette) is a Knife - Dagger - or spike-shaped Weapon designed to fit on or over the muzzle Fusilier training placed emphasis on speed of march and endurance, along with individually aimed fire at close range and close quarters combat. This differed greatly from the training given to the majority of European armies, which emphasised moving in rigid formations and firing massed volleys. Many of the early Napoleonic victories were due to the ability of the French armies to cover long distances with speed, and this ability was thanks to the training given to the infantry. From 1803, each battalion comprised eight Fusilier companies. A company is a Military unit, typically consisting of 75-200 Soldiers Most companies are formed of three to five Platoons although the exact number may vary Each company numbered around 120 men.

In 1805, one of the Fusilier companies was dissolved and reformed as a Voltigeur company. In 1808, Napoleon reorganised the Infantry battalion from nine to six companies. The new companies were to be larger, comprising 140 men, and four of these were to be made up of Fusiliers, one of Grenadiers, and one of Voltigeurs.

The line Fusilier wore a bicorne hat, until this was superseded by the shako in 1807. The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered is an archaic form of hat associated with the late 18th and early 19th centuries A shako is a tall cylindrical military Cap, usually with a peak ( British English) or Visor ( American English) sometimes tapered at the The uniform of a Fusilier consisted of white trousers, white surcoat and a dark blue coat (the habit long model until 1812, thereafter the habit veste) with white lapels, red collar and cuffs. Each Fusilier wore a coloured pom-pom on his hat. A pom-pon is at its most basic level a decorative ball of fluff The colour of this pom-pom changed depending on the company the man belonged to. After the 1808 reorganisation, the First company was issued with a dark green pom-pom, the second with sky blue, the third with orange and the fourth with violet. Green is a Color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a Wavelength of roughly 520–570- nm. Azure is a Blue Color on the HSV color wheel at 210 degrees Azure is the Hue that is halfway between Blue and Cyan The colour orange occurs As the name of a color violet (named after the flower violet) is used in two senses first referring to the color of Light at the short- Wavelength

Grenadiers

Grenadiers were the élite of the line infantry and the veteran shock troops of the Napoleonic infantry. A grenadier (derived from the word Grenade) was originally a specialized soldier first established as a distinct role in the mid to late 17th century for the throwing of grenades Newly formed battalions did not have a Grenadier company; rather, Napoleon ordered that after two campaigns, several of the strongest, bravest and tallest fusiliers were to be promoted to the Grenadier company, so each line battalion which had seen more than two campaigns had one company of Grenadiers.

Regulations required that Grenadiers recruits were to be the tallest, most fearsome men in the regiments, and all were to have moustaches. For the Swedish heavy metal band see Mustasch. A moustache (or mustache) is Facial hair grown on the upper Lip. To add to this, Grenadiers were initially equipped the a bonnet à poil or bearskin, as well as red epaulettes on their coat. Epaulette (ˈɛpǝlɛt is a French word meaning "little shoulder" (from épaule, meaning "shoulder" After 1807 regulations stipulated that line Grenadiers were to replace their bearskin with a shako lined red with a red plume; however, many chose to retain their bearskins. In addition to the standard Charleville model 1777 and bayonet, Grenadiers were also equipped with a short sabre. The sabre or saber (see spelling differences) is a kind of Sword that usually but not always has This was to be used for close combat, but most often ended up serving as a tool to cut wood for campfires.

The Grenadier company would usually be situated on the right side of a formation, traditionally the place of greatest honour. During a campaign, Grenadier companies could be detached to form a Grenadier battalion or occasionally a regiment or brigade. These formations would then be used as a shock force or the vanguard for a larger formation.

Voltigeurs

Voltigeurs (literally, Vaulters or Leapers) were élite light infantry of the line regiments. The Voltigeurs (Vaulters were French military Skirmish units created in 1804 by Napoleon. A grenadier (derived from the word Grenade) was originally a specialized soldier first established as a distinct role in the mid to late 17th century for the throwing of grenades The Voltigeurs (Vaulters were French military Skirmish units created in 1804 by Napoleon. Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a Skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of Infantry, harassing In 1805, Napoleon ordered that the smallest, most agile men of the line battalions be chosen to form a Voltigeur company. These troops were to be second only to the Grenadiers in the battalion hierarchy. Their name comes from their original mission. Voltigeurs were to combat enemy cavalry by vaulting up onto the enemy's horses, a fanciful idea which failed to succeed in combat. Despite this, the Voltigeurs did perform a valuable task, skirmishing and providing scouts for each battalion, as well as providing an organic light infantry component for each line regiment. Skirmishers are Infantry or Cavalry Soldiers stationed ahead or alongside of a larger body of friendly troops In Voltigeur training, emphasis was placed on marksmanship and quick movement.

Voltigeurs were equipped with large yellow and green or yellow and red plumes for their bicornes. After 1807, their shakos were lined with yellow and carried similar plumes. They also had yellow epaulettes lined green and a yellow collar on their coats.

Originally, Voltigeurs were to be equipped with the short dragoon musket, however in practice they were equipped with the Charleville model 1777 and bayonet. A dragoon is a soldier intended primarily to fight on foot but trained also in Horse riding and cavalry combat especially Like Grenadiers, Voltigeurs were equipped with a short sabre for close combat, and like Grenadiers this was rarely used. Voltigeur companies could be detached and formed into regiments or brigades to create a light infantry formation. After 1808, the Voltigeur company was situated on the left of the line when in combat. This was traditionally the second highest position of honour in the line of battle.

Light Infantry

While the Infantry of the Line made up the majority of the Grande Armée's infantry, the Infanterie Légère (Light Infantry) also played an important role. Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a Skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of Infantry, harassing The Légère regiments never numbered more than 35 (compared with the 155 of the Ligne regiments), and the Ligne could perform all the same manoeuvres, including skirmishing. The difference lay in the training and the resulting high esprit de corps. Morale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group is an intangible term used for the capacity of people to maintain Belief in

Training for Légère units placed a strong emphasis on marksmanship and fast movement. A marksman is a person that is skilled in Precision shooting, using projectile weapons such as with a Rifle but most commonly with a Sniper rifle, As a result, the general Légère soldier was able to shoot more accurately and move faster than his Ligne counterpart. Légère regiments tended to see more action and were often used to screen large manoeuvres. Naturally, due to the fact that commanders turned to the Légère for more missions than the Ligne, the Légère troopers enjoyed a higher esprit de corps and were known for their flamboyant uniforms and attitude. Also, Légère troops were required to be shorter than line troops, which helped them to move quickly through forests as well as to hide behind obstacles when skirmishing. The formation of a Légère battalion exactly mirrored that of a battalion of line infantry, but different troop types were substituted for the Grenadiers, Fusiliers and Voltigeurs.

Chasseurs

Chasseurs (Hunters) were the fusiliers of the Légère battalions. A Chasseur (a French term for "hunter" is the designation given to certain regiments of French light Infantry ( Chasseurs à pied They made up the majority of the formation. They were armed with the Charleville model 1777 musket and a bayonet, and also with a short sabre for close combat. As was common in the Napoleonic army, this weapon was quickly blunted by being used to chop wood for fires.

From 1803, each battalion comprised eight chasseur companies. Each company numbered around 120 men. In 1808, Napoleon reorganised the Infantry battalion from nine to six companies. The new companies were to be larger, comprising 140 men, and four of these were to be made up of chasseurs.

