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The Old Guard (French: Vieille Garde) were the veteran elements of the Emperor Napoleon'sImperial Guard. As such it was the most prestigious formation in Napoleon's Grande Armée.[1][2] French soldiers often referred to Napoleon's Old Guard as "the Immortals".[3][4]
"La Vieille Garde" (The Old Guard)
Grenadier of the Old Guard wearing two veteran chevrons representing 15 to 20 years of service
Famously devoted to the Emperor,[5] who even referred to them as "my children";[6] the members of his Old Guard were selected based on physical traits, most notably above-average height.[3][7] Their imposing stature was likely impressive to foes and allies alike. Awards as well as veterancy were also taken into consideration when selecting troops for the Old Guard.[3][7]
Wearing their distinctive bearskin caps, Napoleon's Old Guard was the most celebrated and most feared elite military formation of its day.
There were four regiments of Old Guard infantry: 1st and 2nd each of grenadiers and chasseurs. Members of the Old Guard benefitted from a number of different privileges, including considerably increased wages from the Imperial Guard.
Requirements for Old Guard candidates
under 35 years of age at entry
at least 10 years of service
at least three campaigns (some had fought in as many as 12 campaigns)
had to have faced enemy fire at the front
had to be 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) for the Chasseurs and 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) for the Grenadiers (no height requirement for those awarded the Legion of Honor)[8]
In 1814 the 1st Chasseurs still had many old-timers: for example Sapper Rothier with 21 years of service and two wounds; Private Stoll with 22 years of service and 20 campaigns. Those who were too old, or crippled, were sent to the Company of Veterans in Paris, which was full of soldiers, some lacking an arm, others striped with saber cuts.
Each member of the Old Guard was a highly trained and experienced soldier and they formed a formidable sight on the battlefield when mustered into regiments; they were taught to fight unlike any other soldier in the French army. Any cowardly tendencies or otherwise cautious habits would be thoroughly purged through intense training, which often included advanced bayonet and hand-to-hand combat techniques. The Old Guard earned its fearsome reputation through the many military engagements of the Napoleonic Wars, from the Battle of Austerlitz, to the Battle of Dresden, to the famous and final Battle of Waterloo (June 1815).
The Gendarmes d'élite (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]
Les Grognards
Another privilege reserved only for the members of the Old Guard was the freedom to express their discontent freely: the Old Guard Grenadiers were known as "the Grumblers" (French: les Grognards) because they openly complained about the petty troubles of military life.[9]Jean-Roch Coignet, a captain of the Imperial Guard, claimed that this term was coined in the aftermath of severe hardships the unit encountered during the War of the Fourth Coalition[10] and it has been mentioned that this nickname was coined by Napoleon himself.[11] Some of the officers even complained in the presence of the Emperor, knowing that the Old Guard's reputation commanded enough respect with Napoleon to allow such openness; such behavior was unique to the Old Guard and would have been severely punished were it engaged in by a member of any other unit.[10]
On the other hand, they were strictly supervised in aspects such as the state of their uniforms or the height and presentation of their horses, and severely punished or reprimanded for any failures in those regards.[12]
The Old Guard was disbanded by the victorious Sixth Coalition in 1814, along with the rest of the Imperial Guard;[13] and Napoleon bade them an emotional farewell at the Palace of Fontainebleau after his first abdication where many of them cheered at him and cried.[14][15]
During Napoleon's 1815 return from exile, the Old Guard was reformed,[16] and fought at the Battle of Waterloo, where the 2e Regiment de Grenadiers-à-Pied was pivotal in the defense of the village of Plancenoit against the Prussians.[17][18] The 1er Regiment, charged with protecting the field position around Napoleon himself, served as a rear guard after the failure of the attack of the Middle Guard on the British center.[19] The Old Guard cavalry was involved in the unsuccessful midday charges against the British infantry, and was unavailable at the battle's decisive moments.
In August 1815, Louis XVIII ordered the Imperial Guard abolished. By December, all the Old Guard regiments were disbanded. Ex-guardsmen ended up in a variety of places after their units' disbandment. Some re-enlisted into the king's army but most lived out their lives watched with suspicion by Bourbon police. When Napoleon's body was returned to France in 1840, many of the surviving Old Guard paraded in threadbare uniforms.[20]
Contemporary use
Nowadays, in France, the expression la vieille garde (without uppercase) is used when talking about longtime close followers of a politician and has a mildly pejorative meaning.[9] This expression is particularly popular among political journalists.[citation needed] "The old guard" can pejoratively refer to any outdated establishment in English as well.
