2. Line, Light and Irregular Infantry. 3. Weapons. 4. Organization. 5. Drummers, Cornets and Musicians. 6. Sappers 7. Grenadiers & Carabiniers 8. Fusiliers & Chasseurs 9. Voltigeurs 10. Eagles, Flags and Fanions. 11. The Best Regiments (1790-1815). 12. Souces and Links.
"After several years of war many volunteers
The numerous wars made the military service
.
"This terrible Napoleon and his infantry, .
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 Picture: captain of 94th Line Infantry Regiment in 1810-1812. "It is well known with what gallantry the [French] officers lead and with what vehemence the troops follow ..." - William Napier (ext.link), British army
After the bloody battle of Valutina Gora (1812) "Gudin's division |
Years of almost incessant campaigning included bayonet charges, amphibious assaults, partisan
warfare, urban combat and more. But despite the glamor of the divisions of Imperial Guard and heavy cavalry, an often overlooked fact is that the mainstay of the
French army throughout the napoleonic wars was the long-suffering, hard-marching infantry regiments and battalions.
There were hardly more than dozen regiments of armored cavalry; there were rarely far fewer than two hundred infantry
regiments holding the various fronts around Europe. Unfortunately, these critical units often go almost completely unnoticed in histpories of the war.
In 1792, every able-bodied Frenchman was declared liable for military service, and National Guard was formed.
Revolutionary France had been the first to adopt the principle of universal conscription,
according to which all young men of draft age were subject to being called up; in fact,
however, a system of drawing names was in place, and as a result, only the minority of
those eligible were enrolled every year.
Even though entering the draft lottery was
theoretically required of all male citizens, malfunction exemptions, favors and bribes -
together with every man's perfectly legal right to buy a replacement if he could afford one -
guaranteed that the burden of conscription fell principally upon the country and town folks.
Nevertheless, the army considered itself as representative of the entire society.
The new French armies, composed of demoralized regulars and untrained
volunteers, refused to face the disciplined Austrian troops and were more dangerous to
their own officers than to the enemy. The victory at Valmy stimulated the French morale,
then the Jacobin fanatics infused the
French soldiers with something of their own demonic energy.
Untrained but enthusistic volunteers filled the ranks.
In the spirit of liberty and equality, the volunteers elected their officers, and discipline
all but disappeared.
During 1793-1796, the infantry was reorganized into demi-brigades, each with 1
battalion of old soldiers and 2 battalions of volunteers, in the hope of combining
regular steadiness with volunteer enthusiasm. Initially, the result was that each
element qcquired the other's bad habits. There was no time to drill the disorerly
recruits into the robot steadiness and precision demanded by linear system.
(Esposito, Elting - "A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars")
Every infantryman was armed with musket, bayonet, and carried a knapsack,
water bottle, and blanket or greatcoat, besides an ammunition pouch.
According to David Chandler "Training remained rudimentary. The new conscript might receive 2 or 3 weeks of
basic instruction at the depot, but he would fire on average only two musket shots a year in practice. Much stress was placed upon
the attack with cold steel ..." (Chandler - "Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars" pp 207-208)
Many of the victories from 1805 to 1807 were both easy and decisive.
In 1806 and 1807 "In action, the infantry was still splendid, and did not as yet require to be formed in deep columns of many battalions,
such as was Macdonald's at Wagram, three years later."
(Petre - "Napoleon's Campaign in Poland, 1806-1807" pp 27-28)
The Battle of Austerlitz was a glory day for the French infantry.
Napoleon had strong centre under Generals Vandamme and St.
Hilaire climb the Pratzen Heights, the key position on the battlefield.
Kutuzov and part of Russian staff rode forward with Jurczik's Austrian brigade.
As they drew closer against the French center and began to deploy, the French placed
6 heavy guns behind the 36th Line Regiment (3 pieces on either end of the regiment)
and waited. Both sides deployed in almost a mirror image of each other.
Even in Spain many units performed gallantly.