The chasseurs had far more ornate uniforms than their contemporaries the fusiliers. Until 1806, they were equipped with a cylindrical shako with a large dark green plume and decorated with white cords. Their uniform was a darker blue than that of the line regiments, to aid with camouflage while skirmishing. Their coat was similar to that of the line troops, but their lapels and cuffs were also dark blue, and it featured dark green and red epaulettes. They also wore dark blue trousers and high imitation hussar boots. Hussar (original Hungarian spelling huszár, plural huszárok, Husaria refers to a number of types of Light cavalry created in Hungary After 1807, the cylindrical shako was replaced with the standard shako, but was still embellished by white cords. As with the line fusiliers, chasseur companies were distinguished by coloured pom-poms, but the colours for the different companies changed from regiment to regiment.

Carabiniers

The Carabiniers were the grenadiers of the Légère battalions. For the device used to connect ropes see Carabiner A Carabinier (also sometimes spelled Carabineer or Carbineer) ( Carabinero After two campaigns, the tallest and bravest chasseurs were chosen to join the Carabinier company. They performed as élite shock troops for the battalion. As with the grenadiers, Carabiniers were required to wear moustaches. They were armed with the Charleville model 1777, a bayonet and a short sabre. The Carabinier uniform consisted of a tall bearskin cap (superseded in 1807 by a red trimmed shako with a red plume). They wore the same uniform as the chasseurs, but with red epaulettes. Carabinier companies could be detached to form larger all Carabinier formations for assaults or other operations requiring assault troops.

Voltigeurs

Voltigeurs performed exactly the same mission in the Légère battalion as they did in the line battalions, only they were more nimble and better marksmen. The Voltigeurs (Vaulters were French military Skirmish units created in 1804 by Napoleon. The Légère voltigeurs were dressed as chasseurs, but with Yellow and green epaulettes and before 1806, a colpack (or busby) replaced the shako. Busby is the English name for the Hungarian prémes csákó or kucsma, a Military head-dress made of Fur, worn The colpack had a large yellow over red plume and green cords. After 1807, a shako replaced the colpack, with a large yellow plume and yellow lining. As with the line voltigeurs, légère voltigeurs could be detached and used to form larger formations as needed.

Grenadier of the Line, c. 1812.

A cornet (or trumpeter) of the Infanterie Légère.

Officers of Infanterie Légère, 1803-1815.

Chasseurs of Infanterie Légère 1806.

Artillery

The Emperor was a former artillery officer, and reportedly said “God fights on the side with the best artillery. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine ”^[20] . As may therefore be expected, French cannons were the backbone of the Grande Armée's forces, possessing the greatest fire-power of the three arms and hence the ability to inflict the most casualties in the least amount of time. | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural The French guns were often used in massed batteries (or grandes batteries) to soften up enemy formations before being subjected to the closer attention of the infantry or cavalry. Grand Battery ( Grande Batterie, meaning big or great battery was a French Artillery tactic of the Napoleonic wars. Superb gun-crew training allowed Napoleon to move the weapons at great speed to either bolster a weakening defensive position, or else hammer a potential break in enemy lines.

Besides superior training, Napoleon's artillery was also greatly aided by the numerous technical improvements to French cannons by Jean Baptiste de Gribeauval which made them lighter, faster and much easier to sight, as well as strengthened the carriages and introduced standard sized calibres. Lieutenant General Jean Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval ( 15 September, 1715 &ndash 9 May, 1789) was a French Artillery In general, French guns were 4-pounders, 8-pounders or 12-pounders and 6-inch howitzers with the lighter calibres being phased out and replaced by 6-pounders later in the wars. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. A howitzer is a type of Artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles French cannons had brass barrels and their carriages, wheels and limbers were painted olive-green. Superb organization, fully integrated the artillery into the infantry and cavalry units it supported, yet also allowed it to operate independently if the need arose. There were two basic types, Artillerie à Pied (Foot artillery) and Artillerie à Cheval (Horse artillery).

Foot artillery

As the name indicates, these gunners marched alongside their guns, which were, of course, pulled by horses when limbered (undeployed). Hence they travelled at the Infantry's pace or slower. In 1805 there were 8, later 10, regiments of foot artillery in the Armée plus 2 more in the Imperial guard, but unlike cavalry and infantry regiments, these were administrative organizations. The main operational and tactical units were the batteries (or companies) of 120 men each which were formed into brigades and assigned to the divisions and corps.

• Divisional artillery: Every division had a brigade of 3 or 4 batteries of 8 guns (6 cannons and 2 howitzers) each.
• Corps artillery reserve: Each Corps would also have its own artillery reserve, of one of more Brigades, armed mostly with the larger, heavier calibre pieces.

Battery personnel included not only gun crews, NCOs and officers but drummers, metal workers, woodworkers, ouvriers, furriers and artificers. They would be responsible for fashioning spare parts, maintaining and repairing the guns, carriages, caissons and wagons, as well as tending the horses and storing munitions.

Horse artillery

The cavalry were supported by the fast moving, fast firing light guns of the horse artillery. Horse artillery was a type of light fast-moving and fast-firing Artillery which provided highly mobile Fire support to European and American This arm was a hybrid of cavalry and artillery with their crews either riding on the horses or on the carriages into battle. Because they operated much closer to the front lines, the officers and crews were better armed and trained for close quarters combat, mounted or dismounted much as were the dragoons. Once in position they were trained to quickly dismount, unlimber (deploy) and sight their guns, then fire rapid barrages at the enemy. They could then quickly limber (undeploy) the guns, remount, and move on to a new position. To accomplish this, they had to be the best trained and most elite of all artillerymen. The horse batteries of the Imperial guard could go from riding at full gallop to firing their first shot in just under a minute. After witnessing such a performance, an astounded Duke of Wellington remarked, "They move their cannon as if it were a pistol!" There were 6 administrative regiments of horse artillery plus one in the guard. Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, KP, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS ( c In addition to the batteries assigned to the cavalry units, Napoleon would also assign at least one battery to each infantry corps or, if available, to each division. Their abilities came at a price, however, horse batteries were very expensive to raise and maintain. Consequently they were far fewer in number than their foot counterparts, typically comprising only 1/5 of the artillery's strength. It was a boastful joke among their ranks that the Emperor knew every horse gunner by name. Besides better training, horses, weapons and equipment, they used far more ammunition. Horse batteries were given twice the ammo ration of the foot, those of the guard three times.

