There are officers in Rus'. Deputies became more and more skillful in propagandizing military units. It is difficult to persuade the police. They were apparently paid handsomely. One police officer admitted: they give you 40 dollars a day. And find with the soldiers common language simply - we give them food, cigarettes,

The uniforms of the infantry regiments of the Great Army were distinguished by their amazing diversity. Even among purely French units, one could sometimes find the most bizarre combination of the type of shako and the color of the cuffs, not to mention the peculiarities of the uniform of the armies of France's allies. Nevertheless, it is possible to highlight the general, most characteristic features and features of the infantry uniform of the French army. These are the ones we will look at in this article.

Soldier and officer of the line infantry 1808-1810. On the fusilier's shako we see a red etiquette. In 1812, this element of the uniform was officially abolished, but in practice continued to be found in many companies and battalions of the line infantry.

Line infantry uniform
Uniform- This is the main element of the uniform of any army. In the French army, the uniform was predominantly blue. The cut and shape of the French infantry uniform varied greatly both by branch of service and by the time of tailoring. Until the beginning of 1812, the uniforms of the French line infantry had long tails and a slit on the chest. A uniform of this type was very common in Europe and was called “French”. But since 1812, a shortened uniform without a cut on the chest was introduced. The coattails have become very short - only 32 cm, and the decorations on them are strictly regulated. On the tails of the Fusilier's uniform was embroidered the blue letter "N" topped with a crown. The coattails of the grenadiers were decorated with red grenades, and the voltigeurs were decorated with yellow hunting horns. The lapels of the line infantry were white. The lapels of the line infantry uniform were uncut and also white. The uniforms of corporals and non-commissioned officers differed from the uniforms of privates only in stripes yellow on the sleeves.

Since 1806, line infantry soldiers were required to wear shako as a headdress. But since the headdress could only be changed when the old one was completely worn out, many soldiers continued to wear old-style hats. By the start of the 1812 campaign, all line infantry regiments wore shakos. Exceptions were some grenadier regiments, which continued to wear bear fur hats.

Light infantry 1808-1810 (Officer, huntsman and voltigeur). Voltigeurs wore a red and yellow plume on their shako and epaulets of the same color.

On the shakos of the line infantry there was an insignia - badge. It could be diamond-shaped or eagle-shaped. The badge was one of the elements of regimental distinction. As a decorative element on the shako there was an etiquette - a knot with a pigtail. By the beginning of the War of 1812, etiquettes were formally abolished in the line infantry, but many regiments retained them. The serial number of the company of any line infantry battalion was determined by the color of the pompom on the shako. The first company of the battalion had a green pom-pom, the second had a blue one, the third had an orange-yellow one, and the fourth had a purple one. On the pompom was a number indicating the number of the battalion in the regiment.

On their legs, the soldiers wore long white trousers tucked into short leggings.

The equipment of the line and light infantry did not differ from each other, and consisted of a backpack, an ammunition pouch, a cleaver worn on a belt, and a bayonet with a scabbard.

Private, sergeant and officer of the foot grenadiers. 1805-1806 Line infantry grenadiers retained their traditional headdress - fur hats.

Light Infantry Uniform
The uniform of the light infantry regiments differed from the uniform of the line infantry regiments. Main feature All French light infantry uniforms had peaked lapels.

The uniforms of the light infantry soldiers were entirely blue, with scarlet collars and cuff flaps. The edgings are white, as are the buttons. The vest is blue, as are the pants. Unlike line infantry regiments, shakos appeared in light infantry back in the Directory era. The shako of the Carabinieri companies was decorated with a red plume and etiquette. In addition, the carabinieri wore red epaulettes. And also red in the carabinieri companies were grenades on the lapels of the coattails, a lanyard of a cleaver or half-saber and trim on the gaiters. In the Jaeger companies, all of the above elements were green. For voltigeurs, these elements were yellow, yellow-red or yellow-green. The equipment and weapons of the light infantry were the same as those of the heavy infantry.

A sultan was placed on the shakos of light infantry soldiers. For the huntsmen it was completely green, while for the voltigeurs it was green below and yellow at the top. The uniform of the huntsman and voltigeur also differed in the shape of the badge on the shako. The huntsman's badge was diamond-shaped, and the vaulter's badge was in the form of an eagle. The trousers and gaiters of the light infantry soldiers did not differ from the uniform of the line infantry soldiers.

Line infantry 1808-1813 The fusilier pictured on the right is uniformed in strict accordance with the regulations. A shako without an etiquette, with a blue pompom, a badge on the shako in the shape of an eagle, white lapels and lapels.

Uniforms of line and light infantry officers of the French army

The uniforms of officers were even more varied than those of enlisted men. In general, officers wore uniforms similar in cut and color to those of privates, but made from higher quality cloth. The main difference of the rank were the epaulettes. The buttons of the officer's uniform were gold or silver, and the decorations on the lapels were embroidered with gold thread. Edged weapons were decorated with a gold lanyard. Instead of gaiters, officers wore short boots. Light and line infantry officers differed only in their epaulettes. In the line infantry they were gold, and in the light infantry they were silver.

In general, the uniforms of the armies of the late XVIII - early XIX centuries fashion has had a very important influence. That is why individual elements of uniforms could change almost every year. In the period from 1789 to 1814, France waged constant wars, in which compliance with regulations and instructions was completely impossible. Therefore, among the infantry units that took part in the campaign against Russia in 1812, it is impossible to identify general regulations regarding uniforms.