John Burgoyne wrote in "Life and correspondence of Burgoyne": "The French regiment
came up the hill with a brisk and regular step, and their drums beating pas de charge:
our men fired wildly and at random among them; the French never returned a shot, but
continued their steady advance. The English fired again but still without return ...
and when the French were close upon them, they wavered and gave way."
Colonel Waller, (British 2nd Division) witnessed a French attack against Picton's "Fighting
Division" in 1810 at Bussaco: "At this moment were seen the heads of the several columns,
three I think, in number and deploying into line with the most beautiful precision, celerity
and gallantry. As they formed on the plateau, they were cannonaded from our position and
the regiment of Portuguese... threw in some volleys of musketry into the enemy's columns
in a flank direction, but the (Portugese) regiment was quickly driven into the position ...
the (French) columns advanced in despite of a tremendous fire of grape and musketry from our
troops in position in the rocks, and overcoming all opposition although repeatedly charged
by Lightburne's Brigade, or rather the whole of Picton's Div., they advanced and fairly drove
the British right wing from the rocky part of this position."
Picture: "the French arrived [at Tordesillas], 60
... headed by Cpt Guingret, a daring man,
formed a small raft to hold their arms and clothes, and plunged into the water, holding their swords with their teeth,
swimming and pushing their raft before them. Under protection of a cannonande they crossed this
great river, though it was in full and strong water, and the weather very cold, and having reached the other side,
naked as they were, stormed the tower: the Brunswick regiment then abandoned the wood, and the gallant Frenchmen
remained masters of the bridge." (Napier - "History of the War ..."
Vol IV, p 138)
Many napoleonic battles were very bloody and cost many lives.
In 1812 after the battle of Valutina Gora
"Gudin's division were drawn up on top of their companions' and Russian corpses, amidst half-broken trees, on ground
ripped up by roundshot ... Gudin's battalions were no longer more than platoons. All around was the smell of powder.
The Emperor couldn't pass along their front without having to avoid corpses, step over them or push them aside.
He was lavish with rewards. The 12th, 21st and 127th Line and the 7th Light received 87 decorations
and promotions." (Britten-Austin - "1812 The March on Moscow" p 214)
In 1812 majority of veterans was swallowed up in the bloody battles and the
snows of Russia. The casualties were horrible and it required a heart of stone to
look on those gallant men, mangled, frozen and torn,
and heaped in thousands over the fields and roads.
In 1813 at Leipzig the defense of Probstheida was incredible. Digby-Smith writes: "The courage
and ferocity shown by both sides in the battle of Probstheida was truly unique, as were the losses they suffered.
An attempt by the Old Guard to advance south, however, was stopped by the Allied artillery on the low hill about 500 m away.
Generals Baillot, Montgenet and Rochambeau were all killed during the fighting here, while
French regiments which especially distinguished themselves were the 2nd, 4th and 18th Line and the 11th Light.
Even Prinz August von Preussen wrote most flatteringly of the enemy's valour ..."
Napoleonic infantryman was easy everywhere, little or nothing
worried him, neither the pyramids of Egypt nor the vast plains of snowy Russia.
No matter where he found himself, he considered himself
to be a representative of the French way of life.
The army will never forget that under Napoleon's eagles, deserving men of courage
and intelligence were raised to the highest levels of society.
Simple soldiers became marshals, princes, dukes and kings. The French soldier had become
an equal citizen by right and by glory.
Every soldier of Roman Empire could make a career in the army.
The veterans could even aspire to become 
The French infantrymen were not angels and sometimes behaved badly.
"The 43rd regiment of line infantry had ... became involved
in so many duels that the active enmity of the citizens [of Caen]
compelled its retirement." ( Parquin - "Napoleon's Victories")
Among the French troops occupying Spain looting was rampant, discipline was poor.
The veterans were demoralized by plunder and waste and by the cruel war with Spanish
guerillas. They had got out of the habit of being inspected. Training had fallen off during
the years. Several hundred of veterans were selected from the troops in Spain and sent to join the
Middle Guard. Although they looked good with tanned faces, some of them went around and
stole things in Paris. General Michel arrested them and sent to prisons.
