The V Corps of the ''

Grande Armée The (; ) was the primary field army of the French Imperial Army (1804–1815), French Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Commanded by Napoleon, from 1804 to 1808 it won a series of military victories that allowed the First French Empi ...

'' was a French military unit that existed during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. 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 Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

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 Napol ...

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 ...

François Joseph Lefebvre François Joseph Lefebvre, Duke of Danzig ( , ; 25 October 1755 – 14 September 1820) was a French military commander of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, and one of the original eighteen Marshals of the Empire created by N ...

, and

André Masséna André Masséna, prince d'Essling, duc de Rivoli (; born Andrea Massena; 6 May 1758 – 4 April 1817), was a French military commander of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of the original eighteen Marshal of the ...

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.

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 (; ; ), also known as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Napoleonic Poland, was a First French Empire, French client state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. It initially comprised the ethnical ...

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 the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lit ...

. 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, and in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812 (), was initiated by Napoleon with the aim of compelling the Russian Empire to comply with the continent ...

and fought in the Battle of Smolensk and the

Battle of Borodino The Battle of Borodino ( ) or Battle of Moscow (), in popular literature also known as the Battle of the Generals, took place on the outskirts of Moscow near the village of Borodino on 7 September 1812 during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. ...

. 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, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

, passing

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

. The corps was temporary disbanded with the remaining troops and Poniatowski reassigned to the VIII Corps.

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. Participating in the

War of the Sixth Coalition In the War of the Sixth Coalition () (December 1812 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation (), a coalition of Austrian Empire, Austria, Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia, Russian Empire, Russia, History of Spain (1808– ...

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, duc d' Albuféra (; 2 March 1770 – 3 January 1826), was a French Marshal of the Empire and one of the most successful commanders of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is regarded as one of the greatest ...

* Combined Grenadier Division – General

Nicolas Oudinot Nicolas Charles Oudinot, duc de Reggio (; 25 April 1767 – 13 September 1847), was a French general of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He is known to have been wounded 34 times in battle, being hit by artillery shells, sa ...

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, then

Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle Antoine-Charles-Louis, Comte de Lasalle (; 10 May 17756 July 1809) was a French cavalry general during the French Revolutionary Wars, French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Often called "The Hussar General," he first gained fame for his rol ...

1806–1807

* Infantry Division – General Louis-Gabriel Suchet * Infantry Division – General Gazan * Light Cavalry Division – General Trelliard

1812

* 16th Infantry Division – General Józef Zajączek, then Izydor Krasinski and Franciszek Paszkowski * 17th Infantry Division – General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski * 18th Infantry Division – General Ludwik Kamieniecki, then Karol Kniaziewicz * Cavalry Division – General Michal Ignacy Kamieński

1813

* 16th Infantry Division – General

Nicolas Joseph Maison Nicolas Joseph Maison, marquis de Maison (; 19 December 1771 – 13 February 1840) was a French military officer who served in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, and as commander of the Morea expedition during the Greek War of In ...

* 17th Infantry Division – General Jacques-Pierre-Louis Puthod * 19th Infantry Division – General Marie Joseph Rochembeau

References

Sources

* * Town notes of Strasbourg * Letters of Napoleon *Couderc Napoléon, ses dernières armées page 504 Bis, situation V Corps on 26 April 1815 {{DEFAULTSORT:V Corps (Grande Armee) 1805 establishments in France GAI05 Duchy of Warsaw Poland in the Napoleonic Wars Military units and formations established in 1805