Artillery Train

The Train d’artillerie, was established by Bonaparte in January 1800. Its function was to provide the teamsters and drivers which handled the horses that hauled the artillery's vehicles. ^[21] Prior to this the French, like all other period armies, had employed contracted, civilian teamsters who would sometimes abandon the guns under fire, rendering them immobile, rather than risk their lives or their valuable teams of horses. ^[22] Its personnel, unlike their civilian predecessors, were armed, trained and uniformed as soldiers. Apart from making them look better on parade, this made them subject to military discipline and capable of fighting back if attacked. The drivers were armed with a carbine, a short sword of the same type used by the infantry and a pistol. They needed little encouragement to use these weapons, earning surly reputations for gambling, brawling and various forms of mischief. Their uniforms and coats of grey helped enhance their tough appearance. But their combativeness could prove useful as they often found themselves attacked by cossacks, Spanish and Tyrolian guerillas. Tyrol is a region in Western Central Europe, which included the present day Austrian state of Tyrol (consisting of North Tyrol and East

Each train d’artillerie battalion was originally composed of 5 companies. The first company was considered elite and was assigned to a horse artillery battery; the three "centre" companies were assigned to the foot artillery batteries and "parks" (spare caissons, field forges, supply wagons, etc. ); and one became the depot company for training recruits and remounts. Following the campaigns of 1800, the train was re-organized into eight battalions of six companies each. As Napoleon enlarged his artillery, additional battalions were created, rising to a total of fourteen in 1810. In 1809, 1812 and 1813 the first thirteen battalions were "doubled" to create 13 additional battalions. Additionally, after 1809 some battalions raised extra companies to handle the regimental guns attached to the infantry. ^[22]

The Imperial Guard had its own train, which expanded as La Garde's artillery park was increased, albeit organized as regiments rather than battalions. At their zenith, in 1813-14, the Old Guard artillery was supported by a 12-company regiment while the Young Guard had a 16-company regiment, one for each of their component artillery batteries. ^[23]

Imperial Marines

The four regiments of the marines of the Ancien Régime disappeared on the 28 January 1794. Ancien Régime ( pronounced: /ɑ̃sjɛ̃ ʁeʒim/ refers primarily to the aristocratic social and political system established in ^[24]

The Marins (French spelling) of the Grande Armee were divided into the Bataillon des Marins de la Garde Imperial, also known eventually as the Matelots de la Garde, formed on 17 September 1803, and Matelots des Bataillons de la Marine Imperiale of which some 32,000 served with the French Navy at its height of expansion by Napoleon. Units of the later were created for service on land by conscripting naval personnel surplus to requirement of the Navy. There also existed the marine artillery, which were mostly naval gunners used for coastal batteries and fortresses called bataillons de la Matelot du Haut-Bord (or Les Equipages de Haut-Bord - marines of the High Shore) created by Napoleon's decree on 1 April 1808. ^[25] The flag of the 1er Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine survives today, and lists Lutzen 1813 as one of its battle honours. In the Battle of Lützen ( May 2, 1813) Napoleon lured a combined Prussian and Russian force into a trap halting the advances Some 63 artillery batteries were so manned (some numbers remaining vacant). Some examples include^[26]:

22ième Équipage de Haut-Bord from the ship Donauwörth

Marine Regiment de Rochefort included the 16ième bataillon de marins

Marine equipage de vasseux Admiral de Ruyter

Marine equipage de vasseux L’Hannibal (serving with the Regiment de Rochefort 16ième bataillon)

4ième Équipage de Haut-Bord de vasseux Friedland

5ième and 48ième Équipage de Haut-Bord de vasseux La Licorne

The Marins of the Guard were organised into five equipages (ship's company), each with five escouades, with a total strength of 737 men^[27], the unit having be created ostensibly for the preparation of the invasion of England. Donauwörth is a city in the German State of Bavaria (Bayern in the region of Swabia (Schwaben Rochefort is a commune in western France, a Seaport on the Atlantic Ocean. Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter ( 24 March 1607 – 29 April 1676) is one of the most famous Admirals in Dutch history The Battle of Friedland ( June 14, 1807) saw Napoleon's French army decisively defeat Bennigsen's Russian army about twenty-seven Miles Napoleon 's planned Invasion of England at the start of the War of the Third Coalition, although never carried out was a major influence

The unit was almost entirely destroyed in the Spanish Campaign of 1808 at Baylen, but was rebuilt, and in 1810 the battalion was expanded to eight equipages with a total of 1,136 men, but this was severely reduced by the casualties of the Russian Campaign, and only 350 officers and men remained in the ranks in 1813. The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France The Battle of Bailén was contested between the Spanish regular army, led by Generals Francisco Castaños and Theodor von Reding, and The French invasion of Russia in 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. With Napoleon's first abdication an ensign and 21 marins accompanied him to Elba, and returned with him for the Hundred Days Campaign when their strength was increased to an equipage of 150 officers and men. Elba (Ilva is an island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The Hundred Days was the period between Napoleon Bonaparte 's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the restoration

The Marins were distinct in several ways from other Grande Armee units in that naval rather than Army ranks were used, the uniform was based on that of those of the Hussars, and it was the only unit of the Grande Armee in which the musicians used both the drums and the trumpets. Hussar (original Hungarian spelling huszár, plural huszárok, Husaria refers to a number of types of Light cavalry created in Hungary The drum is a member of the percussion group technically classified as a Membranophone. ^[28]

The battalions of marine artillery were conscripted for the 1813 campaign, and included four regiments with the 1st regiment intended to have 8 battalions, 2nd regiment 10 battalions and the 3rd and 4th regiments four battalions each, totalling 9,640 men in all^[29] serving with Marshal Marmont's 6th Corps. Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont, 1st Duc de Ragusa ( 20 July 1774 &ndash 22 March 1852) was a French Combined with sailor battalions, these fought as part of the Division de Marine at the battles of Lutzen, Bautzen, Dresden, and won high praise at the Battle of Leipzig. In the Battle of Lützen ( May 2, 1813) Napoleon lured a combined Prussian and Russian force into a trap halting the advances This is about the battle in 1813 For the World War II battle see Battle of Bautzen (1945 In the Battle of Bautzen ( 20 - 21 May The Battle of Dresden was fought on 26 - 27 August, 1813 around Dresden, Germany resulting in a French victory under Napoleon The Battle of the Nations (or Battle of Leipzig or Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig) on 16–19 October 1813 was one of the most decisive defeats suffered by Napoleon The marine units were disbanded in 1815.

Support services

Engineers

While the glory of battle went to the cavalry, infantry and artillery, the army also included military engineers of various types. A military engineer is primarily responsible for the design and construction of offensive defensive and logistical structures for Warfare Other duties include the

The bridge builders of the Grande Armée, the pontonniers, were an indispensable part of Napoleon's military machine. Their main contribution was helping the emperor to get his forces across water obstacles by erecting pontoon bridges. A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a Bridge that floats on water supported by barge-or-boat-like pontoons to support the bridge deck and its dynamic The skills of his pontonniers allowed Napoleon to outflank enemy positions by crossing rivers where the enemy least expected and, in the case of the great retreat from Moscow, saved the army from complete annihilation at the Beresina. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of

They may not have had the glory, but Napoleon clearly valued his pontonniers and had 14 companies commissioned into his armies, under the command of the brilliant engineer, General Jean Baptiste Eblé. Jean Baptiste Eble ( December 21 1758 - December 31 1812) was a French General, Engineer and Artilleryman His training along with their specialized tools and equipment, enabled them to quickly build the various parts of the bridges, which could then be rapidly assembled and reused later. All the needed materials, tools and parts were carried on their wagon trains. If they did not have a part or item, it could be quickly made using the pontonniers' mobile wagon-mounted forges. A single company of pontonniers could construct a bridge of up to 80 pontoons (a span of some 120 to 150 metres long) in a just under seven hours, an impressive feat even by today's standards. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International