Chronicle of the day: The battle at Solovyevo continues

First Western Army
On the night of August 21, the French sent mounted skirmishers to the right bank of the Dnieper, to the village of Pnevo, where part of the Russian Cossack rearguard troops were located. A skirmish ensued, during which the French tried to force the Cossacks to retreat beyond the Dnieper, but the actions of Russian artillery stopped the enemy’s advance. The battle lasted about two hours, the rearguard held its positions.

Meanwhile, the fighting near the village of Solovevo, which began the day before, continued. On the right bank of the Dnieper there were the Mariupol and Sumy Hussars, as well as the Polish Uhlan regiments. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the French opened artillery fire and forced the Russians to retreat slightly north of the Solovyova crossing. At this position the rearguard entrenched and held the line until 6 pm, and retreated after the bridges over the river were destroyed.

Fighting also took place on the opposite, left bank near the village of Solovevo. General Rosen's rearguard cavalry operating there destroyed bridges across the river. A very important role in the battles of August 21 was played by the Russian 6th Horse Artillery Company, strategically located on the left bank of the Dnieper. After the bridges were destroyed and the rearguard began to withdraw, she stopped the French attack. As dusk fell, the fighting stopped. At 9 pm the First Western Army broke camp near the village of Umolye and headed towards Dorogobuzh.

Third Observational Army
In the town of Divina, Tormasov’s army was joined by a detachment of General Khovansky, who replaced Chaplitsa and formed a new rearguard of the army. The army was still pursued along the Kobrin road by the Schwarzenberg corps, and along the Brest-Litovsk road by the Rainier corps. The newly formed rearguard of Khovansky entered into battle with the enemy vanguard near the town of Knyazha Gura. In this battle, the 1st Combined Grenadier Battalion of the 9th Infantry Division distinguished itself.

First separate building
Wittgenstein's corps, defeated near Polotsk, retreated along the Polotsk-Sebezh road beyond the river. Driss to the village of Sivoshino. Near the town of Arteykovichi, the army organized a bivouac and was attacked by the troops of General Wrede. The Bavarian offensive was repulsed.

Person: Efim Ignatievich Chaplits

Efim Ignatievich Chaplits (1768-1825)
Efim Ignatievich has a very revealing biography, inconvenient for those who like to inflate Polish-Russian contradictions. After all, his faithful service to Russia and the unconditional authority of an honest and brave officer in once again show that not all Poles hated the Empire.

Czaplitz came from an ancient Polish noble family and began serving in Polish army. However, back in the early 1780s. Efim Ignatievich went into Russian service, took part in the siege of Ochakov, the capture of Bendery and Izmail, and was noted by Suvorov as an extremely brave officer.

During the Polish “revolution” T. Kosciuszko, Lieutenant Colonel E.I. Chaplitz was sent to the rebels for negotiations, but the Poles attacked him and captured him, while he received a severe shell shock.

In 1796, Chaplitz participated in the Zubov brothers’ project to conquer all of Western Asia and personally delivered the keys to the captured city of Baku to Catherine II, for which he was awarded the rank of colonel. Naturally, these favors under Paul I led to Chaplitz being dismissed from the army until Alexander’s accession to the throne.

In 1801, when reinstated in the service, Efim Ignatievich received the rank of major general, and from 1803 he was a member of the sovereign's retinue. He took part in the Austrian and Prussian campaigns, where he distinguished himself in a number of battles and received the Order of St. George, 3rd degree.

Since 1806, Chaplitz was listed as the chief of the Pavlograd Hussar Regiment, at the head of which in July 1812, being part of the 3rd Reserve Observational Army, defeated a detachment of Saxons at Kobrin, capturing many prisoners. It was Chaplitz who commanded the rearguard of Tormasov’s army, which delayed the increasingly intensified attacks of Schwarzenberg and Rainier.

During the counterattack Russian troops Efim Ignatievich was in the vanguard of Chichagov's army, commanding an infantry corps. At the same time, he dispersed all the newly formed Lithuanian regiments, took Vilna, participated in the operation to encircle Napoleon near the Berezina and, despite a shell shock to the head, continued to fight. After the end of the campaign, he wrote a note justifying Chichagov’s actions near the Berezina.

During the campaign abroad, Chaplitz commanded the allied Polish forces and distinguished himself in a number of battles. After the war he commanded a hussar division. In 1823, due to old age, he was appointed to serve in the cavalry.

Napoleon I Bonaparte

Emperor of France in 1804-1815, great French commander and statesman, who laid the foundations of the modern French state. Napoleon Bonaparte (as his name was pronounced around 1800) began his professional military service in 1785 with the rank of junior lieutenant of artillery; advanced during the Great French Revolution, reaching the rank of brigade under the Directory (after the capture of Toulon on December 17, 1793, the appointment occurred on January 14, 1794), and then a division general and the position of commander of the military forces of the rear (after the defeat of the rebellion of the 13th of Vendémière, 1795), and then commander of the Italian Army (appointment occurred on February 23, 1796). The crisis of power in Paris reached its climax by 1799, when Bonaparte was with troops in Egypt. The corrupt Directory was unable to ensure the gains of the revolution. In Italy, Russian-Austrian troops under the command of Field Marshal A.V. Suvorov liquidated all of Napoleon’s acquisitions, and there was even a threat of their invasion of France. Under these conditions, the popular general who returned from Egypt, with the help of Joseph Fouche, relying on an army loyal to him, dispersed the representative bodies and the Directory and proclaimed the consulate regime (November 9, 1799). According to the new constitution, legislative power was divided between the State Council, the Tribunate, the Legislative Corps and the Senate, which made it helpless and clumsy. The executive power, on the contrary, was gathered into one fist by the first consul, that is, Bonaparte. The second and third consuls had only advisory votes. The constitution was approved by the people in a plebiscite (about 3 million votes against 1.5 thousand) (1800). Later, Napoleon passed a decree through the Senate on the lifetime of his powers (1802), and then proclaimed himself Emperor of the French (1804). Contrary to popular belief, Napoleon was not a dwarf; his height was 169 cm, above the average height of a French grenadier.

