The VII 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 ...

. It was formed in 1805 and assigned 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 ...

Pierre Augereau Charles Pierre François Augereau, 1st Duke of Castiglione (21 October 1757 – 12 June 1816) was a French military commander and a Marshal of the Empire who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. After serving in ...

. From 1805 to 1807, Augereau led the VII Corps in 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 ...

and 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 ...

. It was disbanded after being nearly wiped out at the

Battle of Eylau The Battle of Eylau, or Battle of Preussisch-Eylau, was a bloody and strategically inconclusive battle on 7 and 8 February 1807 between Napoléon's ''Grande Armée'' and the Imperial Russian Army under the command of Levin August von Bennigs ...

in February 1807 and its surviving troops were distributed to other corps. In 1812, a new VII Corps composed of soldiers from

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

was created for the invasion of Russia and General

Jean Reynier Jean Louis Ebénézer Reynier (14 January 1771 – 27 February 1814) was a Swiss- French military officer who served in the French Army under the First Republic and the First Empire. He rose in rank to become a general during the French Revolu ...

took command. This formation survived to fight during the

War of the Sixth Coalition In the War of the Sixth Coalition (March 1813 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation, a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, and a number of German States defeated F ...

, but 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 ...

in October 1813 due to the defection of the Saxons. The VII Corps was recreated during the 1814 campaign in France and assigned to Marshal

Nicolas Oudinot Nicolas Charles Oudinot, 1st Count Oudinot, 1st Duke of Reggio (25 April 1767 in Bar-le-Duc – 13 September 1847 in Paris), was a Marshal of the Empire. He is known to have been wounded 34 times in battle, being hit by artillery shells, sabers, ...

. The formation consisted of one Young Guard division and two regular divisions of

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

veterans.

Order of battle

October 1806

Belloc - Le maréchal Charles Pierre François Augereau, duc de Castiglione

Marshal

(17,672, 36 guns)Chandler (2005), 37 * Chief of Staff: General of Brigade Claude Marie Joseph Pannetier * 1st Division: General of Division

Jacques Desjardin Jacques Desjardin or Jacques Jardin or Jacques Desjardins; (9 February 175911 February 1807) enlisted in the French royal army as a young man and eventually became a sergeant. During the first years of the French Revolutionary Wars he enjoyed very ...

(8,242, 8 guns) ** Brigade: General of Brigade

Pierre Belon Lapisse Pierre Belon Lapisse, Baron de Sainte-Hélène (25 November 1762 – 30 July 1809) commanded an infantry division in Napoleon's armies and was fatally wounded fighting against the British in the Peninsular War. He enlisted in the French Army during ...

*** 16th Light Infantry Regiment, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th battalions ** Brigade: General of Brigade Jacques Lefranc *** 14th Light Infantry Regiment, 2nd battalion *** 44th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd battalions *** 105th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd battalions ** Artillery: Two 12-pound guns, four 6-pound guns, two 6-inch howitzers *** 3rd Foot Artillery Regiment, 4th company *** 6th Horse Artillery Regiment, 2nd company (-) * 2nd Division: General of Division

Étienne Heudelet de Bierre Étienne Heudelet de Bierre (12 November 1770 – 20 April 1857) joined the French army as a volunteer lieutenant in 1792. A year later he became a staff officer for a number of generals before becoming Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr's chief of staf ...

** Brigade: General of Brigade

François Pierre Joseph Amey François Pierre Joseph Amey (2 October 1768 – 16 November 1850) became a French division commander during the Napoleonic Wars. He enlisted in the French Royal Army in 1783 and joined a volunteer battalion in 1792. He won promotion to general o ...

*** 7th Light Infantry Regiment, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd battalions ** Brigade: General of Brigade Jacques Thomas Sarrut *** 24th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd battalions *** 63rd Line Infantry Regiment, 1st and 2nd battalions ** Brigade: unknown *** Hesse-Darmstadt Fusilier Regiment, 1st and 2nd battalions *** Nassau Infantry Regiment, 3rd battalion ** Artillery: Two 12-pound guns, four 6-pound guns, two 6-inch howitzers *** 3rd Foot Artillery Regiment, 3rd company *** 6th Horse Artillery Regiment, 2nd company (-) * Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade Antoine Jean Auguste Durosnel (1,290, 4 guns) ** 7th ''Chasseurs-à-Cheval'' Regiment, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th squadrons ** 20th ''Chasseurs-à-Cheval'' Regiment, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd squadrons ** 6th Horse Artillery Regiment, 5th company, four 4-pound guns * Corps Artillery: unknown commander (1,323 gunners and train) ** Four 12-pound guns, 12 8-pound guns, four 4-pound guns, four 6-inch howitzers ** 1st Foot Artillery Regiment, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th companies ** 2nd Horse Artillery Regiment, 1st and 5th companies

April 1809

Marshal

François Joseph Lefebvre François Joseph Lefebvre ( , ; 25 October 1755 – 14 September 1820), Duc de Dantzig, was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and one of the original eighteen Marshals of the Empire created by Napoleon. E ...