In addition to the pontonniers, there were companies of sappers, to deal with enemy fortifications. A sapper is an individual engineer soldier usually in British or Commonwealth military service They were used far less often in their intended role than the pontonniers, however, since the emperor had learned in his early campaigns (such as at the Siege of Acre) that it was better to bypass and isolate fixed fortifications, if possible, than to directly assault them, so the sapper companies were usually put to other tasks. The Siege of Acre of 1799 was an unsuccessful French Siege of the Ottoman -defended walled city of Acre (now Akko in modern Israel

The different types of engineer companies were formed into battalions and regiments called Génie, which was originally a slang term for engineer. As with all armed forces throughout history the French Grande Armée of the Napoleonic Wars used a colorful and extensive vocabulary of Slang terms to describe their This name, which is still used today, was both a play on the word (jeu de mot) and a reference to their seemingly magical abilities to grant wishes and make things appear much like the mythical Genie. GEnie (General Electric Network for Information Exchange was an online service

Logistics

One of Napoleon's most quoted lines is his dictum that "An army is a creature which marches on its stomach". This clearly illustrates the vital importance of military logistics. Military Logistics is the art and science of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces The troops of the Grande Armée each carried 4 days' provisions. The supply wagon trains following them carried 8 days', but these were to be consumed only in emergency. Insofar as possible, Napoleon encouraged his men to live off the land through foraging and requisition of food (which was known as La Maraude). La Maraude describes the tactic employed by Napoleonic armies of scavenging for supplies instead of relying on extended lines of supply

Additional supplies would be stockpiled and stored at forward bases and depots which he would establish before the start of his campaigns. These would then be moved forward as the army advanced. The Grande Armée's supply bases would replenish the Corps and Divisional depots, which in turn would replenish the Brigade and Regimental supply trains, which would distribute rations and ammunition to the troops as needed to supplement their foraging. The reliance on foraging was sometimes determined by political pressures. When marching over friendly territory armies were told to "live off what the country can supply", but when marching over neutral territory they were issued with supplies. It was this system of planned and improvised logistics which enabled the Grande Armée to sustain rapid marches of up to 15 miles per day for up to 5 weeks. The logistical system was also aided by a technological innovation in the form of the food preservation technique invented by Nicolas François Appert, which led to modern canning methods. Nicolas Appert (1749 - 1841 born in Châlons en Champagne was the French inventor of airtight food preservation Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food is processed and sealed in an airtight container

Medical staff

The medical services had the least glory or prestige, yet they were required to deal with the full horrors of war's aftermath. Every regiment, division and corps had its own medical staff, consisting of corpsmen to find and transport the wounded, orderlies to provide assistance and nursing functions, apothecaries, surgeons and doctors. These staffs were often filled by poorly-trained and inept men, unfit for any other work. Conditions in the Grande Armée, as in all armies of the time, were primitive at best. Far more soldiers died of their wounds or from sickness than in battle (see Napoleonic Wars casualties). The Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815 direct and indirect casualties breakdown as follows NOTE Deaths listed include being killed in action and/or of other causes such as dying There was no knowledge of hygiene or antibiotics. Hygiene refers to practices associated with ensuring good health and cleanliness In modern usage an antibiotic is a Chemotherapeutic agent with activity against Microorganisms such as Bacteria, fungi or Protozoa Virtually the only surgical procedure was amputation. Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or Surgery. The only anaesthetic consisted of strong alcoholic drink or even, in some cases, knocking the patient unconscious. Anesthesia, or anaesthesia (see spelling differences; from Greek grc αν- an-, "without" and grc αἲσθησις In Chemistry, an alcohol is any Organic compound in which a Hydroxyl group ( - O[[hydrogen H]]) is bound to a Carbon Typically only a third survived the operation.

While the technology and practice of military medicine did not advance significantly during the Napoleonic wars, the Grande Armée did benefit from improvements in the organization of staffs and the establishment of a Flying Ambulance system, by its Surgeon General, Baron Dominique Jean Larrey. Dominique Jean Larrey ( 8 July, 1766 &ndash 25 July, 1842) was a French surgeon in Napoleon 's army and an important After seeing the speed with which the carriages of the French flying artillery manoeuvred across the battlefields, General Larrey adapted them for rapid transport of the wounded and manned them with trained crews of drivers, corpsmen and litter bearers. This forerunner of the modern military ambulance system, was eventually adapted by armies throughout the world in the following decades. An ambulance is a Vehicle for transporting sick or injured people to from or between places of treatment for an Illness or Injury. In addition, Larrey increased the mobility and improved the organization of field hospitals, effectively creating a prototype for the modern Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities Due to the popularity of the series M*A*S*H, colloquial use might refer to any mobile military Field hospital.

Accounts of the ordeals of the wounded are horrific reading. Napoleon, himself, once noted "It requires more courage to suffer than to die", so he made sure those who did survive were given the best treatment available at the best hospitals in France while they recuperated. In addition, the wounded survivors were often treated as heroes, awarded medals, pensions and provided with prosthetic limbs if needed. In Medicine, a prosthesis (plural prostheses) is an Artificial extension that replaces a missing Body part. Knowing that they would be promptly attended to, then honored and well looked after once back home, helped boost morale in the Grande Armée, and thus further contributed to its fighting abilities.

Communications

Communications, though described here last, were certainly not the least of essential support services. Most dispatches were conveyed as they had been for centuries, via messengers on horseback. Hussars, due to their bravery and riding skills, were often favoured for this task. Shorter range tactical signals could be sent visually by flags or audibly by drums, bugles, trumpets and other musical instruments. Thus standard bearers and musicians, in addition to their symbolic, ceremonial and morale functions, also played important communication roles.

The Grande Armée did benefit from innovations made in long range communications during the French Revolution. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an The French army was among the first to employ homing pigeons as messengers in any large and organized manner, and also the first to use observation balloons for reconnaissance and communications. Pigeons have played an important role in wars for a long time The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying Flight technology But the real advance for conveying long range dispatches came in the form of an ingenious optical Telegraph Semaphore system invented by Claude Chappe. A semaphore telegraph, optical telegraph, shutter telegraph chain, Chappe telegraph, or Napoleonic semaphore is a system Claude Chappe ( December 25, 1763 &ndash January 23, 1805) was a French inventor who in 1792 demonstrated a practical semaphore system

Chappe's system comprised an intricate network of small towers, within visual range of one another. On top of each was a 9 metre mast, with three large, movable wooden rods mounted on them. These rods, called the régulateur (regulator), were operated by trained crews using a series of pulleys and levers. The four basic positions of the rods could be combined to form 196 different "signs". Provided with good crews of operators and decent visibility conditions, a sign could be sent through the 15 station towers between Paris and Lille, a distance of 193 km (120 miles), in only 9 minutes, a complete message of 36 signs in about 32 minutes. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Lille (lil Rijsel is a city in northern France. It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in the country The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand From Paris to Venice, a message could be sent in only six hours. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the

Chappe's telegraph soon became one of Napoleon's favourite and most important secret weapons. A special portable version semaphore telegraph travelled with his headquarters. Using it he was able to coordinate his logistics and forces over longer distances in far less time than his enemies. Work was even begun on a wagon-mounted version in 1812, but not completed in time for use in the wars.