Louis-Nicolas Davout

Duke of Auerstedt, Prince of Eckmühl (French duc d "Auerstaedt, prince d" Eckmühl), Marshal of France. He had the nickname "Iron Marshal". The only marshal of Napoleon who did not lose a single battle. Born in the Burgundian town of Annu into a noble family, he was the eldest of the children of cavalry lieutenant Jean-François d'Avou.

Brought up in Brien military school at the same time as Napoleon. Loyal family tradition, in 1788 he enlisted in the cavalry regiment, where his grandfather, father and uncle had previously served. He commanded a battalion under Dumouriez and took part in the campaigns of 1793-1795.

During the Egyptian expedition he contributed greatly to the victory at Abukir.

In 1805, Davout was already a marshal and took an outstanding part in both the Ulm operation and the Battle of Austerlitz. In the last battle, it was Marshal Davout’s corps that withstood the main blow of the Russian troops, practically ensuring the Great Army’s victory in the battle.

In 1806, leading a corps of 26 thousand people, Davout inflicted a crushing defeat on the twice-strong army of the Duke of Brunswick at Auerstedt, for which he received the ducal title.

In 1809 he contributed to the defeat of the Austrians at Eckmühl and Wagram, for which he received the title of prince.

In 1812, Davout was wounded in the Battle of Borodino.

In 1813, after the battle of Leipzig, he locked himself in Hamburg and surrendered it only after the deposition of Napoleon.

During the first restoration, Davout remained out of work. He turned out to be the only Napoleonic marshal who did not renounce the exile. Upon Napoleon's return from the Island of Elba, he was appointed Minister of War and commanded the troops near Paris.

Nicola Charles Oudinot

(1767 — 1847)

He served in the royal army, but soon left it. The revolution made him a soldier again. In 1794 he was already a general.

As chief of staff, Massena became famous for the defense of Genoa (1800).

In the campaigns of 1805-1807 he commanded the grenadier corps; participated in the battles of Ostroleka, Danzig and Friedland. In 1809 he headed the 2nd Army Corps; for the battle of Wagram he received a marshal's baton, and soon after that the title of duke.

In 1812, at the head of the 2nd Army Corps, Oudinot fought with Russian general Count P. H. Wittgenstein; On August 17, seriously wounded in the first battle of Polotsk, he surrendered command to Gouvion Saint-Cyr, from whom he took it back 2 months later. During the crossing of the Berezina, he helped Napoleon escape, but was himself seriously wounded. Having not yet recovered from his wounds, he took command of the 12th Army Corps, fought near Bautzen and was defeated at Lukau on June 4, 1813.

After the truce, Oudinot received command of the army, which was intended to act against the capital of Prussia. Defeated on August 23 at Großbeeren, he was placed under the command of Marshal Ney and, together with the latter, was again defeated at Dennewitz (September 6). In 1814 he fought at Bar-sur-Aube, then defended Paris against Schwarzenberg and covered the emperor's retreat.

Arriving in Fontainebleau with Napoleon, Oudinot persuaded him to abdicate the throne and, when the Bourbons were restored, he joined them. He did not take any part in the events of the Hundred Days (1815). In 1823 he commanded a corps during the Spanish expedition; after the July Revolution he joined Louis Philippe.

Michelle Ney

Michel Ney was born on January 10, 1769 in the predominantly German-speaking French enclave of Saarlouis. He became the second son in the family of cooper Pierre Ney (1738-1826) and Margarete Grevelinger. After graduating from college, he worked as a scribe for a notary, then as a supervisor at a foundry.

In 1788 he joined a hussar regiment as a private, participated in the revolutionary wars of France, and was wounded during the siege of Mainz.

In August 1796 he became a brigadier general in the cavalry. On April 17, 1797, Ney was captured by the Austrians in the battle of Neuwied and in May of the same year returned to the army as a result of an exchange for an Austrian general.

In March 1799 he was promoted to the rank of division general. Later that year, sent to reinforce Massena in Switzerland, he was seriously wounded in the thigh and hand near Winterthur.

In 1800 he distinguished himself under Hohenlinden. After the Peace of Luneville, Bonaparte appointed him inspector general of cavalry. In 1802, Ney was ambassador to Switzerland, where he negotiated a peace treaty and acts of mediation on February 19, 1803.

In the Russian campaign of 1812 he commanded a corps and for the Battle of Borodino received the title of Prince of Moscow). After the occupation of Moscow, Bogorodsk was occupied, and his patrols reached the Dubna River.