^Nafziger, George Francis (30 April 1998). The role of Napoleon's Imperial Guard in the Empire, 1799-1815 (PhD). ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Cincinnati, Ohio, United States: The Union Institute – via ProQuest.
^ abcLachouque 2015, pp. 91–100, Chapter 1 — The Imperial Guard (Book II — The Guard Keeps Watch).
^Georges Blond, La Grande Armée, trans. Marshall May (New York: Arms and Armor, 1997), 48, 103, 470
^Klaf, Franklin (1 June 1960). "Napoleon and the Grand Army of 1812: A Study of Group Psychology". The Psychoanalytic Review. New York City, New York, United States: National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis. 47C (3): 69–76. ISSN 0033-2836. OCLC 1624251 – via Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing.
^Lachouque 2015, pp. 706–711, Chapter 5 — ‘Farewell, my children’ (Book VII — The Guard Staggers).
^ abHeadley 1851, pp. 11–28, Chapter I. The origin of the Imperial Guard—Plan on which it was first constituted—The Consular Guard of Napoleon—The moral character of the Old Guard.
^me. "Napoleon's Guard Infantry (Young Guard, Old Guard)". napolun.com. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
^ abMould, Michael (2011). "6. Historical references". The Routledge Dictionary of Cultural References in Modern French. New York City, New York, United States: Routledge. p. 153. ISBN9781136825736 – via Google Books.
^ abCoignet 1929, pp. 131, Fifth Note-Book. Prussian and Polish Campaigns.—Conference at Tilsit.—I am made Corporal.—Spanish and Austrian Campaigns.—I am appointed Sergeant.
^Stricter, Terry W. (1 January 1990). Boterbloem, Kees (ed.). "The "Old Grumblers" of Napoleon's Army: Rates of Promotion before and after 1815". The Historian. Tampa, Florida, United States: Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society/Taylor & Francis. 53 (1): 63–76. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6563.1990.tb00797.x. ISSN 0018-2370. OCLC 1713899.
^Coignet 1929, pp. 104–105, Fourth Note-Book. My Decoration.—I am Poisoned.—Return to my Country.—The Camp of Boulogne and the first Austrian Campaign..
^Lachouque 2015, pp. 712–715, Chapter 1 — The Dissolution of the Guard (Book IX — The Guard Falls).
^Lachouque 2015, pp. 706–711, Chapter 5 — ‘Farewell, my children’ (Book VIII — The Guard Staggers).
^Lachouque 2015, pp. 750–773, Chapter 2 — The Restoration of the Guard (Book X — The Guard Dies).
^Lachouque 2015, pp. 791–801, Chapter 5 — Waterloo (Book X — The Guard Dies).
^Old Guard Grenadiers in Plancenoit (retrieved 2010-08-10)
^The Last Squares of the Old Guard (retrieved 2010-08-10)
^Lachouque 2015, pp. 824–829, Chapter 7 — The Aftermath (Book X — The Guard Dies).
Bibliography
Lachouque, Henri (2015) [1961]. Brown, Anne S.K. (ed.). The Anatomy of Glory: Napoleon and His Guard. Translated by Anne S.K. Brown (5th ed.). Auckland, New Zealand: Pickle Partners Publishing. ISBN9781786255822 – via Google Books.
Headley, J.T. (1851). Scribner, Charles (ed.). The imperial guard of Napoleon: From Marengo to Waterloo. New York City, New York, United States: C. Scribner. LCCN 04021545. OCLC 679311339 – via Google Books.
Coignet, Jean-Roch (1 August 1929) [1928]. Fortescue, John (ed.). The Note-Books of Captain Coignet: Soldier of the Empire (2nd ed.). New York City, New York, United States: Robert M. McBride & Company – via Archive.org.
