The VIII Corps of the ''Grande Armée'' was a French military unit that existed during the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
. Emperor
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 ...
formed it in 1805 by borrowing divisions from other corps and assigned it to
Marshal
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...
Édouard Mortier Édouard is both a French given name and a surname, equivalent to Edward in English. Notable people with the name include:
* Édouard Balladur (born 1929), French politician
* Édouard Boubat (1923–1999), French photographer
* Édouard Colonne (1 ...
. Marshal
André Masséna
André Masséna, Prince of Essling, Duke of Rivoli (born Andrea Massena; 6 May 1758 – 4 April 1817) was a French military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.Donald D. Horward, ed., trans, annotated, The Fre ...
's Army of Italy was also reorganized as the VIII Corps at the end of the 1805 campaign. The corps was reformed for the 1806 campaign under Mortier and spent the rest of the year mopping up Prussian garrisons in western Germany.
A new VIII Corps was formed from Westphalians for the
French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...
in 1812 and placed under Junot's command once more. The corps was effectively destroyed during the retreat. The following year, the corps was rebuilt with Polish units and assigned to
Józef Poniatowski
Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski (; 7 May 1763 – 19 October 1813) was a Polish general, minister of war and army chief, who became a Marshal of the French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars.
A nephew of king Stanislaus Augustus of Poland (), ...
. The VIII Corps fought in the 1813 German campaign and ceased to exist after the
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig (french: Bataille de Leipsick; german: Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig, ); sv, Slaget vid Leipzig), also known as the Battle of the Nations (french: Bataille des Nations; russian: Битва народов, translit=Bitva ...
.
History
1805
The corps was first called into existence during the
War of the Third Coalition
The War of the Third Coalition)
* In French historiography, it is known as the Austrian campaign of 1805 (french: Campagne d'Autriche de 1805) or the German campaign of 1805 (french: Campagne d'Allemagne de 1805) was a European conflict spanni ...
in 1805. After destroying much of the
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...
's military strength in the Ulm campaign, Napoleon ordered his generals to advance toward the Austrian capital of
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
. The emperor formed a new VIII Corps under Mortier and assigned four divisions to the new organization. Mortier's task was to operate on the north bank of the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
and protect the French army's strategic left flank. The divisions were led by Generals
Jean-Baptiste Dumonceau
Count Jean-Baptiste Dumonceau de Bergendal (7 November 1760 – 29 December 1821) was a general from the Southern Netherlands, in the service of France and the Netherlands.
Life
At first destined for a career as an architect (for which he showed ...
,
Honoré Théodore Maxime Gazan de la Peyrière
Honoré Théodore Maxime Gazan de la Peyrière (; October 29, 1765 – April 9, 1845) was a French general who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.
Gazan started his military career as a cannonier in the French Coast ...
,
Pierre Dupont de l'Etang
Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
, and
Louis Klein
Dominique Louis Antoine Klein (19 January 1761 – 2 November 1845) served in the French military during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars as a general of cavalry.
Initially part of the house guard at the royal residences fo ...
. Dumonceau's division transferred from the II Corps, Gazan's from the
V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to:
France
* 5th Army Corps (France)
* V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...
, Dupont's from the
VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to:
France
* VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army du ...
, and Klein's from the I Cavalry Corps. On 11 November 1805, Mortier with the 5,000 men of Gazan's division bumped into a greatly superior force of Russians and Austrians. In the
Battle of Dürenstein
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
, Gazan suffered 3,000 casualties but was saved from annihilation when Dupont's division arrived later in the day. Neither Klein nor Dumonceau were engaged in the action. The VIII Corps missed the
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in ...
.
Even after his decisive triumph at Austerlitz, Napoleon believed Archduke Charles' large army to be a threat. Therefore, he ordered Masséna to reorganize his Army of Italy as the VIII Corps. Masséna was to march east with his main body while sending his heavy cavalry to
Graz
Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...
. General
Auguste de Marmont
Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont (20 July 1774 – 22 March 1852) was a French general and nobleman who rose to the rank of Marshal of the Empire and was awarded the title (french: duc de Raguse). In the Peninsular War Marmont succeede ...
assembled at Graz with the II Corps while Marshal
Michel Ney
Michel Ney, 1st Duke of Elchingen, 1st Prince of the Moskva (; 10 January 1769 – 7 December 1815), was a French military commander and Marshal of the Empire who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one o ...
arrived at
Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt am WörtherseeLandesgesetzblatt 2008 vom 16. Jänner 2008, Stück 1, Nr. 1: ''Gesetz vom 25. Oktober 2007, mit dem die Kärntner Landesverfassung und das Klagenfurter Stadtrecht 1998 geändert werden.'/ref> (; ; sl, Celovec), usually ...
with the VI Corps. The emperor placed Marshal
Louis-Nicolas Davout
Louis-Nicolas d'Avout (10 May 1770 – 1 June 1823), better known as Davout, 1st Duke of Auerstaedt, 1st Prince of Eckmühl, was a French military commander and Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary Wars and t ...