During the retreat from Russia, after the battle of Vyazma, he stood at the head of the rearguard, replacing the corps of Marshal Davout. After the retreat of the main forces of the Great Army from Smolensk, he covered its retreat and directed the preparation of the fortifications of Smolensk for demolition. After delaying his retreat, he was cut off from Napoleon by Russian troops under the command of Miloradovich; he tried to break through, but, having suffered heavy losses, was unable to carry out his intentions, selected the best parts of the corps, numbering about 3 thousand soldiers, and with them crossed the Dnieper to the north, near the village of Syrokorenye, abandoning most of his troops (including all the artillery), which the next day they capitulated. At Syrokorenye, Ney’s troops crossed the Dnieper on thin ice; to plots open water threw boards. A significant part of the soldiers drowned while crossing the river, so when Ney united with the main forces at Orsha, only about 500 people remained in his detachment. He maintained discipline with iron strictness and saved the remnants of the army when crossing the Berezina. During the retreat of the remnants of the Great Army, he led the defense of Vilna and Kovno.

During the retreat from Russia he became a hero famous case. On December 15, 1812, in Gumbinnen, a tramp in torn clothes, with matted hair, with a beard covering his face, dirty, scary, and, before he could be thrown out onto the pavement, entered into a restaurant where French senior officers were having lunch, raising his hand, he loudly declared : "Take your time! Don't you recognize me, gentlemen? I am the rearguard of the “great army.” I am Michel Ney!

Prince Eugene Rose (Eugene) de Beauharnais

Viceroy of Italy, general of division. Stepson of Napoleon. The only son of Napoleon's first wife Josephine Beauharnais. His father, Viscount Alexandre de Beauharnais, was a general in the revolutionary army. During the years of Terror, he was undeservedly accused of treason and executed.

Eugene became the de facto ruler of Italy (Napoleon himself held the title of king) when he was only 24 years old. But he managed to rule the country quite firmly: he introduced the Civil Code, reorganized the army, equipped the country with canals, fortifications and schools, and managed to earn the love and respect of his people.

In 1805, Eugene received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Iron Crown and the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Hubert of Bavaria. On December 23, 1805, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the corps blockading Venice, on January 3, 1806, commander-in-chief of the Italian Army, and on January 12, 1806, governor general of Venice.

The coronation ceremony of the Italian Viceroy, prepared by Count Louis-Philippe Segur, took place in Milan Cathedral on May 26, 1805. The colors chosen for the coronation robes were green and white. In portraits, the artists A. Appiani and F. Gerard captured these luxurious attire. The combination of elegant cut and virtuoso execution suggests that the costume was made in the workshop of the court embroiderer Pico, who carried out orders for the production of coronation costumes for Napoleon I, using models proposed by the artist Jean-Baptiste Isabey and approved by the Emperor himself. The stars of the Legion of Honor and the Iron Crown orders are embroidered on the cloak. (The small coronation costume is exhibited in the State Hermitage. It came to Russia as a family heirloom along with a collection of weapons brought by the youngest son of Eugene Beauharnais, Maximilian, Duke of Leuchtenberg, husband of the daughter of Emperor Nicholas I, Maria Nikolaevna).

After Napoleon's first abdication, Eugene Beauharnais was seriously considered by Alexander I as a candidate for the French throne. For abandoning his Italian possessions, he received 5,000,000 francs, which he gave to his father-in-law, King Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria, for which he was “pardoned” and awarded the titles of Landgrave of Leuchtenberg and Prince of Eichstätt (according to other sources, he bought them in 1817).

Having promised not to support Napoleon anymore, he did not take part (unlike his sister Hortense) in his restoration during the “Hundred Days”, and in June 1815 he was granted the title of peer of France by Louis XVIII.

Until his death he lived in his Bavarian lands and active participation did not take part in European affairs.

Józef Poniatowski

Polish prince and general, Marshal of France, nephew of the King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Stanislaw August Poniatowski. Initially served in the Austrian army. From 1789, he was involved in the organization of the Polish army, and during the Russian-Polish War of 1792, he was the commander of the Polish army corps operating in Ukraine. He distinguished himself in the Battle of Zelentsy - the first victorious battle of the Polish army since the time of Jan Sobieski. The victory gave rise to the establishment of the Virtuti Militari order. The first recipients were Józef Poniatowski and Tadeusz Kościuszko.

After Poland's defeat in the war with Russia, he emigrated, then returned to his homeland and served under Kosciuszko during the Polish Uprising of 1794. After the suppression of the uprising he remained for some time in Warsaw. His estates were confiscated. Refusing to accept a place in Russian army, received orders to leave Poland and went to Vienna.

Paul I returned the estates to Poniatowski and tried to recruit him into Russian service. In 1798, Poniatowski came to St. Petersburg for his uncle’s funeral and stayed for several months to settle property and inheritance matters. From St. Petersburg he left for Warsaw, which by that time was occupied by Prussia.

In the autumn of 1806, as Prussian troops prepared to leave Warsaw, Poniatowski accepted the offer of King Frederick William III to lead the city militia.

With the arrival of Murat's troops, after negotiations with him, Poniatowski went into the service of Napoleon. In 1807 he participated in the organization of the provisional government and became Minister of War of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw.

In 1809, he defeated the Austrian troops that invaded the Duchy of Warsaw.

He took part in Napoleon's campaign against Russia in 1812, commanding the Polish corps.

In 1813, he distinguished himself in the Battle of Leipzig and, the only foreigner in the emperor's service, received the rank of Marshal of France. However, 3 days later, while covering the retreat of the French army from Leipzig, he was wounded and drowned in the Weisse-Elster River. His ashes were transferred to Warsaw in 1814, and in 1819 to Wawel.

