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The 2e régiment de chevau-légers lanciers de la Garde Impériale (English: 2nd Regiment of Light Cavalry Lancers of the Imperial Guard) was a
However, despite their previous posts in the Netherlands as the Royal Guards, they suffered enormous losses in the first invasion they participated in, which was that of Russia in 1812. While the devastation for the regiment at that particular conflict almost caused the entire dissolution of the newly formed unit, they would continue to serve in the military, but without many of the original Dutchmen, who were thought of as the pride of the regiment and who would be replaced by French soldiers.
The following year, in 1813, the Red Lancers were a distinguished regiment in a battle in Germany, and once again, in 1814, where they fought in the areas then known as the Low Countries.
The next year after that, in 1815, Napoleon returned from his
File:Lancier rouge en tenue de route, 1811.JPG, Lancer in campaign dress
File:Trompette des lanciers rouges de la Garde impériale.jpg, Trumpeter in full dress
light cavalry
Light cavalry comprised lightly armed and armored cavalry troops mounted on fast horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the mounted riders (and sometimes the warhorses) were heavily armored. The purpose of light cavalry was primarily rai ...
regiment in Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
'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 hussar
A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...
s of the Dutch Royal Guard. The units, who were of an elite
In political and sociological theory, the elite (french: élite, from la, eligere, to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. D ...
order, were known for their loyalty and military might, as well as their professionalism in and out of battle.
Origin
At the time of its annexation by France in 1810, the Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Holland contained a battalion ofgrenadiers
A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited from ...
and a regiment of horse guards that combined squadrons of cuirassiers and hussars. Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
decreed that these men would transfer to the Imperial Guard, with the infantry becoming the '' 3e Régiment de Grenadiers-à-Pied'' and the cavalry retraining to become a new regiment of lancers
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...
modelled on the existing Polish regiment. They were given a new scarlet
Scarlet may refer to:
* Scarlet (cloth), a type of woollen cloth common in medieval England
* Scarlet (color), a bright tone of red that is slightly toward orange, named after the cloth
* Scarlet (dye), the dye used to give the cloth its color
* ...
uniform (copied, except the colour, from Polish lancers
Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...
uniform). They also received a new leader - Col. Baron Pierre David de Colbert-Chabanais - under whom they were known formally as the 2nd Light Horse Lancers of the Imperial Guard (''2e régiment de chevaux-légers des Lanciers de la Garde Impériale'').
Campaigns
However, despite their previous posts in the Netherlands as the Royal Guards, they suffered enormous losses in the first invasion they participated in, which was that of Russia in 1812. While the devastation for the regiment at that particular conflict almost caused the entire dissolution of the newly formed unit, they would continue to serve in the military, but without many of the original Dutchmen, who were thought of as the pride of the regiment and who would be replaced by French soldiers.
The following year, in 1813, the Red Lancers were a distinguished regiment in a battle in Germany, and once again, in 1814, where they fought in the areas then known as the Low Countries.
The next year after that, in 1815, Napoleon returned from his exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
. The same year, the Red Lancers fought at Waterloo
Waterloo most commonly refers to:
* Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat
* Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place.
Waterloo may also refer to:
Other places
Antarctica
*King George Island (S ...
. Even though Dutch- Belgian cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
commander Jean Baptiste van Merlen
Major General Jean Baptiste Baron van Merlen (11 May 1772–18 June 1815) (also spelt Joannes Baptista Baron van Merlen) was a Dutch-Belgian army officer who, following the varied fortunes of his homeland, fought on both sides during the French Re ...
, one of the most highly ranked and celebrated army officers of the regiment, lost his life at Waterloo, some of the original Dutchmen still existed in the ranks, and would serve as Red Lancers long after the French defeat there.
Uniform
The ''Chevau-Léger Lanciers'' wore a red coat with blue lapels, cuffs and turnbacks. They wore a red piped yellow Polish shako. They had yellowaiguillettes
An aiguillette (, from '' aiguille'', "needle"), also spelled , or , is a cord with metal tips or lace tags, or the decorative tip itself.
Functional or purely decorative fasteners of silk cord with metal tips were popular in the 16th and ea ...
and epaulettes.
The trumpeters wore a white coat with red lapels, cuffs and turnbacks. They wore a white Polish shako and rode grey horses.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:2e regiment de chevau-legers lanciers de la Garde Imperiale Regiments of Napoleon I's Imperial Guard Cavalry regiments of France Regiments of the Netherlands Disbanded units and formations of France Military units and formations established in 1810 Military units and formations disestablished in 1815