Grande Armée
''La Grande Armée'' (; ) was the main military component of the French Imperial Army commanded by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars. From 1804 to 1808, it won a series of military victories that allowed the French Empi ...
'' 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 ...
. The corps was originally formed in 1805 and was reorganized several times until it was dissolved in 1814.
History
From 1805–1807, the corps composed mostly of French troops, and was commanded by
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 ...
s
Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes, 1st Duke of Montebello, Prince of Siewierz (10 April 1769 – 31 May 1809), was a French military commander and a Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was one of Napoleon's ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
, and
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 ...
as well as ''
Général de Division
Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...
''
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 ...
.
Polish ''Corps d'Armée''
In 1812, the V Corps was made up entirely of Polish soldiers from the
Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw ( pl, Księstwo Warszawskie, french: Duché de Varsovie, german: Herzogtum Warschau), also known as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Napoleonic Poland, was a French client state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during ...
under the command of General
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 (), ...
. It was one of several non-French corps of the ''Grande Armée'' and at its peak consisted of around 36,000 soldiers. The corps took part in
Napoleon's 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 ...
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 ...
.
The corps suffered heavy casualties during the retreat, but managed to reach Warsaw and was later reinforced with new recruits. In 1813, the corps was sent to
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 ...
, passing
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
. The corps was temporary disbanded with the remaining troops and Poniatowski reassigned to the
VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to:
* VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VIII Army Corps (German Confederation)
* VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...
.
Revival
After the disastrous Russian campaign, the V Corps was rebuilt in Magdeburg from newly formed French units in the spring of 1813. These troops were under the command of General
Jacques Lauriston
Jacques Alexandre Bernard Law, marquis de Lauriston (1 February 1768 – 12 June 1828) was a French soldier and diplomat of Scottish descent, and a general officer in the French Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in Pondicherry in Fren ...
. Participating in 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 ...
the corps was disbanded again after Napoleon's abdication.
Organization
The V Corps varied in strength and organization. In the beginning of each campaign it had:
* 14,000 French in 1805
* 18,000 French in 1806–1807
* 36,000 Polish in 1812
* 20,000 French in 1813
1805
* Infantry Division – General
Louis-Gabriel Suchet
Louis-Gabriel Suchet (2 March 1770 – 3 January 1826), Duke of Albufera (french: Duc d'Albuféra), was a French Marshal of the Empire and one of the most successful commanders of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is regarded ...
* Combined Grenadier Division – General
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, ...
George Nafziger, Oudinot's Grenadier Advanced Guard Division 8 September 1805 ', United States Army Combined Arms Center.
** 1st Brigade under Général de Brigade Mortièret
*** 2éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
*** 9éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
*** 11éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
*** 58éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
*** 81éme Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
** 2nd Brigade
*** 2éme Régiment Légère
*** 3éme Régiment Légère
*** 28éme Régiment Légère
*** 31éme Régiment Légère
** 3rd Brigade
*** 12éme Régiment Légère
*** 15éme Régiment Légère
* Light Cavalry Division – General
Anne-François-Charles Trelliard
Anne-François-Charles Trelliard or Treillard or Treilhard, born 7 February 1764 – died 14 May 1832, joined the cavalry of the French Royal Army as a cadet gentleman in 1780. During the French Revolutionary Wars he fought in Germany and Holla ...
, then
Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle
Antoine-Charles-Louis, Comte de Lasalle (10 May 1775, Metz6 July 1809, Wagram) was a French cavalry general during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, often called "The Hussar General". He first gained fame for his role in the Capitulation ...
1806–1807
* Infantry Division – General Louis-Gabriel Suchet
* Infantry Division – General Gazan
* Light Cavalry Division – General Trelliard
1812
* 16th Infantry Division – General
Józef Zajączek
Prince Józef Zajączek (; 1 November 1752 – 28 August 1826) was a Polish general and politician.
Zajączek started his career in the Army of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, an aide-de-camp to hetman Franciszek Ksawery Branicki. He ...
, then Izydor Krasinski and Franciszek Paszkowski
* 17th Infantry Division – General
Jan Henryk Dąbrowski
Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (; also known as Johann Heinrich Dąbrowski (Dombrowski) in German and Jean Henri Dombrowski in French; 2 August 1755 – 6 June 1818) was a Polish general and statesman, widely respected after his death for his patri ...
* 18th Infantry Division – General Ludwik Kamieniecki, then
Karol Kniaziewicz
Baron Karol Otto Kniaziewicz (4 May 1762 in Assiten, Courland (now Asīte, Latvia) – 9 May 1842 in Paris) was a Polish general and political activist.
Karol attended the Knight School in Warsaw. He participated in the Polish-Russian war of ...
* Cavalry Division – General Michal Ignacy Kamieński