Formations and tactics

While Napoleon is best known as a master strategist and charismatic presence on the battlefield, he was also a tactical innovator. He combined classic formations and tactics which had been used for thousands of years, with more recent ones such as Frederick the Great's "Oblique Order" (Best illustrated at the Battle of Leuthen) and the "Mob tactics" of the early Levée en masse armies of the Revolution. Frederick II (Friedrich II January 24 1712 August 17 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740&ndash1786 from the In the Battle of Leuthen fought on 5 December 1757 Frederick the Great's Prussian army used maneuver and terrain to decisively defeat a Levée en masse (literally "Rise in (a Mass" is defined in Article 4 letter A paragraph 6 of the Third Geneva Convention. Levée en masse (literally "Rise in (a Mass" is defined in Article 4 letter A paragraph 6 of the Third Geneva Convention. Napoleonic tactics and formations were highly fluid and flexible. In contrast, many of the Armée's opponents were still wed to a rigid system of "Linear" (or Line) tactics and formations, in which masses of infantry would simply line up and exchange vollies of fire, in an attempt to either blow the enemy from the field or outflank them. Due to the vulnerabilities of the line formations to flanking attacks, it was considered the highest form of military manoeuvre to outflank ones' adversary. Armies would often retreat or even surrender if this was accomplished. Consequently, commanders who adhered to this system, would place a great emphasis on flank security, often at the expense of a strong centre or reserve. Napoleon would frequently take full advantage of this linear mentality, by feigning flank attacks, or offering the enemy his own flank as "bait" (Best illustrated at the Battle of Austerlitz and also later at Lützen), then throw his main effort against their centre, split their lines and roll up their flanks. The Battle of Austerlitz (Bitva u Slavkova also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories effectively destroying the In the Battle of Lützen ( May 2, 1813) Napoleon lured a combined Prussian and Russian force into a trap halting the advances He always kept a strong reserve as well, mainly in the form of his Imperial Guard, which could deliver a "knockout blow" if the battle was going well or turn the tide if it was not.

Some of the more famous, widely used, effective and interesting formations and tactics included:

• Line (Ligne): The basic three rank line formation, best used for delivering volley fire and was also a decent melee formation for infantry or cavalry, but it was relatively slow moving and vulnerable on the flanks. The line formation is a standard tactical formation which has been used throughout history
• March Column (Colonne de Marche): The best formation for rapid or sustained movement of troops and a good melee attacking formation, but it offered little firepower and was also vulnerable to flank attack, ambush, artillery and "funneling". A military column is a formation of that can be applied to individual soldiers marching together in one or more files in which the file is significantly longer than
• Wedge (Colonne de Charge): An arrow or spearhead shaped cavalry formation, designed to close rapidly and break the enemy's line. A flying wedge, flying V or simply a wedge is a charging formation in which troops or Riot police are arrayed to form a V-shaped wedge formation Classic, and effective, mounted formation used throughout history, and still used by tanks today. But if the wedge is halted, or its attack loses momentum, then it is vulnerable to counter-pincer attack on its flanks. The pincer movement or double envelopment is a basic element of Military strategy which has been used to some extent in many Wars and is considered
• Attack Column (Colonne d'Attaque): A wide column of infantry, almost a hybrid of line and column, with light infantry skirmishers in front to disrupt the enemy and screen the column's advance. A military column is a formation of that can be applied to individual soldiers marching together in one or more files in which the file is significantly longer than Once the column closed, the skirmishers would move off to its flanks, then the column would fire a massed musket salvo and charge with their bayonets. An excellent formation against a standard, thin line. The Attack Column was developed from the "Mob" or "Horde" tactics of the early French revolutionary armies. Its disadvantages were a lack of massed firepower and vulnerability to artillery fire.
• Mixed Order (Ordre Mixte): Was Napoleon's preferred infantry formation. The Mixed Order (Ordre Mixte was a tactical formation used by ''demi-brigades'' of the French Revolutionary Army and later by Napoleon's Some units (usually regiments or battalions in size) would be placed in line formation, with other units in attack column behind and in between them. This combined the firepower of the line with the speed, melee and skirmishing advantages of the attack column. It also had some of the disadvantages of both, so support from artillery and cavalry were especially vital for this tactic to succeed.
• Open Order (Ordre Ouvert): Foot and/or horse would spread out by unit and/or individually. Skirmishers are Infantry or Cavalry Soldiers stationed ahead or alongside of a larger body of friendly troops This formation was best for light troops and skirmishers. It allowed for rapid movement, especially over "broken" or rough terrain such as hills or forests, and offered the best protection from enemy fire since the troops were spread out. Its disadvantages were it did not allow for massed or volley fire and was terrible for melee or close quarters fighting and thus, especially vulnerable to cavalry.
• Square (Carré): Classic infantry formation for defence against cavalry. An infantry square is a combat formation an Infantry unit formed in close order assumes when threatened with Cavalry attack Soldiers would form a hollow square at least three or four ranks deep on each side, with officers and artillery or cavalry in the middle. It offered infantry their best protection against charges, especially on good defensive terrain such as on the top or reverse slope of a hill. Squares were slow moving, almost stationary targets, however. This, along with their density, made squares very vulnerable to artillery and to a lesser extent, infantry fire. Once broken, squares tended to completely collapse.
• Flying Battery (Batterie Volante): Designed to take advantage of French artillery's mobility and training. A battery would move to one area on the field, lay down a short, sharp barrage, then rapidly redeploy to another area and fire another barrage, then quickly redeploy again, etc. The combined, cumulative effect of numerous batteries doing this all along the enemy's lines could be devastating. The horse artillery were especially well suited for this tactic. Napoleon used it to great success in the Armée's early campaigns. Its flexibility allowed him to quickly mass well-aimed fire anywhere it was needed. But it required superbly trained and conditioned artillerymen and horses as well as close command, coordination and control in order to work.
• Grand Battery (Grande Batterie): An alternative artillery tactic, when circumstances prohibited the flying batteries. Grand Battery ( Grande Batterie, meaning big or great battery was a French Artillery tactic of the Napoleonic wars. Artillery would mass its fire at a single, crucial point on the battlefield (usually against the enemy's centre). It could be devastating if the enemy was caught by surprise or in the open. But massing large numbers of guns in a single area without the enemy's knowledge could be tricky. Once the batterie opened fire and its target became clear, measures could be taken to avoid it. It was also vulnerable to Counter-battery fire from enemy artillery and needed protection from cavalry attack. Counter-battery fire is a type of mission assigned to military Artillery forces which are tasked with locating and firing upon enemy artillery Although this has become the most well known French artillery tactic, Napoleon preferred the flying batteries and used it only when he had to or thought it posed a better chance of success. Often at the start of a battle, he would mass batteries into a Big Battery, then after a few salvoes, break up it up into flying batteries. In the early campaigns it was rarely used, but as the quantity of the Armée's horses and quality of its artillerymen declined, Bonaparte would be forced to employ it much more frequently in later battles.
• Boar's Head (Tête du Sanglier): Was another hybrid formation, somewhat like the mixed order but combining all three arms into a wedge-like square, which could be used for assault or defence. Infantry would form a short, but thick, line many ranks deep on the front, which would be the boar's "snout" (boutoir). Behind them would be two groups of artillery batteries or the "eyes" of the boar. On their flanks and behind them, in oblique order, would be other infantry in column, line or square to form the boar's "face". Protecting their flanks and rear would be two groups of cavalry, which would serve as the boar's "tusk". This was a highly complex formation, which could not be formed as easily or quickly as the others. Once formed, except for the tusks, it had slow mobility. It was, however, faster moving than the traditional square and less vulnerable to artillery or infantry fire. The "tusks" also gave it stronger offensive capabilities. It would later be employed to great effect during the French conquests in North Africa during the 1830s and 1840s, and would be used up until the 1920s.

