Lanciers lituaniens de la Garde impériale
|
Lanciers lituaniens de la Garde impériale |
|
|---|---|
 Officers of the regiment in large uniform |
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| active | July 5, 1812 to March 22, 1813 |
| Country |
 France
|
| Armed forces |
Grande Armée
|
| Armed forces |
Cavalerie de la Garde impériale
|
| Branch of service | Light cavalry |
| Type | regiment |
| Strength | 1218 |
| Insinuation | Guard impériale |
| commander | |
| Colonel of the regiment |
Jan Konopka |
The Lanciers lituaniens de la Garde impériale - "Lithuanian Uhlans of the Imperial Guard" (also: 3 e régiment de chevau-légers lanciers de la Garde impériale) was a unit of the light cavalry of the Imperial Guard , set up on the instructions of Napoléon Bonaparte and from July 1812 to March 1813 in the service of the Grande Armée .
Erected from Lithuanian aristocrats during the Russian campaign , the regiment was commanded by Général Jan Konopka , major of the “Lanciers polonais de la Garde impériale” (Polish Uhlans of the Imperial Guard). During the advance towards Minsk in October 1812, two escadrons under the direct command of Konopka near Slonim were wiped out by Russian troops. The other two escadrons, which were not affected, were incorporated into the regiment of the "Lanciers polonais de la Garde impériale" after the corps was dissolved on March 22, 1813.
Napoléon soon unrealistically suspected a strong military potential of the Lithuanians and wanted a large Lithuanian army to be set up. He added the Lithuanian Uhlans to his imperial guard, as well as an escadron of Lithuanian Tartars ( Tartares lituaniens de la Garde impériale ).
organization
On July 5, 1812, Napoléon decided by decree to set up a 3rd Uhlan Regiment, which would belong to the Imperial Guard. The nominal strength was 1218 men, divided into five escadrons. Two escadrons were formed in Warsaw from Lithuanian nobles. The Général Jan Konopka, major in the 1st regiment of the Polish Guardsmen took command, supported by the majors Tanski and Chlusowicz. The (voluntary) riders had to pay for their horse as well as for the uniform itself. The decree also stipulated that horses should be between 4 feet, 6 inches and 4 feet 9 inches in height . The pay was the same as with the 2nd Regiment of the Guardsmen (Lanciers rouges de la Garde impériale).
In a letter of September 29, 1812, Napoléon wrote to Hugues-Bernard Maret , Duke of Bassano:
“The Colonel of the“ 3 e régiment des lanciers de la Garde ”seems to be able to procure 1200 horses. Write to him to put the first 500 on the march as soon as he is able to and then complete the regiment of 1200 men, horses and the necessary harness in the camp. I believe that he has money available and will have no objection to it. "
Campaign in Russia: the disaster at Slonim
The regiment took part in the campaign to Russia in 1812 . In October the General Konopka in Grodno received orders to march to Minsk . On the way there, he decided to stop in the village of Slonim . Against the advice of Colonel-Major Tanski (he had been sent back to Grodno by Konopka with two escadrons), the Uhlans quartered in Slonim for several days. On October 19, the night after Tanski and his detachment left, the remaining parts of the regiment were suddenly attacked and wiped out by a Russian unit under General Czaplicz (he was part of General Chichagov's army corps ).
The Général Konopka was wounded and taken prisoner, with him 55 officers and NCOs, 5 trumpeters and 186 Uhlans. The rest of the two escadrons were dead or wounded. The Russians were also able to capture important papers and extensive material.
The two escadrons, who had previously withdrawn, under the command of Colonel-Major Tanski, were in Grodno with a strength of 590 riders and with this remnant they formed the 3rd Guards Regiment. In January it was reinforced by another 60 riders and in the same month subordinated to the 1st Gardeulanenregiment (regiment of Polish Uhlans). On 22 March 1813, the third Gardeulanenregiment was officially dissolved, the remaining riders in the one he régiment de chevau-légers polonais lanciers incorporated.