On the island of St. Helena, Napoleon said that he considered Poniatowski born for the throne: “The real king of Poland was Poniatowski, he had all the titles and all the talents for this... He was a noble and brave man, a man of honor. If I had succeeded in the Russian campaign, I would have made him king of the Poles.”

A memorial plate in memory of Poniatowski was installed on the monument to the Battle of the Nations. A monument to Poniatowski (sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen) was erected in Warsaw. Among the sculptures decorating the façade of the Louvre is a statue of Poniatowski.

Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr

He entered service during the revolution, and in 1794 already had the rank of division general; participated with distinction in the revolutionary wars; appointed in 1804 French Ambassador at the Madrid court.

In 1808, during the war on the Iberian Peninsula, he commanded a corps, but was stripped of his command for indecisiveness during the siege of Girona.

During the Russian campaign of 1812, Saint-Cyr commanded the 6th Corps (Bavarian troops) and was promoted to the rank of marshal for his actions against Wittgenstein. In 1813, he formed the 14th Corps, with which he was left in Dresden when Napoleon himself with the main army retreated from the Elbe. Having learned about the outcome of the battle near Leipzig, Saint-Cyr tried to unite with Davout's troops occupying Hamburg, but this attempt failed and he was forced to surrender.

From 1817 to 1819 he was the Minister of War of France. He had a high education and remarkable strategic abilities. He was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery.

Jean-Louis-Ebenezer Regnier

Born on January 14, 1771 in Lausanne in the family of a famous doctor. His father wanted to make him an architect, and therefore Rainier devoted his studies to the mathematical sciences; to improve them, he went to Paris in 1792.

Carried away by the revolutionary spirit then dominant in France, Rainier entered military service as a simple gunner and took part in a campaign in Champagne, after which Dumouriez assigned him to general staff. The excellent abilities and service of the young Rainier with the rank of adjutant general to Pichegru in Belgium and during the conquest of Holland brought him the rank of brigadier general in 1795. In 1798 he was given command of a division in the army sent to Egypt. During the capture of Malta, he commanded the army landed on the island of Gozzo and was severely shell-shocked on this occasion. His division distinguished itself at Chebreiss, in the battle of the Pyramids and in the pursuit of Ibrahim Bey to Cairo. After the capture of this city, Rainier was entrusted with the leadership of the province of Karki. In the Syrian expedition, his division formed the vanguard; On February 9 she took El-Arish by storm, on February 13 she captured a large transport of vital supplies sent there from Saint-Champs d'Acre, and this facilitated the supply of food to the main French army, which arrived at El-Arish two days after this successful deed.

In the 1809 campaign against Austria, Rainier distinguished himself at the battle of Wagram, then arrived in Vienna and was made, instead of Marshal Bernadotte, the head of the Saxon corps located in Hungary.

He was then sent to Spain, where in 1810 he commanded the 2nd Corps of the Portuguese Army, under the leadership of Massena. He took part in the battle of Busaco on October 27 and in the movement to Torres Vedras, and in 1811, during Massena's retreat to Spain, he followed separately from the rest of the army. After many fairly successful dealings with an enemy superior in strength, especially on April 3 at Sabugal, Rainier's corps reunited with the main army, and at Fuentes de Onoro, on May 5, fought with excellent courage, but to no avail. After the battle, Rainier went to meet the Almeida garrison, who had fought their way through the British, and brought them out of a very dangerous situation.

When Massena left the main command over the army in Spain, Rainier, in order not to obey a junior general, without Napoleon’s permission, retired to France, which, however, did not have unpleasant consequences for him.

Napoleon drafted him into the army assembled against Russia and appointed him head of the 7th Corps, which consisted of 20,000 Saxon troops and Durutte's French division. The purpose of this corps in the campaign of 1812 was to hold on the extreme right wing, in Lithuania and Volhynia, the offensive actions of the Russian 3rd Western Army under the command of General Tormasov.

Immediately after the opening of hostilities, on July 15, Klengel’s Saxon brigade was captured at Kobrin; Rainier tried to come to the aid of Klengel with a forced march, but was too late and retreated to Slonim. This prompted Napoleon to reinforce the Saxons with Austrians and bring Rainier under the command of Prince Schwarzenberg. Both of them defeated Tormasov at Gorodechnya and moved to the Styr River; but when in September the arrival of Admiral Chichagov strengthened the Russian army to 60,000 people, the Austrian-Saxon corps had to retire beyond the Bug.

At the end of October, Chichagov with half of his troops went to the Berezina, pursued by Schwarzenberg; General Osten-Sacken, having taken command of the Russian army remaining in Volhynia, stopped the Austrians with a bold attack on Rainier’s corps at Volkovisk, and although he was defeated, depriving Napoleon of the assistance of numerous and fresh troops, he contributed greatly to the complete defeat of the French.

Claude-Victor Perrin

Marshal of France (1807), Duke de Belluno (1808-1841). For some unknown reason, he is known not as Marshal Perrin, but as Marshal Victor.

Son of a notary. He entered service at the age of 15, becoming a drummer in the Grenoble artillery regiment in 1781. In October he became a volunteer of the 3rd battalion of the Drome department.

He quickly made a career in the Republican Army, rising from non-commissioned officer (early 1792) to brigadier general (promoted on December 20, 1793).

