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Men-at-Arms PUBLISHING
Napoleon’s Dragoons
of the Imperial Guard
Ronald Pawly • Illustrated by Patrice Courcelle
© Osprey Publishing •
Men-at-Arms • 480
Napoleon’s Dragoons
of the Imperial Guard
Ronald Pawly • Illustrated by Patrice Courcelle
Series editor Martin Windrow
© Osprey Publishing •
NAPOLEON’S DRAGOONS
OF THE IMPERIAL GUARD
THE EMPRESS’S DRAGOONS
An officer of the Dragoons
of the Guard, after , n spite of historical evidence to the contrary, popular legend has it
emphasizing the elegant
appearance of the helmet and that every 30 May, on the anniversary of the death of the Empress
uniform. The horses were to be IJosephine in 1814, former courtiers and officers of Napoleon’s
chestnut, though each squadron Imperial Guard would gather at the little village church of St Pierre-St
probably favoured its own exact Paul in Rueil, close to the Malmaison estate that had once been her
shade. The regimental barracks residence, memorate her passing. Some of those who attended
in Paris were at the Caserne
des Carmelites in the Rue de wore dark green uniforms with white lapels and magnificent Grecian-
Grenelle. (© Collection & photo style brass helmets, identifying them as officers of the Dragoons of the
Bertrand Malvaux, France) Imperial Guard – better known as the Empress’s Dragoons.
1806: Creation and
establishment
By 1806, following the triumph of
Austerlitz, the Imperial Guard was still a
modest force made up almost entirely of
veterans of the Consular Guard, who had
seen action during the early campaigns in
Italy, Egypt and lately in Germany. It
consisted of a general staff; two regiments
of infantry (Grenadiers and Chasseurs);
two regiments of cavalry (Mounted
Grenadiers and Mounted Chasseurs);
an artillery regiment; a Legion of
Gendarmerie d’Élite; a battalion of
Sailors; pany of Mamelukes, and
pany of Veterans. In addition, two
battalions and one squadron of Vélites
served with the infa