Bratislava
Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...
(Pressburg) and Marshal
Jean-de-Dieu Soult
Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia, (; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of the Empire in 1804 and often called Marshal Soult. Soult was one of only six officers in Fren ...
's IV Corps south of Vienna. In this way, Charles' army was totally contained. On 26 December, the Treaty of Pressburg was signed, ending the war.
1806–1807
During the
War of the Fourth Coalition
The Fourth Coalition fought against Napoleon's French Empire and were defeated in a war spanning 1806–1807. The main coalition partners were Prussia and Russia with Saxony, Sweden, and Great Britain also contributing. Excluding Prussia, s ...
, the VIII Corps was re-established at
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...
under Mortier. Together with troops from the
Kingdom of Holland
The Kingdom of Holland ( nl, Holland (contemporary), (modern); french: Royaume de Hollande) was created by Napoleon Bonaparte, overthrowing the Batavian Republic in March 1806 in order to better control the Netherlands. Since becoming Emperor ...
under King
Louis Bonaparte
Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (born Luigi Buonaparte; 2 September 1778 – 25 July 1846) was a younger brother of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. He was a monarch in his own right from 1806 to 1810, ruling over the Kingdom of Holland (a French cl ...
, the corps defended against a westward thrust by Prussian forces in the former
Electorate of Hanover
The Electorate of Hanover (german: Kurfürstentum Hannover or simply ''Kurhannover'') was an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire, located in northwestern Germany and taking its name from the capital city of Hanover. It was formally known as ...
. On 17 October 1806, Napoleon ordered Mortier to seize
Fulda
Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival.
History ...
while Louis was to capture
Paderborn
Paderborn (; Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader and ''Born'', an old German term for t ...
and
Münster
Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state distr ...
. From these locations they would converge on
Kassel
Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2020 ...
whose ruler,
William I, Elector of Hesse
William I, Elector of Hesse (german: link=no, Wilhelm I., Kurfürst von Hessen; 3 June 1743 – 27 February 1821) was the eldest surviving son of Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) and Princess Mary of Great Britain, the d ...
the emperor wished to depose. On 1 November, Mortier entered Kassel from the south with General Loison's 5,500-man division composed of three French light infantry regiments. Louis arrived from the north with Dutch soldiers a few hours later to complete the bloodless conquest. On 7 November, the French and their allies arrived near
Hamelin
Hamelin ( ; german: Hameln ) is a town on the river Weser in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Hamelin-Pyrmont and has a population of roughly 57,000. Hamelin is best known for the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
H ...
(Hameln). Two days later, Louis pleaded illness and withdrew from the campaign.
Mortier left Dumonceau's Dutch division to carry out the Siege of Hameln. Though Dumonceau's 6,000 soldiers outnumbered by General
Karl Ludwig von Lecoq
Karl Ludwig von Lecoq or Karl Ludwig von Le Coq, born 23 September 1754 – died 14 February 1829, of Huguenot, French Huguenot ancestry, first joined the army of the Electorate of Saxony. He later transferred his loyalty to the Kingdom of Pru ...
's 10,000 defenders, the operation was a success.Smith (1998), p. 233 General
Anne Jean Marie René Savary
Anne Jean Marie René Savary, 1st Duke of Rovigo (26 April 17742 June 1833) was a French military officer and diplomat who served in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars and the French invasion of Algeria. He was Minister of Police ...
showed up on 19 November 1806 with a preliminary armistice in which all Prussian fortresses were to be surrendered. Though the document was not ratified, Savary used it to bully Lecoq into capitulating. Afterward the Dutch Division marched to Nienburg where it accepted the surrender of 2,911 Prussian soldiers on 26 November.
