Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat with swords and firearms from horseback. While their use goes back to the late 16th century, dragoon regiments were established in most European armies during the 17th and early 18th centuries; they provided greater mobility than regular infantry but were far less expensive than cavalry.
La Grande Armée was the main military component of the French Imperial Army commanded by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars. From 1804 to 1808, it won a series of military victories that allowed the French Empire to exercise unprecedented control over most of Europe. Widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest fighting forces ever assembled, it suffered enormous losses during the disastrous Peninsular War followed by the invasion of Russia in 1812, after which it never recovered its strategic superiority and ended in total defeat for Napoleonic France by the Peace of Paris in 1815.
The Imperial Guard was originally a group of elite soldiers of the French Army under the direct command of Napoleon I, but grew considerably over time. It acted as his bodyguard and tactical reserve, and he was careful of its use in battle. The Guard was divided into the staff, infantry, cavalry, and artillery regiments, as well as battalions of sappers and marines. The guard itself as a whole distinguished between the experienced veterans and less experienced members by being separated into three sections: the Old Guard, Middle Guard and Young Guard. The Young Guard was virtually annihilated in the Battle of Krasnoi during the French invasion of Russia.
Cuirassiers were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers discarding their lances and adopting pistols as their primary weapon. In the later part of the 17th century, the cuirassier lost his limb armour and subsequently wore only the cuirass, and sometimes a helmet. By this time, the sword or sabre had become his primary weapon, with pistols relegated to a secondary function.
Uhlans were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. They first appeared in the cavalry of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, in the early 18th century. Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Prussia, Saxony, and Austria-Hungary. The term "lancer" was often used interchangeably with "uhlan"; the lancer regiments later formed for the British Army were directly inspired by the uhlans of other armies.
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as 700 BC and subsequently by India, Egypt, China, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance by heavy cavalry, but fell out of general use by the late 16th century, before its revival by light cavalry in the early 19th century.
The uniforms of La Grande Armée, the army of Napoleon I, are described in this article.
The 2e régiment de chevau-légers lanciers de la Garde Impériale was a light cavalry regiment in Napoleon I's Imperial Guard. They were formed in 1810, after the Kingdom of Holland was annexed by France, but their original purpose was to serve as hussars of the Dutch Royal Guard. The units, who were of an elite order, were known for their loyalty and military might, as well as their professionalism in and out of battle.
The Imperial Guard of Napoleon III was a military corps in the French Army formed by Napoleon III as a re-establishment of his uncle Napoleon I's Imperial Guard, with an updated version of the original uniforms and almost the same privileges.
The Éclaireurs of the Guard was a Corps of cavalry scouts of the French Imperial Guard, which included three cavalry regiments created by Napoleon when he reorganised the Imperial Guard following the disaster of the French invasion of Russia. The Corps was created in Article I of the decree of 4 December 1813.
The 1st Polish Light Cavalry Lancers Regiment of the Imperial Guard was a foreign Polish light cavalry lancers regiment which served as part of Napoleon's Imperial Guard during the Napoleonic Wars. The regiment, as part of Napoleon's Imperial Guard, fought in many battles, distinguishing itself at Wagram, Berezina, Hanau and especially Somosierra. On at least three occasions, light-horsemen of the regiment saved Napoleon's life.
The Hanau order of battle shows the forces engaged at the 1813 battle of Hanau, during the War of the Sixth Coalition, when a French force under Emperor of the French Napoleon I defeated a vastly superior Austro-Bavarian force commanded by General Karl Philipp von Wrede.
The Cent-gardes Squadron, also called Cent Gardes à Cheval, was an elite cavalry squadron of the Second French Empire primarily responsible for protecting the person of the Emperor Napoleon III, as well as providing security within the Tuileries Palace. It also provided an escort for the emblems of the Imperial Guard and their award ceremony with flag and standard bearers.
The Empress's Dragoons of the Imperial Guard was a heavy cavalry unit formed by Napoleon I through the decree of April 15, 1806. The "dragoon" regiments of the line had distinguished themselves in the German campaign of 1805, and therefore Napoleon decided to reorganize the cavalry of the Guard and create within it a regiment of dragoon guards. This regiment was colloquially known as the Dragons de l'Impératrice, in honor of Empress Joséphine. Following the Bourbon Restoration, they were renamed as the Royal Dragoon Corps of France but were disbanded shortly afterwards. The Empress' Dragoons were reformed during the Second Empire (1852-1870).
The Lithuanian Tatars of the Imperial Guard were a light cavalry squadron of Napoleon's Imperial Guard, in the service of the French Army from 1812 to 1814. The Lithuanian Tatars, descendants of Crimean Tatars, were organized into a single squadron at the beginning of the Russian Campaign. Their first commander was Squadron Leader Achmatowicz, who was killed at Vilnius and succeeded by Captain Ulan, who led the unit through the remainder of the war. Following the First Abdication of Napoleon, all foreign units were disbanded, and the regiment followed.
The Army of the Rhine was a French military unit that fought in the Franco-Prussian War. It was created after the declaration of war on July 18 1870.
The French Imperial Army was the land force branch of the French imperial military during the Napoleonic era.
The 3rd Lithuanian Light Cavalry Lancers Regiment of the Imperial Guard was a foreign Lithuanian light cavalry lancers regiment which served as part of Napoleon's Imperial Guard during the Napoleonic Wars.
The Horse Artillery of the Imperial Guard is a mounted artillery unit integrated into Napoleon I's Imperial Guard. Although it was not formed as a regiment until April 1806, its origins date back to May 1797, when it was first trained in the Army of Italy.