The numerous campaigns made the military service unpopular in France. In 1813 in the west of
France it became necessary to hunt up the refractaires with mobile columns, and the generals reported that they were
afraid to use their young sldiers for this purpose.
The new army was huge but the 18- and 19-years old soldiers lacked stamina and the rapid
marches and hunger weakened them physically. Camille Rousset gives the following as a common type of report
on inspection: "Some of the men are of rather weak appearance. The battalion had no idea of manouveruring; but 9/10
of the men can manage and load their muskets passably." General Lambardiere writes: "These battalions arrive fatigued, every day
I supply them with special carriage for the weak and lame ... All these battalions are French; I must say that the young soldiers
show courage and good-will. Every possible moment is utilised in teaching them to load their arms and bring them
to the shoulder." So poor were they in physique that the Minister of Police protests against their being drilled
in the Champs Elysees during the hour of promenade, on account of the scoffing and jeering they gave rise to.
The total strength of the French infantry under Napoleon varied.
In the beginning of Napoleon's reign, France had 90
line and 26 light regiments. In 1813-1814 it reached 137 line (numbered 1st-157th)
and 35 light (numbered 1st-37th) regiments.
Only in 1815 (Waterloo Campaign) the strength of French infantry fell below
the initial numbers and totaled: 90 line and 15 light regiments.
grenadier - 173.5 cm (French 5'4")
carabinier - 168.25 cm
The number of line regiments was almost identical with the number of departements in France.
In 1790 France had been reorganized into 83 Departments of similar size and each was
subdivided into 4-5 parts. Each Department had to furnish 4-5 battalions of line infantry to the Revolutionary Armies.
There were two types of infantry, line and light. Both were able to execute all maneuvers,
incl. skirmishing. (Each company of infantry was divided into 2 sections, but when skirmishing it was divided
into 3 sections: left, right and center. The skirmishers of the left and right section
had their bayonets removed when on the skirmish line. Only the center section had their
bayonets fixed. Their primary target were enemy's officers, gunners, and skirmishers.)
The muskets were muzzleloading and smoothbore. But, primitive as they appear today, such weapons deserve respect.
John Elting writes: "In their own time they made and broke empires; they won, and nailed down, the independence
of the USA. Together with the Roman short sword and the Mongol composite bow, they rank as
the greatest man-killers of all-history. ...
Napoleonic infantryman was armed with 'Charleville' musket (fusil d'infanterie) model 1777 (AN IX), with
overall length 151.5 cm, (barrel length 114 cm), triangular bayonet 45.6 cm and a short saber.
The infantryman also carried bayonet.
"The earliest French bayonet attack occured no later than 1677 at the siege of Valenciennes,
where, after an enemy cavalry charge 'the musketeers, having put their bayonets in their
fusils, marched at them and with grenades and bayonets, chased them back in the town.'
In another use of the plug bayonet, dragoons beat back enemy forces at a river near the same
town in 1684. ... As they have so often in their history, the French pictured themselves as particularly
apt in the assault with cold steel. A belief in a special French talent in combat
a l'arme blanche probably goes back as far as Merovingian times. The cult of
the bayonet peaked late in the 18th century and again, with tragic consequences, just
prior to World War I. Much of the language later assumed by advocates of the bayonet was
already current in the 17th century. Writing in 1652, Laon expressed the belief that
'French infantry is more suited to the attack than to the defense.'
The French never seemed to tire of contrasting their own energy in the assault versus their
enemies' stolid nature, particularly when Germans were involved.
'The [German] infantry is constant enough when syanding fast, but it is not lively in the
attack and cannot carry off a coup de main. Chamlay agreed in the superiority of
the French infantry on the offensive, starting in 1690 ... The same confidence typified
opinion in the War of the Spanish Succession ... No less a figure than Marshal Villars
praised 'the air of audacity so natural for the French infantry ... is to charge with the
bayonet ..." (Lynn - "Giant of the Grand Siecle" pp 487-488)
Cartridge Box (Giberne)
One white leather belt went over the left shoulder to support the cartridge box on the right
hip. Other belt supported the short saber.
The infantry sabers were short and of little value in combat.
