The Russian Guard - Part 2: Cavalry

[@botai_]

I love your videos, especially "Napoleonic Basics"! I have only one small clarification: on 1:02 you mentioned that "to the lowliest private the unit was entirely comprised of Russian nobility". That is not, actually, true, because afaik the "lower ranks" like privates or even some commissioned officers (so called, "Unteroffiziers") were formed of the best conscripts (recruits) selected from conscripted Russian peasants (22-25 years of mandatory service). Tall, blond-haired conscripts were recruited as "lower ranks" to Chevalier Guard Regiment, tall, dark-haired - to Life-Guard Horse Regiment, shorter but well-built brown-haired - to Life-Guard Hussar Regiment and etc. Also you mentioned that Chevalier Guard Regiment and Life-Guard Horse Regiment had cuirasses on Austerlitz battle in 1805 but they didn't have it at that time. You can see it, for example, on the painting "Willewalde - Czar's Guard capture 4th line regiment's standard at Austerlitz" ( upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Willewalde_-_Czar%27s_Guard_capture_4th_line_regiment%27s_standard_at_Austerlitz.jpg ) but they received the cuirasses several years later on other campaigns. On 12:00 it's actually "Chief Officer of Life-Guard Cossack Regiment", not a hussar. I'd like also to note that the Russian nobility in the mid XVIII - early XIX centuries, had the opportunity to enroll their sons to the Life-Guard Regiments (not only Cavalry but also Foot Life-Guard Regiments) as soon as they were born (or even sometimes before their birth!), so when they could physically join the Regiment at age of 16-18 they already received some initial officer rank by years of "service" (usually, "cornet" - lowest commissioned officer rank, or "poruchik" - i.e. lieutenant level rank). Tsar Paul eradicated this practice but still many of Napoleonic Wars Russian heroes according to their biography were of those children from noble families who "joined" a Life-Guard Regiment at their age of 2 - 12.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Thank you for the clarification! I'll get this comment pinned!

[@kmorton54]

Excellent Video. You did an outstanding job covering the history of the Russian Guard Cav

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Thanks buddy!

[@pbloomy9792]

That was one of your best! Your love and passion for the period really came through. Great work!🤩

[@grahamtravers4522]

It was not the Lieb (LEEB) Dragoons, but the Leib (L-EYE-B) Dragoons. The former means Love, the latter Life.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Ha! That's those northern vowels for you mate! 😂

[@anthonysaviourfalzon6072]

Great video as always (paused it half way through to write this before I forget). After listening to your recent announcement I appreciate your efforts even more.

[@rhysnichols8608]

Currently scrubbing the whole house before I move out, these videos are excellent background entertainment,

[@vanpallandt5799]

as ever great enthusiasm and very enjoyable

[@generaltom6850]

Great video, listened to it while painting painting my Franco Prussian war Prussians, although at 49:44 Borodino was the bloodiest day, not battle, that was Leipzig.

[@daliborzeman1452]

Fantastic Video. Thank you. Military Order are formed reminding knights Hospitallers, not Knights Templars as the Tsar as you point our were protector and grandmaster of the Knights of St. John when they were forced to left Malta...

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Sorry! Wrong order of knights! either way, it's pretty sick!

[@LinusWatches]

Actually Catherine the Great was II not I , Peter the great had wife named catherine and she became ruler after him

[@konatelassina5301]

These historical accounts you add to your unit analysis are fantastic! Maybe taking all your favorite parts of these battles and creating material for these would be worthwhile? Bet you have some neat information about the withdrawal from Russia that would be interesting. Organized by event, rather than unit type I suppose is what I’m saying.

[@clausewitzwargames1857]

Absolutely love your work. It's helped me no end while writing the my ruleset for Napoleonics!

[@alexjohna1]

just discovered your channel and i must say that it is very inspirational..especially as i am just getting into wargaming the period :)

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

That's great to hear! Check out my getting started videos if you're looking for ideas!

[@dennisspors7530]

I am enjoying you videos as they bring much color to the subject. Although not a miniatures player we publish wargames on these exact subjects-- Marshal Enterprises

[@panzerfaust6797]

Absolutely love all your vids!! May I request more Old Guard!!

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Ha! I'm not sure how I can do more! I will be doing a how to start collecting on the Imperial Guard

[@vanpallandt5799]

`stand next to some nice looking doors`! great

[@daliborzeman1452]

is it possible to list bibliography for the Russian videos? I always struggle to look after proper books in English...

[@Tupinamba77]

As always, excellent!

[@Robin-fp6sx]

Very interesting, specially since I know little about the Russian Napoleonic army. Know your enemy :)

[@vanpallandt5799]

General Van Damme always conjures up a certain image! The Muscles from Brussels in Napoleonic uniform

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

I use that as the thumbnail for the video on him. It confused a lot of people 😂

[@vanpallandt5799]

@@NapoleonicWargaming i recall the WI articles where they actually transposed him onto a Nap painting/picture of a General. Plus they did Grl Patrick Swayze who annoyed the other generals by promising the ladies `the time of their lives` if i recall and Grl Parick Stewart whose only order was `make it so`

[@vanpallandt5799]

@@NapoleonicWargaming and Grl Clint Eastwood whose artillery alway provoked the question of whether they were loaded with grape (from memory so am sure have got them all wrong)

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Hahaha. That's hilarious. Theres ton's of the painting of actors as napoleonic generals, Brad Pitt, Samuel L Jackson, Bruce Willis, Robert Downey jr. Itd be a fun xmas topic I think!

[@davidcollins2648]

Great stories! Thanks!

[@pw972]

Thank you for another great video.

[@midshipman8654]

i love these

[@lordnaton6492]

Nice video. Is that discord server of yours still a thing? Would love to join but cant find it. Could you maybe post an invite link?

[@David_R434]

Although I really need to make a start on my Peninsular British can you recommend any books on Russian uniforms during this period?

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

To be honest I find the Osprey books very good. The Russian guard wore the same uniforms as the line, just with two rows of lace on their collars . For infantry guard you can do a lot worse than the movie Union of Salvation

[@David_R434]

@@NapoleonicWargaming Cheers, intrigued by the Military Order Cuirassiers.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

@@David_R434 yeah me too! I deffo need them in my life!

[@Scott-Plays-o7]

Great stuff... Allowed me to get lost in some Austrian Cuirassiers whilst listening.

[@morningstar9233]

Gripping stuff! Thanks!

[@indrajitgupta3280]

Why do you object so strongly to pronouncing the final 'Y' in the Russian Guards titles? Preobrazhenskee, Semionovskee, Izmailovskee. NOT Preobrazhensk, Semionovsk, Izmailovsk..... Try it some time; it's easy. It's just that you have to try, and not imagine that if you say some foreign word the way you would in English, only slowly, loudly, suitable for conversing with an intellect-challenged individual, people will figure it out. The only - ONLY - complication is that PreoBRAzhensky is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable. Pity this cavalier attitude wrecks one of the finest presentations I have had the pleasure to see.