History

For a history of the French army in the period 1792-1804 during the wars of the First and Second Coalitions see French Revolutionary Armies. The French Revolutionary Army is the term used to refer to the military of France during the period between the fall of the Ancien regime under Louis

1804–1806

See also: Napoleon's invasion of England

The Grande Armée was originally formed as L'Armée des côtes de l'Océan (Army of the Ocean Coasts) intended for the invasion of England, at the port of Boulogne in 1803. Napoleon 's planned Invasion of England at the start of the War of the Third Coalition, although never carried out was a major influence Boulogne-sur-Mer ( Bonen in Dutch is a City in Northern France. Following Napoleon's coronation as Emperor of the French in 1804, the Third Coalition was formed against him and La Grande Armée turned its sights eastwards in 1805. The War of the Third Coalition in 1805 saw the defeat of an alliance of Austria, Portugal, Russia, and others by France and its client states They left the Boulogne camps late in August and through a rapid march surrounded General Karl Mack's isolated Austrian army at the fortress of Ulm. Karl Freiherr Mack von Leiberich ( August 25, 1752 - December 22, 1828) Austrian soldier was born at Nenslingen in Bavaria Ulm (ˈʊlm is a City in the German Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The Ulm Campaign, as it came to be known, resulted in 60,000 Austrian captives at the cost of just 2,000 French soldiers. The Ulm Campaign consisted of a series of French and Bavarian military maneuvers and battles to outflank and capture an Austrian army in 1805 during the In November Vienna was taken, however, Austria refused to capitulate, maintaining an army in the field and their Russian allies had not yet been committed to action. The war would continue for a while longer. Affairs were decisively settled on December 2, 1805 at the Battle of Austerlitz, where a numerically inferior Armée routed a combined Russo-Austrian army led by Czar Alexander I. Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Year 1805 ( MDCCCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or The Battle of Austerlitz (Bitva u Slavkova also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories effectively destroying the Alexander I of Russia ( Russian: Александр I Павлович / Aleksandr I Pavlovich (23 December 1777 – November 19 1825 served as Emperor of The stunning victory led to the Treaty of Pressburg on December 26, 1805, with the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire coming the following year. The Peace of Pressburg refers to four peace treaties concluded in Pressburg (today Bratislava, Slovakia) Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 1805 ( MDCCCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in ^[30]

The alarming increase of French power in Central Europe disturbed Prussia, which had remained neutral in the conflicts of the previous year. Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state After much diplomatic wrangling, Prussia secured promises of Russian military aid and the Fourth Coalition against France came into being in 1806. The Fourth Coalition against Napoleon's French Empire was defeated in a war spanning 1806&ndash1807 La Grande Armée advanced into Prussian territory with the famed bataillon-carré ("battalion square") system, whereby corps marched in close supporting distances and became vanguards, rearguards, or flank forces as the situation demanded, and severely defeated the Prussian armies at the Battle of Jena and the Battle of Auerstadt, both fought on October 14, 1806. The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt (older name Auerstädt were fought on October 14, 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt (older name Auerstädt were fought on October 14, 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 1806 ( MDCCCVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common After a legendary pursuit, the French had captured about 140,000 Prussians and killed and wounded roughly 25,000. Davout's III Corps, the victors at Auerstadt, received the honours of first marching into Berlin. Louis-Nicolas d'Avout ( May 10, 1770 &ndash June 1, 1823) better known as Davout, 1st Duc d' Auerstaedt The III Corps of the Grande Armée was a military unit during the Napoleonic Wars. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Once more, the French had defeated an enemy before allies could arrive, and once more, this did not bring peace. ^[31]

1807–1809

Napoleon now turned his attentions to Poland, where the remaining Prussian armies were linking up with their Russian counterparts. A difficult winter campaign produced nothing but a stalemate, made worse by the Battle of Eylau on February 7-February 8, 1807, where Russian and French casualties soared for little gain. The Battle of Eylau or Battle of Preussisch-Eylau (February 7–8 1807 was a bloody and inconclusive battle between Napoléon's Grande Armée and Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1807 ( MDCCCVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The campaign resumed in the Spring and this time Bennigsen's Russian army was soundly defeated at the Battle of Friedland on June 14, 1807. Levin August Gottlieb Theophil ( Leonty Leontyevich) Count von Bennigsen ( February 10 1745 - December 3 1826) was The Battle of Friedland ( June 14, 1807) saw Napoleon's French army decisively defeat Bennigsen's Russian army about twenty-seven Miles Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Year 1807 ( MDCCCVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common This victory produced the Treaty of Tilsit between France and Russia in July, leaving Napoleon with no enemies on the continent. The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by Napoleon I of France in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland in the town of Tilsit ^[32]

Portugal's refusal to comply with the Continental System led to a punitive French expedition in late 1807. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Continental System was the Foreign policy of Napoleon I of France in his struggle against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland during the This campaign formed the basis for the Peninsular War, which was to last six years and drain the First Empire of vital resources and manpower. The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France The Empire of the French (1804-1814 also known as the Empire of France, Greater French Empire, First French Empire, French Empire, or The French attempted to occupy Spain in 1808, but a series of disasters prompted Napoleon to intervene personally later in the year. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Battle of Bailén was contested between the Spanish regular army, led by Generals Francisco Castaños and Theodor von Reding, and The 125,000-strong Grande Armée marched inexorably forward, capturing the fortress of Burgos, clearing the way to Madrid at the Battle of Somosierra, and forcing the Spanish armies to retreat. History Early man of Neanderthal occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800000 years ago Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. In the Battle of Somosierra (La batalla de Somosierra ( November 30, 1808) a heavily outnumbered Spanish force failed to prevent Napoleon from capturing They then hurled themselves towards Moore's British army, prompting them to withdraw from the Iberian Peninsula after a heroic action at the Battle of Corunna on January 16, 1809. Sir John Moore, KB (13 November 1761 &ndash 16 January 1809 was a British soldier and General The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra The Battle of Corunna (or La Corunna, A Coruña, La Coruña, or Elviña) on January 16 1809, was an attack by 16000 Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. Year 1809 ( MDCCCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The campaign was successful, but it would still be some time before the French were able to occupy Southern Spain. ^[33]

