From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Old Guard
Old Guard
"La Vieille Garde" ( The Old Guard)
(The Guard) such it was the most prestigious formation in Napoleon’s
Grande Armée.
The Old Guard was formed of veteran soldiers who
had served Napoleon since his earliest campaigns.
It is believed that Napoleon hand-selected members
of his Old Guard based on physical traits, most notably
above-average height. Their imposing stature was likely
impressive to foes and allies alike. Serving in the army for
several years as well as a citation for bravery were also
taken into consideration when selecting troops into the
Old Guard.
Old Guard infantry
Wearing their distinctive bearskin caps, Napoleon’s Old Guard
was the most celebrated and most feared elite military forma-
tion of its day.
There were four regiments of Old Guard infantry: the 1st
Grenadiers, 2nd Grenadiers, 1st Chasseurs, and 2nd Chas-
seurs and belonged the Imperial Guard under Emperor
Private of the Grenadiers of the Old Guard
Napoleon. Members of The Guard benefitted from a num-
Active 1804 - 1815 ber of different privileges. The wages of individual sol-
Country France diers in The Guard was considerably higher than any oth-
er military unit in Napoleon’s Imperial Guard. Another
Branch French Army privilege reserved only for the members of the Old Guard
Type Veterans was the freedom to express their discontent freely: the
Old Guard Grenadiers were known as les Grognards ("the
Role Élite troops
Grumblers") because they openly complained about the
Engagements Ligny, Wagram, Waterloo, Lodi, Dresden, petty troubles of military life. Some of the officers even
Austerlitz did so in the presence of the Emperor knowing that the
Commanders
Old Guard’s reputation commanded enough respect with
Napoleon to allow itself such openess. Such behaviour
Notable Dorsenne ; Bessières ; Davout ; Soult ; was unique to the Old Guard and would have been severe-
commanders Cambronne
ly punished were it engaged in by a member of any other
unit.
The Old Guard (French Vieille Garde) was the elite veteran
Requirements for Old Guard candidates:
division of the Emperor Napoleon’s Imperial Guard. As
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Old Guard
Old Guard cavalry
There were four regiments of Old Guard cavalry: the Gre-
nadiers à Cheval (mounted grenadiers), Chasseurs à Cheval
(mounted chasseurs), Dragons de l’Impératrice (the Em-
press’s Dragoons), and the 1st Polish Lancers.[citation need-
ed]
The Mamelukes squadron was also considered part of
the Old Guard cavalry.
The Legion de Gendarmerie d’Elite (elite Gendarmes)
was counted as Old Guard cavalry. It was deployed in
detachments as escorts for Napoleon’s headquarters and
the General Staff of the Guard, and for Imperial Guard
field camps.[citation needed]
End of the Old Guard
Horse Grenadiers of the Old Guard during the Battle of Eylau
by Édouard Detaille.
- under 35 age
- at least 10 years’ service
- at least 3 campaigns (some had as many as 12 cam-
paigns) In 1814 the 1st Chasseurs still had many old-
timers: for example sapper Rothier - 21 years’ service, Napoleon saying goodbye to the Old Guard in the Palace of
2 wounds, Private Stoll - 22 years’ service and 20 cam- Fontainebleau, after his first abdication (1814).
paigns. Those who were too old, or crippled were sent to
Company of Veterans in Paris. This small unit was full of The Old Guard was disbanded by the victorious Sixth
soldiers, some lacking an arm, others striped like zebras Coalition in 1814, along with the rest of the Imperial
with saber cuts. Guard. During Napoleon’s 1815 return from exile, the Old
Guard was reformed, and fought at the Battle of Waterloo
Members of The Guard could however, allow them- were they were routed by the allies for the first time ever
selves such freedom for each and every man was a highly since their creation.
trained soldier and mustered into regiments; a formi- The 2e Regiment de Grenadiers-à-Pied were pivotal in
dable sight on any battlefield. Almost always above av- the defense of the town of Plancenoit against the Prus-
erage height (1,85m) and being imposingly well-built a sians.[1] The 1er Regiment, charged with protecting the
Guard was taught to fight unlike any other soldier in field position around Napoleon himself, served as a kind
the French Army. Any cowardly tendencies or otherwise of rear guard after the failure of the attack of the Middle
cautious habits would be thoroughly purged through the Guard on the British center.[2] The Old Guard cavalry was
help of a longer and more intense training (often includ- involved in the wasteful midday charges against the Bri-
ing advanced bayonet and hand-to-hand combat tech- tish infantry, and was unavailable at the battle’s deci-
niques). Yet The Old Guard earned their fearsome rep- sive moments. Napoleon had used every reserve except
utation through the many military engagements of the the Old Guard. Faced with overwhelming firepower and
Napoleonic Wars. From the Battle of Ligny, to the battle numbers, the Old Guard infantry, for the first and only
of Dresden, to the famous and final battle at Waterloo time in their history, withdrew from the battlefield.
(June, 1815); where for the first time ever, the Old Guard In August 1815, Louis XVIII ordered the Imperial
was routed by the Duke of Wellington. Guard abolished. By December all the Old Guard regi-
ments were disbanded. Ex-guardsmen ended up in all
sorts of places after their units disbandment. Some were
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Old Guard
re-enlisted into the king’s army. Others traveled to a
French colony in Texas. Most lived out their lives
See also
watched with suspicion by Bourbon police. When • Imperial Guard (Napoleon I)
Napoleon’s body was returned to France in 1840, many of
the surviving Old Guard paraded in threadbare uniforms.
References
[1] Old Guard Grenadiers in Plancenoit (retrieved
Contemporary use 2010-08-10)
Nowadays, in France, the expression la vieille garde (with- [2] The Last Squares of the Old Guard (retrieved
out uppercase) is used when talking about longtime close 2010-08-10)
followers of a politician and has a mildly pejorative
meaning. This expression is particularly popular among
political journalists.[citation needed]
External links
• Napoleon’s Old Guard and Young Guard
• Napoleon’s Guard Cavalry
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Guard"
Categories: French military units and formations of the Napoleonic Wars, Military history stubs
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