The VIII Corps was involved in the unsuccessful Siege of Kolberg from 20 March to 2 July 1807. Mortier's 14,000 men and 41 guns included the Fusilier-Chasseurs and Fusilier-Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard under Savary, Loison's French division of six infantry battalions and nine cavalry squadrons, General Charles Louis Dieudonné Grandjean's Dutch contingent with 12 battalions and two hussar regiments, six Italian battalions with supporting cavalry, two Polish battalions, and seven German battalions. The VIII Corps lost 5,000 killed, wounded, or died of illness. The defenders of the 230-gun Kolberg fortress lost 3,000 of the 6,000-man garrison killed, wounded, or died of disease. In June, however, Mortier was called to join the main army. He led 8,465 foot soldiers and 1,200 horsemen in the thick of the action at the
Battle of Friedland
The Battle of Friedland (14 June 1807) was a major engagement of the Napoleonic Wars between the armies of the French Empire commanded by Napoleon I and the armies of the Russian Empire led by Count von Bennigsen. Napoleon and the French obtai ...
on 14 June 1807. General
Pierre-Louis Dupas
Count of the Empire Pierre-Louis Dupas (13 February 1761 – 6 March 1823) was a French soldier who rose to prominence during the French Revolutionary Wars, was noted for his association with Napoleon Bonaparte, and rose to the top military rank o ...
led the all-French 1st Division, General
Jean Henri Dombrowski
Jean may refer to:
People
* Jean (female given name)
* Jean (male given name)
* Jean (surname)
Fictional characters
* Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character
* Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations
* J ...
commanded the all-Polish 2nd Division, and General
Maurice Ignace Fresia Maurice may refer to:
People
*Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr
*Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor
*Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and Lo ...
directed the Dutch and Polish cavalry contingent.
1812–1813
The corps was reconstituted for the invasion of Russia and leadership was given to Vandamme. Together with the V Corps (Poles),
VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to:
* VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I
* VII ...
(Saxons), and IV Cavalry Corps, it was assigned to the 2nd Support Army under
Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte (born Girolamo Buonaparte; 15 November 1784 – 24 June 1860) was the youngest brother of Napoleon I and reigned as Jerome Napoleon I (formally Hieronymus Napoleon in German), King of Westphalia, between 1807 and 1 ...
. All the corps troops belonged to Jérôme's
Kingdom of Westphalia
The Kingdom of Westphalia was a kingdom in Germany, with a population of 2.6 million, that existed from 1807 to 1813. It included territory in Hesse and other parts of present-day Germany. While formally independent, it was a vassal state of the ...
. General
Jean Victor Tharreau
Jean Victor Tharreau or ''Jean Victor Thareau'' (15 January 1767 – 26 September 1812), was a General of Division in the Army of the French Empire.
Tharreau enthusiastically adopted the revolutionary cause and joined the Maine-et-Loire volunt ...
commanded the 1st Division and General von Ochs led the 2nd Division. On 24 June 1812, the corps consisted of 15,885 infantry in 18 battalions, 2,050 cavalry in 12 squadrons, and 34 artillery pieces. Jérôme's inexperience as a general was mitigated by the appointment of General
Jean Gabriel Marchand
Jean Gabriel Marchand, 1st Count Marchand (10 December 1765 – 12 November 1851) went from being an attorney to a company commander in the army of the First French Republic in 1791. He fought almost exclusively in Italy throughout the French ...
as his chief of staff. Nevertheless, after being harshly criticized in a letter by his brother, Jérôme resigned his command on 14 July and went home. The command of the corps passed to Junot.
At the
Battle of Valutino
The Battle of Valutino took place on 19 August 1812, between a corps of French and allied troops led by Marshal Ney, about 35,000 strong, and a strong rear-guard of General Barclay de Tolly's Russian army of about 25,000, commanded by the gen ...
on 18 August 1812, the VIII Corps was ordered to cross the
Dnieper River
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...
and block the retreat of the Russian Army toward
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. After taking a long time to cross the river, Junot failed to advance any farther, allowing the Russians to escape. At the
Battle of Borodino
The Battle of Borodino (). took place near the village of Borodino on during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The ' won the battle against the Imperial Russian Army but failed to gain a decisive victory and suffered tremendous losses. Napoleon ...
on 7 September, the corps started out in reserve along with the
Imperial Guard
An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the Emperor or Empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial forces, in ...
and the reserve cavalry. By 8:30 AM, Junot's men were sent into action. At 10:00 AM they joined the
I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to:
France
* 1st Army Corps (France)
* I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...
and III Corps in a massed attack on the ''flèches'' which was successful. Tharreau was among Borodino's many fatalities. That autumn, the
''Grande Armée'' withdrew from Moscow. By the time they reached
Smolensk
Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest c ...
, the combined V and VIII Corps counted no more than 1,500 men.
In the following year, Prince
Józef Poniatowski
Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski (; 7 May 1763 – 19 October 1813) was a Polish general, minister of war and army chief, who became a Marshal of the French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars.