Meanwhile, a revived Austria was preparing to strike. The War Hawks at the court of King Francis I convinced him to take full advantage of France's preoccupation with Spain. War Hawk is a term originally used to describe a member of the House of Representatives of the Twelfth Congress of the United States who advocated Francis II (Franz II Heiliger Römischer Kaiser ( 12 February 1768 &ndash 2 March 1835) was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling In April 1809, the Austrians opened the campaign without a formal declaration of war and caught the French by surprise. They were too slow to exploit their gains, however, and Napoleon's arrival from Paris finally stabilized the situation. The Austrians were defeated at the Battle of Eckmühl, fled over the Danube, and lost the fortress of Ratisbon. The Battle of Eckmühl (also known as "Eggmühl" fought on 21 April &ndash 22 April, 1809, was the turning point of the 1809 Campaign also The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj Regensburg ( also Ratisbon, Ratisbona Řezno originally Castra Regina) is a City (population 131000 in 2007 in Bavaria, Germany But they still remained a cohesive, fighting force, which meant further campaigning was required to settle the issue. The French captured Vienna and attempted to cross the Danube via Lobau island southeast of the Austrian capital, but they lost the subsequent Battle of Aspern-Essling, the first defeat for La Grande Armée. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. In the Battle of Aspern-Essling ( 21 May – 22 May, 1809) Napoleon attempted a forced crossing of the Danube near Vienna A second attempt to cross the river proved more successful in July and set the stage for the two-day Battle of Wagram, where the French emerged victorious, inflicting some 40,000 casualties on the Austrians. In the Battle of Wagram ( 5 – 6 July 1809) Napoleon Bonaparte 's French forces defeated Archduke Charles' Austrian The defeat demoralized the Austrians so heavily that they agreed to an armistice shortly afterwards. An armistice is a situation where the warring parties agree to stop fighting This eventually led to the Peace of Schönbrunn in October 1809. The Treaty of Schönbrunn (Traité de Schönbrunn Friede von Schönbrunn sometimes known as the Treaty of Vienna, was signed between France and Austria La Grande Armée had brought the Fifth Coalition to an end and the Austrian Empire lost three million citizens as a result of the treaty's border changes. The War of the Fifth Coalition in 1809 pitted a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon 's French Empire and ^[34]

1810–1812

With the exception of Spain, a three-year lull ensued. Diplomatic tensions with Russia, however, became so acute that they eventually led to war in 1812. Napoleon assembled the largest army he had ever commanded to deal with this menace.

The new Grande Armée was somewhat different than before; over half of its ranks were now filled by non-French conscripts coming from satellite states or countries allied to France. The behemoth force crossed the Niemen on June 23, 1812, and Napoleon hoped that quick marching could place his men between the two main Russian armies, commanded by Barclay de Tolly and Bagration. "Nieman" and "Niemen" redirects here For other uses see Neman and Nieman (disambiguation. Events 1180 - First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan 1305 - The Flemish Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Prince Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly ( –) known in Russia as Mikhail Bogdanovich Barklay-de-Tolli ( Cyrillic: Михаи́л Богда́нович Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration (პეტრე ბაგრატიონი Petre Bagrationi, Russian Пётр Иванович Багратион (1765 -) served as However, the campaign was characterized by many frustrations, as the Russians succeeded no less than three times in evading Napoleon's pincers. A final stand for the defence of Moscow led to the massive Battle of Borodino on September 7, 1812. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The Battle of Borodino (Бородинская битва Borodinskaja bitva, Bataille de la Moskowa) fought on September 7, 1812, was Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year There the Armée won a bloody but indecisive and arguably Pyrrhic victory. A Pyrrhic victory (ˈpɪrɪk is a victory with devastating cost to the victor Seven days after Borodino, La Grande Armée entered Moscow only to find the city largely empty and ablaze. Its soldiers were now forced to deal with the fires while hunting down the arsonists and guarding Moscow's historic districts. Napoleon and his army spent over a month in Moscow, vainly hoping that the Czar would respond to the French peace feelers. After these efforts failed, the French set out on October 19, now only a shadow of their former selves. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. The epic retreat over the famous Russian Winter dominates popular conceptions of the war, even though over half of the French army had been lost during the Summer. The French were harassed repeatedly by the converging Russian armies, Ney even conducting a famous rearguard separation between his troops and the Russians, and by the time the Berezina was reached Napoleon only had about 49,000 troops and 40,000 stragglers of little military value. Michel Ney, 1st Duc d' Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa ( January 10 1769 &ndash December 7 1815 The resulting Battle of Berezina and the monumental work of Eble's engineers saved the remnants of the Armée. The Battle of Berezina took place November 26 - 29, 1812 between the French army of Napoleon, retreating after his invasion of Russia Jean Baptiste Eble ( December 21 1758 - December 31 1812) was a French General, Engineer and Artilleryman Napoleon left his men in order to reach Paris and address new military and political matters. Of the 690,000 men that comprised the initial invasion force, only 93,000 survived. ^[35]

1813–1815

The catastrophe in Russia now emboldened anti-French sentiments throughout Germany and Austria. The Sixth Coalition was formed and Germany became the centrepiece of the upcoming campaign. In the War of the Sixth Coalition (1812–1814 a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and a number With customary genius, Napoleon raised new armies and opened up the campaign with a series of victories at the Battle of Lützen and the Battle of Bautzen. In the Battle of Lützen ( May 2, 1813) Napoleon lured a combined Prussian and Russian force into a trap halting the advances This is about the battle in 1813 For the World War II battle see Battle of Bautzen (1945 In the Battle of Bautzen ( 20 - 21 May But due to the poor quality of French cavalry following the Russian campaign, along with miscalculations by certain subordinate Marshals, these triumphs were not decisive enough to permanently conclude the war, and only secured an armistice. Napoleon hoped to use this break to increase the quantity and improve the quality of his Armée, but when Austria joined the Allies, his strategic situation grew bleak. The campaign reopened in August with a significant French victory at the two-day Battle of Dresden. The Battle of Dresden was fought on 26 - 27 August, 1813 around Dresden, Germany resulting in a French victory under Napoleon However, the adoption of the Trachenburg Plan by the Allies, which called for avoiding direct conflict with Napoleon and focusing on his subordinates, paid dividends as the French suffered defeats at Katzbach, Kulm, Grossbeeren, and Dennewitz. The Trachenberg Plan was concocted by Allied commanders in the 1813 German Campaign during the War of the Sixth Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars. The Battle of Katzbach on 26 August 1813, was an accidental engagement of the Napoleonic Wars between the forces of the First French Empire under The Battle of Kulm was a Battle near the town Kulm (Chlumec and the village Přestanov in northern Bohemia. In the Battles of Großbeeren and neighboring Blankenfield and Sputendorf ( 23 August, 1813) an allied Prussian Swedish The Battle of Dennewitz (Schlacht von Dennewitz took place on 6 September 1813 between the forces of the First French Empire and an army of Prussians Growing Allied numbers eventually hemmed the French in at Leipzig, where the famous three-day Battle of the Nations witnessed a heavy loss for Napoleon when a bridge was prematurely destroyed, abandoning 30,000 French soldiers on the other side of the Elster River. This sort of fix restores section edit linkpoints to where they belong The Battle of the Nations (or Battle of Leipzig or Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig) on 16–19 October 1813 was one of the most decisive defeats suffered by Napoleon The campaign, however, did end on a victorious note when the French destroyed an isolated Bavarian army which was trying to block their retreat at Hanau. The Battle of Hanau was fought on ( October 30 and October 31, 1813) between Karl Philipp von Wrede ’s Austro - Bavarian ^[36]