* Artillery Reserve: Colonel Calonge ** Three 12-pound position batteries, 18 guns * 1st Bavarian Division: ''General-Leutnant'' Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria ** Brigade: ''General-Major'' Rechberg *** 1st ''Habermann'' Light Battalion *** ''Leib'' Regiment (2 battalions) *** 2nd ''Prince Royal'' Regiment (2 battalions) ** Brigade: General-Major Stengel *** 4th ''Salern'' Regiment (2 battalions) *** 8th ''Duc Pius'' Regiment (2 battalions) ** Cavalry Brigade: ''General-Major'' Zandt *** ''Minuzzi'' Dragoon Regiment (2 squadrons) *** ''Prince Royal'' ''

Chevau-léger The Chevau-légers (from French ''cheval''—horse—and ''léger''—light) was a generic French name for several units of light and medium cavalry. Their history began in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, when the heavy cavalry forces o ...

'' Regiment (4 squadrons) ** Artillery: Two 6-pound foot batteries, 6-pound horse battery, 18 guns * 2nd Bavarian Division: ''General-Leutnant''

Karl Philipp von Wrede Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer * Karl of Austria, last Austri ...

** Brigade: ''General-Major'' Minuzzi *** 6th ''Laroche'' Light Battalion *** 3rd ''Prince Karl'' Regiment (2 battalions) *** 13th Regiment (2 battalions) *** Brigade: ''General-Major'' Beckers *** 6th ''Duc Wilhelm'' Regiment (2 battalions) *** 7th ''Löwenstein'' Regiment (2 battalions) ** Cavalry Brigade: ''General-Major'' Preysing *** ''König'' ''Chevau-léger'' Regiment (4 squadrons) *** ''Leiningen'' ''Chevau-léger'' Regiment (4 squadrons) ** Artillery: Two 6-pound foot batteries, 6-pound horse battery, 18 guns * 3rd Bavarian Division: ''General-Leutnant''

Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy (11 December 1743 – 23 August 1812) from the Electorate of the Palatinate became a noted general officer in the army of Bavaria. His military career began shortly after the start of the Seven Years' War. During th ...

** Brigade: ''General-Major'' Siebein *** 5th ''Buttler'' Light Battalion *** 9th ''Isenburg'' Regiment (2 battalions) *** 10th ''Juncker'' Regiment (2 battalions) ** Brigade: ''General-Major'' Vincenti *** 7th ''Günter'' Light Battalion *** 5th Regiment (2 battalions) *** 14th ''Preysing'' Regiment (2 battalions) ** Cavalry Brigade: ''General-Major'' Seydewitz *** ''Taxis'' Dragoon Regiment (4 squadrons) *** ''Bubenhoven'' ''Chevau-léger'' Regiment (4 squadrons) ** Artillery: Two 6-pound foot batteries, 6-pound horse battery, 18 guns

August 1812

Philippoteaux - General Jean Louis Ebenezer

General of Division

(15,008 infantry in 18 battalions, 2,186 cavalry in 16 squadrons) * Artillery: 50 guns * 21st Division (Saxon): ''General-Leutnant'' Karl Christian Erdmann von Le Coq ** 1st Brigade: ''General-Major'' von Steindel *** ''Liebenau'' Grenadier Battalion (1 battalion) *** ''Prinz Friedrich'' Infantry Regiment (2 battalions) *** ''Prinz Clemens'' Infantry Regiment (2 battalions) ** 2nd Brigade: ''General-Major'' von Nostitz *** ''Prinz Anton'' Infantry Regiment (2 battalions) *** 1st Light Infantry Regiment (2 battalions) ** Cavalry Brigade: ''General-Major'' von Gablenz *** ''Prinz Clemens''

Uhlan 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 ...