A nephew of king Stanislaus Augustus of Poland (), ...
was appointed to command the VIII Corps, which was rebuilt as an all-Polish unit. At the
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig (french: Bataille de Leipsick; german: Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig, ); sv, Slaget vid Leipzig), also known as the Battle of the Nations (french: Bataille des Nations; russian: Битва народов, translit=Bitva ...
on 16–19 October 1813 the corps consisted of the 26th Infantry Division under General Kaminiecki, the 27th Infantry Division led by General of
Jean Henri Dombrowski
Jean may refer to:
People
* Jean (female given name)
* Jean (male given name)
* Jean (surname)
Fictional characters
* Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character
* Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations
* J ...
(Jan Henryk Dąbrowski), the 27th Light Cavalry Brigade under General
Jan Nepomucen Umiński
Jan Nepomucen Umiński of Cholewa (1778-1851) was a Polish military officer and a brigadier general of the Army of the Duchy of Warsaw. A veteran of the Kościuszko Uprising, Napoleonic Wars and the November Uprising, he died in exile in Wiesbade ...
, and the 44 guns of the corps artillery under Colonel Redel.OSG, ''Napoleon at Leipzig'', p. 4 Marshal
Joachim Murat
Joachim Murat ( , also , ; it, Gioacchino Murati; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French military commander and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the ...
assumed command of a wing that included the II, V, and VIII Corps plus cavalry. His orders were to delay the advance of the Army of Bohemia from the south. On 16 October, the 26th Division fought near the villages of
Markkleeberg
Markkleeberg is an affluent suburb of Leipzig (district), Leipzig, located in the Leipzig (district), Leipzig district of the Saxony, Free State of Saxony, Germany. The river Pleiße runs through the city, which borders Leipzig to the north and t ...
and Dölitz in the southern part of the battlefield. Meanwhile, Dombrowski's division became involved in the fighting to the north. During the rear guard fighting on the 19th, a panicky sapper prematurely blew up the bridge over the
White Elster
The White Elster Accessed on 16 Jan 2011. (, ) is a long river in central
Édouard Mortier Édouard is both a French given name and a surname, equivalent to Edward in English. Notable people with the name include:
* Édouard Balladur (born 1929), French politician
* Édouard Boubat (1923–1999), French photographer
* Édouard Colonne (1 ...
* 1st Division (VI Corps): General of Division
Pierre Dupont de l'Etang
Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
** Brigadiers: Generals of Brigade
Marie François Rouyer
Marie François Rouyer (; 2 March 1765 – 10 August 1824) was a French general during the Napoleonic Wars.
Biography
In 1783 he joined the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire and became a lieutenant of dragoons within three years. He ser ...
,
Jean Gabriel Marchand
Jean Gabriel Marchand, 1st Count Marchand (10 December 1765 – 12 November 1851) went from being an attorney to a company commander in the army of the First French Republic in 1791. He fought almost exclusively in Italy throughout the French ...
*** 9th Light Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
*** 32nd Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
*** 96th Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
*** 1st Hussar Regiment (3 squadrons)
*** Artillery: 3 guns
* 2nd Division (V Corps): General of Division Honoré Théodore Maxime Gazan
** Brigadiers: Generals of Brigade Jean François Graindorge,
François Frédéric Campana Francesco Federico Campana (15 February 1771 in Turin, Peveragno or Cuneo – 16 February 1807 in Ostrołęka) was an Italian général de brigade who served in the armies of Napoleon I of France.
Life
Previously in Piedmontese service, he b ...
*** 4th Light Infantry Regiment (3 battalions)
*** 54th Line Infantry Regiment (3 battalions)
*** 100th Line Infantry Regiment (3 battalions)
*** 103rd Line Infantry Regiment (3 battalions)
*** 4th Dragoon Regiment (3 squadrons)
*** Artillery: 3 guns
* 3rd Division (II Corps): General of Division
Jean-Baptiste Dumonceau
Count Jean-Baptiste Dumonceau de Bergendal (7 November 1760 – 29 December 1821) was a general from the Southern Netherlands, in the service of France and the Netherlands.
Life
At first destined for a career as an architect (for which he showed ...
(not engaged)
* 1st Dragoon Division (Cavalry Corps): General of Division
Louis Klein
Dominique Louis Antoine Klein (19 January 1761 – 2 November 1845) served in the French military during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars as a general of cavalry.
Initially part of the house guard at the royal residences fo ...