He took part in the capture of Toulon (1793), where he met Napoleon (then only a captain).

During the Italian campaign of 1796-1797 he captured Ancona.

In 1797 he was awarded the rank of division general.

In subsequent wars he contributed to victories at Montebello (1800), Marengo, Jena and Friedland. For this last battle, Perren received a marshal's baton.

In 1800-1804 he was appointed commander of the troops of the Batavian Republic. Then in the diplomatic service - Ambassador of France to Denmark.

In 1806, again in the active army, he was appointed chief of staff of the 5th Corps. Danzig was besieged.

In 1808, operating in Spain, he won victories at Ucles and Medellin.

In 1812 he took part in a campaign in Russia.

In 1813 he distinguished himself in the battles of Dresden, Leipzig and Hanau.

During the campaign of 1814 he was seriously wounded.

Due to being late for the battle of Montreux, Napoleon removed him from command of the corps and replaced him with Gerard.

After the Peace of Paris, Perrin went over to the side of the Bourbons.

During the so-called Hundred Days he followed Louis XVIII to Ghent and, on his return, was made a peer of France.

In 1821 he received the post of Minister of War, but left this post at the beginning of the Spanish campaign (1823) and followed the Duke of Angoulême to Spain.

After his death, the memoirs “Extraits des mémoires inédits du duc de Bellune” (Par., 1836) were published.

Dominique Joseph Rene Vandamme

French divisional general, participant in the Napoleonic wars. He was a brutal soldier, known for robbery and insubordination. Napoleon once said about him “If I had lost Vandamme, I don’t know what I would give to get him back; but if I had two, I would be forced to order one to be shot.”

By the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793, he was a brigadier general. Soon he was convicted by a tribunal for robbery and removed from office. Having recovered, he fought at Stockach on March 25, 1799, but due to disagreement with General Moreau he was sent to the occupation forces in Holland.

At the Battle of Austerlitz, he commanded a division that broke through the center of the Allied position and captured the Pratsen Heights.

In the 1809 campaign he fought at Abensberg, Landshut, Eckmühl and Wagram, where he was wounded.

At the beginning of the campaign in Russia in 1812, Vandam was appointed deputy commander of the 8th Westphalian Corps of Jerome Bonaparte. However, since the inexperienced Jerome Bonaparte commanded a group of corps operating against Bagration, Vandam found himself to be the de facto commander of the corps. However, at the very beginning of the campaign in Grodno, Vandam was removed from command of the corps by Jerome due to sharp disagreements.

In 1813, Vandam was finally appointed commander of the corps, but near Kulm, Vandam's corps was surrounded by allies and captured. When Vandam was introduced to Alexander I, in response to accusations of robberies and requisitions, he replied: “At least I cannot be accused of murdering my father” (an allusion to the murder of Paul I).

During the Hundred Days, he commanded the 3rd Corps under Grusha. Participated in the Battle of Wavre.

After the restoration of Louis XVIII, Vandamme fled to America, but in 1819 he was allowed to return.

Etienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre MacDonald

Descended from a Scottish Jacobite family that moved to France after the Glorious Revolution.

Distinguished himself in the battle of Jemappes (November 6, 1792); in 1798 he commanded French troops in Rome and the Ecclesiastical Region; in 1799, having lost the battle on the Trebbia River (see Suvorov's Italian campaign), he was recalled to Paris.

In 1800 and 1801, Macdonald commanded in Switzerland and Grisons, from where he ousted the Austrians.

For several years he was under the disgrace of Napoleon due to the zeal with which he defended his former comrade-in-arms, General Moreau. Only in 1809 was he again called up for service in Italy, where he commanded a corps. For the battle of Wagram he was awarded a marshal.

In the wars of 1810, 1811 (in Spain), 1812-1814. he also took an outstanding part.

During Napoleon's invasion of Russia, he commanded the X Prussian-French Corps, which covered the left flank of the Grande Armée. Having occupied Courland, Macdonald stood near Riga throughout the campaign and joined the remnants of Napoleonic army during its retreat.

After Napoleon's abdication he was created a peer of France; During the Hundred Days, he retired to his estates so as not to violate the oath and not oppose Napoleon.

After the second occupation of Paris by the Allied forces, MacDonald was entrusted with the difficult task of disbanding the Napoleonic army that had retreated beyond the Loire.

Pierre-François-Charles Augereau

I received a very meager education. At the age of 17 he entered the Royal French Army as a soldier, then served in the armies of Prussia, Saxony, and Naples. In 1792 he joined the volunteer battalion of the French revolutionary army. He distinguished himself during the suppression of the counter-revolutionary uprising in the Vendée.

In June 1793 he received the rank of captain of the 11th Hussars. In the same year he received the ranks of lieutenant colonel and colonel. And on December 23, 1793, he was immediately promoted to division general.

During the Italian campaign of 1796-97, Augereau particularly distinguished himself in the battles of Loano, Montenotte, Millesimo, Lodi, Castiglione, Arcola, successfully commanding a division.

For example, at Arcola he led a column and won an almost lost battle. At the Battle of Castiglione, according to Stendhal, Pierre Augereau "was a great commander, something that never happened to him again."