"The Grand Empire is no more; it is France herself we must now defend" were Napoleon's words to the Senate at the end of 1813. The Emperor managed to raise new armies, but strategically he was in a virtually hopeless position. Allied armies were invading from the Pyrenees, across the plains of Northern Italy, and via France's eastern borders as well. The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The campaign began ominously when Napoleon suffered defeat at the Battle of La Rothiere, but he quickly regained his former spirit. The Battle of La Rothière was fought on February 1, 1814 between the French Empire and Prussia. In the Six Days Campaign of February 1814, the 30,000-man French army inflicted 20,000 casualties on Blucher's scattered corps at a cost of just 2,000 for themselves. The Six Days Campaign ( 10 - 14 February 1814) was a final series of Napoleon Bonaparte 's victories as the War of the Sixth Coalition Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher Fürst (Prince von Wahlstatt (gɛphaɐt lebəʁɛçt fɔn blyçɐ December 16 1742 - September 12 1819 They then headed south and defeated Schwarzenberg at the Battle of Montereau. Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg (or Prince Charles Philip of Schwarzenberg ( April 18, 1771 &ndash October 15, 1820 The Battle of Montereau was fought near Montereau-Fault-Yonne on February 18, 1814 and resulted in the victory of the French under Napoleon These victories, however, could not cure such a bad situation, and French defeats at the Battle of Laon and the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube dampened moods. The Battle of Laon ( March 9 - 10, 1814) was the victory of Blücher's Prussian army over Napoleon's French The Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube ( March 20 - 21, 1814) was Napoleon’s penultimate battle before his abdication and exile to Elba (the last was At the end of March, Paris fell to the Allies. The Battle of Paris was fought during the Napoleonic Wars in 1814. Napoleon wanted to keep fighting, but his marshals refused, forcing the Emperor of the French to abdicate on April 6, 1814. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1814 ( MDCCCXIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[37]

After returning from Elba in February 1815, Napoleon busied himself in making a renewed push to secure his Empire. Elba (Ilva is an island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. For the first time since 1812, L'Armée du Nord he would be commanding for the upcoming campaign was professional and competent. L'Armée du Nord (The Army of the North was the force commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte during the Waterloo Campaign in 1815 Napoleon hoped to catch and defeat the Allied armies under Wellington and Blucher in Belgium before the Russians and Austrians could arrive. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The campaign, beginning on June 15, 1815, was initially successful, leading to victory over the Prussians at the Battle of Ligny on June 16; however, poor staff work and bad commanders led to many problems for the French army throughout the entire campaign. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Battle of Ligny ( 16 June 1815) was the last victory of the military career of Napoleon Bonaparte. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Grouchy's delayed advance against the Prussians allowed Blucher to rally his men after Ligny and march on to Wellington's aid at the Battle of Waterloo, which resulted in the final, decisive defeat for Napoleon and his beloved army. Grouchy redirects here For the musical theorist Jean de Grouchy (ca In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium ^[38]

See also

• French Imperial Eagle
• Grande Armée Slang
• Uniforms of La Grande Armée

Footnotes

References

• La Grande Armée: Introduction to Napoleon’s Army, Mas, M. A. M. , Andrea Press, 2005.
• Swords Around a Throne: Napoleon's Grande Armee, John Robert Elting. 784 pages. 1997. ISBN 0306807572
• Napoleon's Line Infantry, Philip Haythornthwaite, Bryan Fosten, 48 pages. 1983. ISBN 085045512X
• Napoleon's Light Infantry, Philip Haythornthwaite, Bryan Fosten, 48 pages. 1983. ISBN 0850455219
• Campaigns of Napoleon, David G. Chandler. David G Chandler ( 15 January 1934 – 10 October 2004) was a British Historian whose study focused on the Napoleonic 1216 pages. 1973. ISBN 0025236601
• The Napoleonic Wars: The Rise and Fall of an Empire. , Fisher, Todd & Fremont-Barnes, Gregory, Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd. , 2004. ISBN 1-84176-831-6
• Royal, Republican, Imperial, a History of the French Army from 1792-1815: Vol 1 - Infantry - History of Line Infantry (1792-1815), Internal & Tactical Organization; Revolutionary National Guard, Volunteers Federes, & Compagnies Franches; and 1805 National Guard. , Nafziger, George. 98 pages. (http://home.fuse.net/nafziger/NAFNAP.HTM)
• Royal, Republican, Imperial, a History of the French Army from 1792-1815: Vol 2 - Infantry - National Guard after 1809; Garde de Paris, Gendarmerie, Police, & Colonial Regiments; Departmental Reserve Companies; and Infantry Uniforms. , Nafziger, George. 104 pages. (http://home.fuse.net/nafziger/NAFNAP.HTM)
• Royal, Republican, Imperial, a History of the French Army from 1792-1815: Vol 3 - Cavalry - Line, National Guard, Irregular, & Coastal Artillery, Artillery & Supply Train, and Balloon Companies. , Nafziger, George. 127 pages.
• Royal, Republican, Imperial, a History of the French Army from 1792-1815: Vol 4 - Imperial Guard, Nafziger, George. 141 pages. (http://home.fuse.net/nafziger/NAFNAP.HTM)
• 1812: Napoleon's Fatal March on Moscow, Adam Zamoyski, ISBN 0007123752
• Blundering to Glory: Napoleon's Military Campaigns (2nd edition) Owen Connelly. Life Zamoyski was born in New York City but was raised in England and was educated at Downside School and Queen's College in Oxford. 254 pages. 1999. ISBN 0842027807
• Napoleon on the Art of War, Jay Luvaas. 196 pages. 1999. ISBN 0684851857
• The Bridges That Éblé Built: The 1812 Crossing Of The Berezina, James Burbeck, War Times Journal.
• With Napoleon in Russia, Armand-Augustin-Louis de Caulaincourt, , Duc de Vicence, Grosset & Dunlap, 1959
• Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars, David Chandler London 1979. David G Chandler ( 15 January 1934 – 10 October 2004) was a British Historian whose study focused on the Napoleonic
• Who Was Who in the Napoleonic Wars, Phillip Haythornthwaite, London, 1998.
• The Revolutionary Flying Ambulance of Napoleon's Surgeon, Capt. Jose M. Ortiz.
• The Encyclopedia Of Military History: From 3500 B. C. To The Present. (2nd Revised Edition 1986), R. Ernest Dupuy, and Trevor N. Dupuy.
• Memoirs of the Duke Rovigo
• The Journal of the International Napoleonic Society
• Supplying War: Logistics From Wallenstein to Patton, 2nd Edition, Martin van Crevald. Anne Jean Marie René Savary 1st Duc de Rovigo ( April 26, 1774 - June 1833 French general and Diplomat, was born at 2004. ISBN 0521546575
• Napoleonic Artillery:Firepower Comes Of Age, James Burbeck. War Times Journal
• Napoleon's Elite Cavalry: Cavalry of the Imperial Guard, 1804-1815, Edward Ryan with illustrations by Lucien Rousselot, 1999 , 208 pages ISBN 1853673714
• Napoleon's mercenaries: foreign units in the French Army under Consulate and Empire, 1799 to 1814, Guy C. Dempsey, Greenhill Books, London, 2002

External links

• French website displaying flags of the Grande Armée
• Soldiers of Fortitude: The Grande Armee of 1812 in Russia by Major James T. McGhee
• French Heavy and Light Cavalry (Lourde et Légère Cavalerie)
• French article on Chappe telegraphs, Les Télégraphes Chappe, l'Ecole Centrale de Lyon
• Uniforms of Napoleon's Guard

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