External links
Napoleon's Old Guard and Young Guard
Napoleon's Guard Cavalry
January 07, 2023
guard, france, this, article, expanded, with, text, translated, from, corresponding, article, french, click, show, important, translation, instructions, machine, translation, like, deepl, google, translate, useful, starting, point, translations, translators, m. This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in French Click show for important translation instructions Machine translation like DeepL or Google Translate is a useful starting point for translations but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate rather than simply copy pasting machine translated text into the English Wikipedia Consider adding a topic to this template there are already 5 269 articles in the main category and specifying topic will aid in categorization Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low quality If possible verify the text with references provided in the foreign language article You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at fr Vieille Garde see its history for attribution You should also add the template Translated fr Vieille Garde to the talk page For more guidance see Wikipedia Translation The Old Guard French Vieille Garde were the veteran elements of the Emperor Napoleon s Imperial Guard As such it was the most prestigious formation in Napoleon s Grande Armee 1 2 French soldiers often referred to Napoleon s Old Guard as the Immortals 3 4 La Vieille Garde The Old Guard Grenadier of the Old Guard wearing two veteran chevrons representing 15 to 20 years of serviceActive1804 1815CountryFranceBranchFrench ArmyEngagementsNapoleonic Wars Battle of Lodi Battle of Austerlitz Battle of Wagram Battle of Dresden Battle of Ligny Battle of WaterlooCommandersNotablecommandersDorsenneBessieresDavoutSoultCambronne Famously devoted to the Emperor 5 who even referred to them as my children 6 the members of his Old Guard were selected based on physical traits most notably above average height 3 7 Their imposing stature was likely impressive to foes and allies alike Awards as well as veterancy were also taken into consideration when selecting troops for the Old Guard 3 7 Contents 1 Old Guard infantry 1 1 Requirements for Old Guard candidates 2 Old Guard cavalry 3 Les Grognards 4 End of the Old Guard 5 Contemporary use 6 See also 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 External linksOld Guard infantry Edit Wearing their distinctive bearskin caps Napoleon s Old Guard was the most celebrated and most feared elite military formation of its day There were four regiments of Old Guard infantry 1st and 2nd each of grenadiers and chasseurs Members of the Old Guard benefitted from a number of different privileges including considerably increased wages from the Imperial Guard Requirements for Old Guard candidates Edit under 35 years of age at entry at least 10 years of service at least three campaigns some had fought in as many as 12 campaigns had to have faced enemy fire at the front had to be 5 feet 8 inches 1 73 m for the Chasseurs and 5 feet 10 inches 1 78 m for the Grenadiers no height requirement for those awarded the Legion of Honor 8 In 1814 the 1st Chasseurs still had many old timers for example Sapper Rothier with 21 years of service and two wounds Private Stoll with 22 years of service and 20 campaigns Those who were too old or crippled were sent to the Company of Veterans in Paris which was full of soldiers some lacking an arm others striped with saber cuts Each member of the Old Guard was a highly trained and experienced soldier and they formed a formidable sight on the battlefield when mustered into regiments they were taught to fight unlike any other soldier in the French army Any cowardly tendencies or otherwise cautious habits would be thoroughly purged through intense training which often included advanced bayonet and hand to hand combat techniques The Old Guard earned its fearsome reputation through the many military engagements of the Napoleonic Wars from the Battle of Austerlitz to the Battle of Dresden to the famous and final Battle of Waterloo June 1815 Old Guard cavalry Edit Horse Grenadiers of the Old Guard during the Battle of Eylau by Edouard Detaille There were four regiments of Old Guard cavalry the Grenadiers a Cheval mounted grenadiers Chasseurs a Cheval mounted chasseurs Dragons de l Imperatrice the Empress s Dragoons and the 1st Polish Lancers The Mamelukes of the Imperial Guard squadron was also considered part of the Old Guard cavalry The Gendarmes 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 Les Grognards EditAnother privilege reserved only for the members of the Old Guard was the freedom to express their discontent freely the Old Guard Grenadiers were known as the Grumblers French les Grognards because they openly complained about the petty troubles of military life 9 Jean Roch Coignet a captain of the Imperial Guard claimed that this term was coined in the aftermath of severe hardships the unit encountered during the War of the Fourth Coalition 10 and it has been mentioned that this nickname was coined by Napoleon himself 11 Some of the officers even complained in the presence of the Emperor knowing that the Old Guard s reputation commanded enough respect with Napoleon to allow such openness such behavior was unique to the Old Guard and would have been severely punished were it engaged in by a member of any other unit 10 On the other hand they were strictly supervised in aspects such as the state of their uniforms or the height and presentation