Uniforms
The Russian general Alexandre Andrault de Langeron wrote in his Mémoires :
“The general Konopka formait [le regiment] pour la garde de Napoléon; il était composé en grande partie de jeunes gens des premières familles de Lithuanie et de Volhynie; on ne peut se faire une idée de la richesse et de l'élégance de leurs costumes et de la beauté de leurs chevaux. "
(The Général Konopka set up the regiment for Napoleon's guards, it was largely composed of the young lords of the first families of Lithuania and Volhynia . One cannot imagine the elaborate and elegant uniforms and the class of the horses )
The uniforms were made under the responsibility of Lieutenant Cichocki, who had been assigned with the procurement. With the impossibility of setting up a clothing store in a warring country, the uniforms were made by the factories in the respective cities. For this purpose, the clothing officer concluded appropriate contracts.
The uniform was very similar to that of the Polish Uhlans of the 1st Regiment. Only the buttons were made of brass or gold, the passepoils and shako hangings were also yellow or made of woven gold.
An illustration by Patrice Courcelle, published by Ronald Pawly in Napoleon's Polish Lancers of the Imperial Guard , depicts an Ulan of the 3rd Regiment. The illustration is based on a watercolor by Johann Nepomuk Hoechle. The Ulan, however, appears here in a “provisional” uniform. He wears a Tschapka, covered with a crimson, fluted cloth and white border, decorated with a white feather trim. The hangings of the shako are also white. There is a copper badge on the front. The kurtka is blue with a crimson collar and lapels, white braids and white buttons. Epaulettes, shoulder cords and leather belt are white. The trousers for the service uniform are gray with crimson piping and a row of white buttons.
trumpeter
The chapka of the trumpeters was made of white, grooved fabric, as well as golden passepoils and yellow or crimson pendants. The feather trim was crimson. The kurtka was also crimson with white facings . The trousers were blue with double yellow tucks .
Footnotes
- ↑ not a rank, but a position
- ↑ Pigeard 1999 p. 24
- ↑ Dutertre 2009 p. 86
- ↑ Haythornthwaite 2004 p. 9
- ↑ Tranié Carmigniani 1982 p. 79
- ↑ Dempsey 2002 p. 77
- ↑ Pigeard 2005 pp. 115 & 116
- ↑ Fondation Napoléon 2012 id FNapo1812
- ↑ Malibran 2000 p. 228
- ↑ the reason for this is unknown
- ↑ Pigeard 1999 p. 26
literature
- Alain Pigeard “Le 3e régiment de chevau-légers lanciers” Tradition Magazine N ° 8 (Napoléon et les troupes polonaises 1797–1815: De l'Armée d'Italie à la Grande Armée) 1999.
- Alphonse Marie Malibran & Jan Vladislav Chelmiński "L'Armée du Duché de Varsovie - Ou la contribution polonaise dans les rangs de la Grande Armée" Editeur: Le Livre chez vous Paris Octobre 2000 (Année première édition 1913) ISBN 978-2-914288- 02-6 .
- Philip Haythornthwaite "Grandes armées: La Garde impériale - Armées et batailles" 2004 ISBN 2-84349-178-9 .
- Jean Tranié & Juan-Carlos Carmigniani "Les Polonais de Napoléon" (L'épopée du 1er régiment de lanciers de la garde impériale) Copernic 1982.
- Alain Pigeard "La Garde impériale 1804-1815" Éditeur Tallandier - Collection Bibliothèque napoléonienne 2005 ISBN 978-2-84734-177-5 .
- Gilles Dutertre Les Français dans l'histoire de la Lituanie Éditeur L'Harmattan 2009 ISBN 978-2-296-07852-9 .
- Fondation Napoléon "Napoléon Bonaparte, correspondance générale La campagne de Russie 1812" Chapter 12 | Éditeur Fayard Collection Divers Histoire 2012 ISBN 978-2-213-67272-4 .