In 1797, he led troops in Paris and, at the direction of the Directory, suppressed the royalist rebellion on September 4. From September 23, 1797 - commander of the Sambro-Meuse and Rhine-Mosel armies. In 1799, as a member of the Council of Five Hundred, Augereau initially opposed Bonaparte's plans, but soon became friends with him and was appointed commander of the Batavian Army (from September 28, 1799) in Holland, a position he held until 1803. Invaded southern Germany, but achieved no results. He actively opposed the signing of the concordat between France and the Pope, saying: “A beautiful ceremony. It’s only a pity that a hundred thousand people who were killed were not present so that such ceremonies would not take place.” After this, he was ordered to retire to his estate at La Houssay. On August 29, 1803, he was appointed commander of the Bayonne military camp. On May 19, 1804 he received the rank of Marshal of the Empire.

Participated in the campaigns of 1805, 1806 and 1807. On May 30, 1805, he headed the 7th Corps, which provided the right flank of the Great Army. In November of the same year, he overtook the troops of General Jelacic who had broken through from Ulm and forced him to capitulate at Feldkirch. During the Battle of Preussisch-Eylau (February 7-8, 1807), Augereau's corps lost its way and came into contact with Russian artillery, suffered huge losses and was actually defeated. And the marshal himself was wounded.

In February 1809, with his second marriage (his first wife, Gabriela Grash, died in 1806), he married Adelaide Augustine Bourlon de Chavange (1789–1869), nicknamed “The Beautiful Castiglione.” On March 30, 1809, he was appointed commander of the 8th Corps of the Grand Army units in Germany, but on June 1 he was transferred to Spain to the post of commander of the 7th Corps. Since February 8, 1810 - commander of the Catalan army. His actions in Spain were not noted for anything outstanding, and after a series of failures, Augereau was replaced by Marshal MacDonald.

Augereau stood out among the generals of the Grande Armée for his bribery and desire for personal enrichment. Already during the campaign in Russia on July 4, 1812, Augereau was appointed commander of the 11th Corps, which was located in Prussia and served as the closest reserve of the Grand Army. The corps did not participate in hostilities in Russia, and Augereau never left Berlin. After Napoleon's army fled from Russia, Augereau, who barely escaped Berlin, received the 9th Corps on June 18, 1813. He took part in the battle of Leipzig, but did not show any activity. On January 5, 1814, he led the Army of the Rhone, assembled from units that came to hand in the south of France, and directed its actions in the battle of Saint-Georges. He was entrusted with the defense of Lyon; Unable to withstand enemy attacks, Augereau surrendered the city on March 21. “The name of the conqueror of Castillon may remain dear to France, but she has rejected the memory of the traitor of Lyon,” Napoleon wrote.

Augereau's slowness affected the fact that French troops were unable to take Geneva. After this, Augereau withdrew his troops to the south and withdrew from active operations. In 1814, he was one of the first to go over to the Bourbon side, sending out a declaration to the troops on April 16 welcoming the restoration of the Bourbons. 21 June 6, 1814 became governor of the 19th Military District. During the “Hundred Days” he unsuccessfully tried to earn Napoleon’s trust, but faced an extremely cold attitude towards himself, was called “the main culprit for the loss of the 1814 campaign” and on April 10, 1815 he was excluded from the list of marshals of France. After the 2nd Restoration, he did not receive any posts and was dismissed on December 12, 1815, although his peerage was retained. He died from “chest dropsy.” In 1854 he was reburied in the Père Lachaise cemetery (Paris).

Edouard Adolphe Casimir Mortier

Entered service in 1791. In 1804 he was made marshal. Until 1811, Mortier commanded a corps on the Iberian Peninsula, and in 1812 he was entrusted with command of the young guard. After occupying Moscow, he was appointed its governor, and after the French left there, he blew up part of the Kremlin walls on Napoleon’s orders.

In 1814, Mortier, commanding the Imperial Guard, participated in the defense and surrender of Paris.

After the fall of the Empire, Mortier was appointed peer of France, but in 1815 he went over to Napoleon’s side, for which, and most importantly, for declaring the verdict against Marshal Ney illegal, he was deprived of his peerage title by the Second Restoration (it was returned to him in 1819).

In 1830-1832, Mortier was ambassador to the Russian court; in 1834 he was appointed minister of war and prime minister (he lost his last post shortly before his death); in 1835 he was killed by the “infernal machine” during Fieschi’s attempt on the life of King Louis Philippe.

Joachim Murat

Napoleonic Marshal, Grand Duke of Berga in 1806-1808, King of the Kingdom of Naples in 1808-1815.

He was married to Napoleon's sister. For military successes and outstanding courage, Napoleon rewarded Murat in 1808 with the Neapolitan crown. In December 1812, Murat was appointed by Napoleon as commander-in-chief of the French troops in Germany, but left his post without permission at the beginning of 1813. In the campaign of 1813, Murat took part in a number of battles as Napoleon's marshal, after the defeat at the Battle of Leipzig, he returned to his kingdom in southern Italy, and then in January 1814 he went over to the side of Napoleon's opponents. During triumphant return Napoleon's rise to power in 1815, Murat wanted to return to Napoleon as an ally, but the emperor refused his services. This attempt cost Murat his crown. In the fall of 1815, according to investigators, he tried to regain the Kingdom of Naples by force, was arrested by the authorities of Naples and shot.

Napoleon about Murat: “There was no more decisive, fearless and brilliant cavalry commander.” “He was my right hand, but left to his own devices he lost all his energy. In front of the enemy, Murat was superior in courage to everyone in the world; in the field he was a real knight; in the office, he was a braggart without intelligence and determination.”