of their horses and severely punished or reprimanded for any failures in those regards 12 End of the Old Guard Edit Napoleon saying goodbye to the Old Guard at the Palace of Fontainebleau after his first abdication 1814 The Old Guard was disbanded by the victorious Sixth Coalition in 1814 along with the rest of the Imperial Guard 13 and Napoleon bade them an emotional farewell at the Palace of Fontainebleau after his first abdication where many of them cheered at him and cried 14 15 During Napoleon s 1815 return from exile the Old Guard was reformed 16 and fought at the Battle of Waterloo where the 2e Regiment de Grenadiers a Pied was pivotal in the defense of the village of Plancenoit against the Prussians 17 18 The 1er Regiment charged with protecting the field position around Napoleon himself served as a rear guard after the failure of the attack of the Middle Guard on the British center 19 The Old Guard cavalry was involved in the unsuccessful midday charges against the British infantry and was unavailable at the battle s decisive moments In August 1815 Louis XVIII ordered the Imperial Guard abolished By December all the Old Guard regiments were disbanded Ex guardsmen ended up in a variety of places after their units disbandment Some re enlisted into the king s army but most lived out their lives watched with suspicion by Bourbon police When Napoleon s body was returned to France in 1840 many of the surviving Old Guard paraded in threadbare uniforms 20 Contemporary use EditNowadays in France the expression la vieille garde without uppercase is used when talking about longtime close followers of a politician and has a mildly pejorative meaning 9 This expression is particularly popular among political journalists citation needed The old guard can pejoratively refer to any outdated establishment in English as well See also EditImperial Guard Napoleon I References Edit Nafziger George Francis 30 April 1998 The role of Napoleon s Imperial Guard in the Empire 1799 1815 PhD ProQuest Dissertations Publishing Cincinnati Ohio United States The Union Institute via ProQuest Hemardinquer J J 1 August 1965 La Garde Imperiale in colour The Imperial Guard in color Annales Histoire Sciences Sociales in French Paris France Les Editions de l EHESS Cambridge University Press 20 4 843 845 doi 10 1017 S0395264900111576 ISSN 0395 2649 LCCN 49012430 OCLC 436601008 S2CID 195484837 a b c Lachouque 2015 pp 91 100 Chapter 1 The Imperial Guard Book II The Guard Keeps Watch Georges Blond La Grande Armee trans Marshall May New York Arms and Armor 1997 48 103 470 Klaf Franklin 1 June 1960 Napoleon and the Grand Army of 1812 A Study of Group Psychology The Psychoanalytic Review New York City New York United States National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis 47C 3 69 76 ISSN 0033 2836 OCLC 1624251 via Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing Lachouque 2015 pp 706 711 Chapter 5 Farewell my children Book VII The Guard Staggers a b Headley 1851 pp 11 28 Chapter I The origin of the Imperial Guard Plan on which it was first constituted The Consular Guard of Napoleon The moral character of the Old Guard me Napoleon s Guard Infantry Young Guard Old Guard napolun com Retrieved 2 February 2018 a b Mould Michael 2011 6 Historical references The Routledge Dictionary of Cultural References in Modern French New York City New York United States Routledge p 153 ISBN 9781136825736 via Google Books a b Coignet 1929 pp 131 Fifth Note Book Prussian and Polish Campaigns Conference at Tilsit I am made Corporal Spanish and Austrian Campaigns I am appointed Sergeant Stricter Terry W 1 January 1990 Boterbloem Kees ed The Old Grumblers of Napoleon s Army Rates of Promotion before and after 1815 The Historian Tampa Florida United States Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society Taylor amp Francis 53 1 63 76 doi 10 1111 j 1540 6563 1990 tb00797 x ISSN 0018 2370 OCLC 1713899 Coignet 1929 pp 104 105 Fourth Note Book My Decoration I am Poisoned Return to my Country The Camp of Boulogne and the first Austrian Campaign Lachouque 2015 pp 712 715 Chapter 1 The Dissolution of the Guard Book IX The Guard Falls Price Munro 2014 14 The End of Glory Napoleon The End of Glory New York City New York United States Oxford University Press p 243 ISBN 9780199934676 via Google Books Lachouque 2015 pp 706 711 Chapter 5 Farewell my children Book VIII The Guard Staggers Lachouque 2015 pp 750 773 Chapter 2 The Restoration of the Guard Book X The Guard Dies Lachouque 2015 pp 791 801 Chapter 5 Waterloo Book X The Guard Dies Old Guard Grenadiers in Plancenoit retrieved 2010 08 10 The Last Squares of the Old Guard retrieved 2010 08 10 Lachouque 2015 pp 824 829 Chapter 7 The Aftermath Book X The Guard Dies Bibliography EditLachouque Henri 2015 1961 Brown Anne S K ed The Anatomy of Glory Napoleon and His Guard Translated by Anne S K Brown 5th ed Auckland New Zealand Pickle Partners Publishing ISBN 9781786255822 via Google Books Headley J T 1851 Scribner Charles ed The imperial guard of Napoleon From Marengo to Waterloo New York City New York United States C Scribner LCCN 04021545 OCLC 679311339 via Google Books Coignet Jean Roch 1 August 1929 1928 Fortescue John ed The Note Books of Captain Coignet Soldier of the Empire 2nd ed New York City New York United States Robert M McBride amp Company via Archive org External links EditNapoleon s Old Guard and Young Guard Napoleon s Guard Cavalry Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Old Guard France amp oldid 1120249592, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