When the saber was taken away from some troops, the bayonet was transferred to the other belt.
(The natural color of the leather belts was buff, but they were whitened with pipeclay.
Officers wore no crossbelts).
The basic building block of napoleonic army organization was the individual soldier.
A small group of soldiers organized to maneuver and fire were section and platoon. As elements of the army’s organizational structure
become larger units, they contain more and more elements. A company was the smallest element to be given a designation
and affiliation with higher headquarters at battalion, regimental, brigade, and division level.
The company was an administrative unit, the tactical unit was the platoon (peloton).
In 1808-1815 each company consisted of 140 men:
Just as modern company commander relies on his radio operator, his Napoleonic counterpart
depended on his drummers and cornets. During a battle it was very noisy and not everyone could hear
a officer's voice. For this reason every company had drummers and cornets.
They also performed a service that went beyond supplying a rhythmic musical accompaniment to the
marching infantry. The musicians carried wounded officers out of danger zone and after battle
stacking their drums, they would await the grim task of carrying their stricken comrades to field
hospitals.
Each battalion had 1 corporal sapper and 4 privates sappers. These strong men with facial
hair marched together with regimental band and near the Eagle/flag.
In 1805 approx. 1/3 were veterans of at least 6 years' service.
Thearmy of 1812 was almost as good as the famous Grand Army of 1805-1806. In 1812 however
there were less veterans in the ranks.
According to de Segur the old-timers could easily be recognized "by their martial air. Nothing could shake them.
They had no other memories, no other future, except warfare. They never spoke of anything else. Their officers
were either worthy of them or became it. For to exert one's rank over such men one had to be able to show them
one's wounds and cite oneself as an example." They stimulated the new recruits with their warlike tales, so that the
conscripts brightened up. By so often exaggerating their own feats of arms, the veterans obliged themselves to authenticate
by their conduct what they've led others to believe of them.
The bearskin was more difficult to cut through than shako and had better padding than the helmet. But it was quite expensive
and a black waxed cloth was used as protection against bad weather.
In July 1805 the carabiniers were ordered to return their bearskins to regimental depots in preparation "for the coming
campaign" and adopt shakos instead. In 1811 only few carabiniers and grenadiers retained their bearskins, most wore shakos.
In February 1812 the fur caps were officially discontinued in grenadiers and carabiniers due to shortage of bear skins.
Grenadiers' shako had red shevrons and bands.
Each war battalion had only 1 grenadier and 1 voltigeur company, the remaining 4-8
companies were made of fusiliers (chasseurs in light infantry).
The fusiliers (chasseurs) occupied the center of battalion line
and for this reason were called centre companies.
"A month after being proclaimed Emperor in May 1804, Napoleon decided on the emblem of Empire.
He considered the cock and the lion but rejected both in favour of an eagle with wings
spread. It became the design of the Great Seal of State and the emblem of the army and navy.
In the army the Eagle would be carried on top of a pole with a standard underneath.
The Eagle was the supreme importance. When writing on the subject to Marechal Berthier
he stressed that it was the priceless symbol of France and the Empire, while the standard
below it was of lesser importance and could be replaced if necessary. ...
Because the Consular Guard, and then the Imperial Grenadier and Chasseur Guard regiments, were normally
in barracks in Paris or on palace duties, their Eagles were kept in a room next to the
throne room in the Tuileries." (Adkin - "The Waterloo Companion" p 200)
The Eagle was with the 2nd Company of 1st Battalion. 
The flag of 1815 was also a tri-color pattern but it lacked almost all the magnificent embroidery of 1804 pattern. After Waterloo the Bourbons did their best to see that all the napoleonic standards and eagles were destroyed. In some regiments the officers burned the standards before mixing the ashes with wine and drinking them down. The officers of the 2nd Swiss Regiment in napoleonic army, tore their standard into strips with each officer keeping a piece.
The French army contained many regiments of line and light infantry whose
soldierly skills and deeds of daring reflected the unsurpassed devotion of the soldiers
to their cause and to Napoleon.
They all won immortal fame in those ten
terrible years of strife.