(not engaged)
''Source:''
Hameln: November 1806
Marshal Édouard Mortier
* Division: General of Division Jean-Baptiste Dumonceau (6,000, 12 guns)
** 1st Brigade: General of Brigade Crass
*** 1st Dutch ''Jäger'' Regiment (1st Battalion)
*** 2nd Dutch ''Jäger'' Regiment (1st Battalion)
*** 3rd Dutch ''Jäger'' Regiment (1st Battalion)
** 2nd Brigade: General of Brigade von Heldring
*** 2nd Dutch Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
*** 3rd Dutch Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
*** 4th Dutch Line Infantry Regiment (1 battalion)
** 3rd Brigade: General of Brigade von Hasselt
*** 7th Dutch Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
*** 8th Dutch Line Infantry Regiment (1 battalion)
** 4th Brigade: General of Brigade Mascheck
*** 3rd Dutch Hussar Regiment
*** Two horse artillery batteries
''Source:''
Borodino: September 1812
General of Division Jean-Andoche Junot (8,900, 30 guns)
* 23rd Infantry Division: General of Division
Jean Victor Tharreau
Jean Victor Tharreau or ''Jean Victor Thareau'' (15 January 1767 – 26 September 1812), was a General of Division in the Army of the French Empire.
Tharreau enthusiastically adopted the revolutionary cause and joined the Maine-et-Loire volunt ...
** 1st Brigade: General of Brigade Damas
*** 3rd Westphalian Light Infantry Battalion
*** 2nd Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions, 2 guns)
*** 6th Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions, 2 guns)
** 2nd Brigade: General of Brigade von Borstell
*** 2nd Westphalian Light Infantry Battalion
*** 3rd Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions, 2 guns)
*** 7th Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment (3 battalions, 2 guns)
** Divisional Artillery:
*** 1st Westphalian Foot Artillery Company (8 guns)
* 24th Infantry Division: General of Division von Ochs
** 1st Brigade: General of Brigade Legras
*** Westphalian Guard Grenadier Infantry Battalion
*** Westphalian Guard Chasseur Infantry Battalion
*** Westphalian Guard Chasseur-Carabinier Infantry Battalion
*** 1st Westphalian Light Infantry Battalion
** Divisional Artillery:
*** 2nd Westphalian Foot Artillery Company (8 guns)
*** 1st Westphalian Guard Horse Artillery Company (4 guns)
* Corps Cavalry: General of Brigade von Hammerstein
** 24th Light Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade von Hammerstein
*** 1st Westphalian Hussar Regiment (4 squadrons)
*** 2nd Westphalian Hussar Regiment (4 squadrons)
** Guard Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade Wolf
*** Westphalian Guard ''Chevau-léger'' Regiment (4 squadrons)
* Corps Artillery: Major Schulz
** 1st Westphalian Guard Horse Artillery Company (2 guns)
''Source:''
Leipzig: October 1813
Marshal
Józef Poniatowski
Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski (; 7 May 1763 – 19 October 1813) was a Polish general, minister of war and army chief, who became a Marshal of the French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars.
A nephew of king Stanislaus Augustus of Poland (), ...
* 26th Infantry Division: General of Division Ludwik Kaminiecki
** Brigade: General of Brigade Jan Kanty Julian Sierawski
*** 1st Polish Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
*** 16th Polish Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
*** ''
Legion of the Vistula
The Legion of the Vistula ( pl, Legia Nadwiślańska) was a unit of Poles in the service of Napoleonic France, one of the larger Polish legions of the Napoleonic period.
Creation of the Legion
The Legion was formed in Breslau, Neustadt, Brie ...
Jean Henri Dombrowski
Jean may refer to:
People
* Jean (female given name)
* Jean (male given name)
* Jean (surname)
Fictional characters
* Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character
* Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations
* J ...
** Brigade: General of Brigade Edward Zoltowski
*** 2nd Polish Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
*** 14th Polish Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
** Brigade: General of Brigade Stefan Grabowski
*** 12th Polish Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
** Divisional Artillery:
*** 10th Polish Foot Artillery Battery
*** Polish Horse Artillery Battery
* 27th Light Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade
Jan Nepomucen Umiński
Jan Nepomucen Umiński of Cholewa (1778-1851) was a Polish military officer and a brigadier general of the Army of the Duchy of Warsaw. A veteran of the Kościuszko Uprising, Napoleonic Wars and the November Uprising, he died in exile in Wiesbade ...
** 14th Cuirassier Regiment (2 squadrons)
** Krakus Regiment (4 squadrons)
* Corps Artillery: Colonel Jakob Antoni Redel
** 11th Polish Foot Battery
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{{DEFAULTSORT:VIII Corps Grande Armee
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