Napoleon seized power in France as first consul, still retaining nominal co-rulers.

On January 20, 1800, Murat became related to Napoleon, marrying his 18-year-old sister Caroline.

In 1804 he served as acting governor of Paris.

Since August 1805, commander of Napoleon's reserve cavalry, an operational unit within the Grande Armée designed to carry out concentrated cavalry attacks.

In September 1805, Austria, in alliance with Russia, began a campaign against Napoleon, in the first battles of which it suffered a number of defeats. Murat distinguished himself by the daring capture of the only intact bridge across the Danube in Vienna. He personally convinced the Austrian general guarding the bridge about the beginning of a truce, then with a surprise attack he prevented the Austrians from blowing up the bridge, thanks to which French troops crossed to the left bank of the Danube in mid-November 1805 and found themselves on the line of retreat of Kutuzov’s army. However, Murat himself fell for the trick of the Russian commander, who managed to assure the marshal of the conclusion of peace. While Murat was checking the Russian message, Kutuzov only had one day to lead his army out of the trap. Later, the Russian army was defeated at the Battle of Austerlitz. However, after this serious defeat, Russia refused to sign peace.

On March 15, 1806, Napoleon awarded Murat the title of Grand Duke of the German principality of Berg and Cleves, located on the border with the Netherlands.

In October 1806, Napoleon's new war with Prussia and Russia began.

At the Battle of Preussisch-Eylau on February 8, 1807, Murat showed himself to be a brave, massive attack on Russian positions at the head of 8 thousand horsemen (“charge of 80 squadrons”), however, the battle was the first in which Napoleon did not win a decisive victory.

After the conclusion of the Peace of Tilsit in July 1807, Murat returned to Paris, and not to his duchy, which he clearly neglected. At the same time, to consolidate peace, he was awarded by Alexander I the highest Russian Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

In the spring of 1808, Murat, at the head of an 80,000-strong army, was sent to Spain. On March 23, he occupied Madrid, where on May 2 an uprising broke out against the French occupying forces, up to 700 French died. Murat decisively suppressed the uprising in the capital, dispersing the rebels with grapeshot and cavalry. He established a military tribunal under the command of General Grouchy, by the evening of May 2, 120 captured Spaniards were shot, after which Murat stopped the executions. A week later, Napoleon castled: his brother Joseph Bonaparte resigned the title of King of Naples for the sake of the crown of Spain, and Murat took Joseph’s place.

Marie Victor Nicolas de Latour-Maubourg de Fay

On January 12, 1800, Colonel Latour-Maubourg was sent to Egypt with a message to the commander of the French expeditionary army, General J.-B. Kleber. Participated in the battle of Aboukir and the battle of Cairo. From March 22, 1800 - brigade commander in the Eastern Army, from July 22 - temporarily acting commander of the 22nd Cavalry Regiment. He distinguished himself in the battle of Alexandria. On March 13, 1801, he was seriously wounded by a fragment of an exploding shell. He spent a long time recovering from his wound. In July 1802 he was confirmed as regiment commander.

In 1805, Colonel L.-Maubourg was sent to Germany. He distinguished himself in the Battle of Austerlitz and was promoted to brigadier general on December 24, 1805.

On December 31, 1806, in connection with Lassalle's appointment as commander of the light cavalry division, he took command of his famous “Infernal Brigade” (French: Brigade Infernale). From June 1807 he commanded the 1st Dragoon Division under Marshal I. Murat. He distinguished himself in the battle of Heilsberg, and was seriously wounded in the battle of Friedland (June 14, 1807). On October 14, 1807 he left for treatment in France. On August 5, 1808, he returned to his division and in November of the same year, at its head, he went to Spain to take part in Napoleon’s Spanish-Portuguese campaign. He participated in the following affairs of this campaign: the battle of Medellin, the battle of Talavera, the battle of Ocaña, the battle of Badajoz, the battle of Gebor, the battle of Albuera, the battle of Campomayor. In May 1811, he replaced Marshal Mortier as commander of the 5th Corps of the Spanish Army. He won the battle of Elvas on June 23, 1811. Since July, commander of the cavalry division in Andalusia under Marshal Soult. On November 5, 1811, he led the entire reserve cavalry of Andalusia. On January 9, 1812, Brigadier General Latour-Maubourg was appointed commander of the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Corps, but after 3 weeks he was replaced by General E. Grouchy. From February 7, 1812, he commanded the 2nd Cavalry Division, and from March 24, the 4th Cavalry Corps.

As commander of the 4th Cavalry Corps, divisional general Latour-Maubourg took part in the Russian campaign of 1812. At the start of the campaign, his corps included 8,000 people. On June 30, 1812, his corps crossed to the Russian bank of the Neman near Grodno. Latour-Maubourg, commanding Napoleon's cavalry vanguard, was one of the first generals of the Grande Armée to encounter the enemy in this campaign. His units clashed with the Cossacks in the battle of the town of Mir and the battle of Romanov. Until the beginning of August 1812, Latour-Maubourg pursued Bagration in order to prevent his army from uniting with the army of Barclay de Tolly. At this time he carried out cavalry raids deep into Russian territory and reached Bobruisk. In the middle of the Battle of Borodino, together with E. Grushi's cavalry, he entered into a fierce battle with the Russian cavalry corps of F. K. Korf and K. A. Kreutz in the area of ​​the Goretsky ravine (behind Kurgan Heights).