Regiment (4 squadrons) *** ''Polenz'' ''Chevau-léger'' Regiment (4 squadrons) * 22nd Division (Saxon): ''General-Leutnant'' von Funck ** 2nd Brigade: ''General-Major'' von Sahr *** ''Anger'' Grenadier Battalion (1 battalion) *** ''Spiegel'' Grenadier Battalion (1 battalion) *** 2nd Light Infantry Regiment (2 battalions) ** 1st(?) Brigade: ''General-Major'' von Klengel *** ''König'' Infantry Regiment (2 battalions) *** ''Niesemeuschel'' Infantry Regiment (1 and a half battalions) * 32nd Division (French): General of Division

Pierre François Joseph Durutte Pierre François Joseph Durutte (13 July 1767 – 18 April 1827) joined the French army at the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars. Rapidly promoted for feats of bravery under fire at Jemappes in 1792 and Hondschoote in 1793, he found h ...

** 35th Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions) ** 131st Line Infantry Regiment (3 battalions) ** 132nd Line Infantry Regiment (3 battalions) ** 133rd Line Infantry Regiment (1 battalion) ** ''Belle-Isle'' Infantry Regiment (3 battalions) ** Würzburg Infantry Regiment (3 battalions)

October 1813

General of Division Jean Reynier (12,837, 48 guns)Smith (1998), 463-464. The Saxon troops defected to the Allies on 18 October. * Corps Artillery: ** One Saxon foot artillery battery (6 12-pound guns) ** One French foot artillery battery (6 12-pound guns) ** One Saxon horse artillery battery (4 guns) * 13th Division (French): General of Division

Armand Charles Guilleminot Major General Armand Charles Guilleminot (2 March 1774–14 March 1840) was a French general during the Napoleonic wars. He is described as having been very intelligent, merciful, generous, resourceful, and experienced. He achieved the Legion ...

** Brigade: General of Brigade Antoine Gruyer *** 1st Light Infantry Regiment (4 battalions) *** 18th Light Infantry Regiment (1st and 2nd Battalions) *** 7th Line Infantry Regiment (3rd Battalion) *** 156th Line Infantry Regiment (1st and 2nd Battalions) ** Brigade: General of Brigade Louis-Francois, Baron Lejeune *** 52nd Line Infantry Regiment (3rd Battalion) *** 67th Line Infantry Regiment (3rd Battalion) *** 101st Line Infantry Regiment (2nd and 3rd Battalions) *** ''Illyrian'' Infantry Regiment (2nd Battalion) ** Artillery: One foot artillery battery (6 guns) * 24th (Saxon) Division: ''General-Leutnant'' von Zeschau ** 1st Brigade: ''Oberst'' von Brause *** ''Lecoq'' Light Infantry Regiment (1 battalion) *** ''Spiegel'' Grenadier Battalion Nr. 1 (1 battalion) *** ''Prinz Friedrich August'' Line Infantry Regiment (1 battalion) *** ''Rechten'' Line Infantry Regiment (1 battalion) *** ''Steindel'' Line Infantry Regiment (1 battalion) ** 2nd Brigade: ''General-Major'' von Ryssel *** ''Sahr'' Light Infantry Regiment (1 battalion) *** ''Anger'' Grenadier Battalion Nr. 2 (1 battalion) *** ''Niesemueschel'' Line Infantry Regiment (1 battalion) *** ''Prinz Anton'' Line Infantry Regiment (1 battalion) *** ''Feldjager'' company ** Artillery: Two foot artillery batteries (16 guns) * 32nd Division (French): General of Division

** Brigade: General of Brigade Marie Jean Baptiste Urbain Devaux *** 35th Light Infantry Regiment (1st Battalion) *** 131st Line Infantry Regiment (3rd Battalion) *** 132nd Line Infantry Regiment (3rd Battalion) ** Brigade: General of Brigade Antoine Anatole Gedeon Jarry *** 36th Light Infantry Regiment (4th Battalion) *** 133rd Line Infantry Regiment (3rd Battalion) *** Würzburg Infantry Regiment (3rd Battalion) ** Artillery: *** One foot artillery battery (6 guns) *** One horse artillery battery (6 guns) * 27th (Saxon) Light Cavalry Brigade: ''Oberst'' von Lindenau ** Hussar Regiment (8 squadrons) ** ''Prinz Clemens'' Uhlan Regiment (5 squadrons) ** One horse artillery battery (4 guns)

Notes

References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:VII Corps Grande Armee 1805 establishments in France GAI07