Your Guard and You: A Guide to Guard Cavalry

[@matty_r5265]

I guess the reason why Duchy of Warsaw didn't have Guard units may be simply because there was no monarch to be "guarded" . The title of Duke was held by king of Saxony - an arrangement which wasn't appreciated or treated seriously by pro-French Poles. They would preffer someone from Bonaparte's family or one of his marshalls (Davout and, of course, Murat were considered) as a ruler, and if that happened, there would surely be some prestigous Polish guards formed around such person. Also, if I remember correctly, Polish lancers formed the core of Jerome's Westphalian guard cavalry.

[@adamfox1669]

Great stuff! I’m still using an ancient’GW mordian blue foundation paint’ for polish guard lancers!

[@majorclanger6974]

we have pictuers , great stuff

[@gromit368]

In my opinion, the BP rules display quite a bit of bias towards the British. Even my Anglophilic gaming friends moderate some of the more outlandish rule stacks such as those mentioned for British cavalry.

[@SonOfSalop]

Cracking video as per, although you omit the Italian Guard Dragoons alongside the Guardia d'Onore (unless I'm incorrect instead). I have only had them for 2 battles so far, but my guard dragoons have been incredible. The highlight was receiving a charge from russian cuirassiers at the halt, saving 8 out of 9 hits, shaking them, and seeing them off the board edge

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Hahaha, nice! Feels like I was rolling for the Rushkies! I mentioned them (but hlyeah, I could have spent a lot more time on then!)

[@davidcollins2648]

The Guard Cossacks may have been the best unit in the whole army. These were not the Caucasus cowboys who avoided every charge by the French cavalry. Btw it's videos such as this that are my main attraction to your channel. I realize you've covered a vast array of units and tactical subjects so finding new and interesting topics can't be easy. A lot of work to be sure and it's very much appreciated. I love learning about these various units in detail so thank you very much Tim.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Thank you for the kind words! And thank you for watching them! Yeah the Guard Cossacks were absolutely no slouches!

[@seanmac1793]

I mean the Cossacks in General were actually surprisingly professional at least form what I have read and seen. I was doing some looking at OOBs for Leipzig and the Cossacks are possibly the best about keeping good returns out of the entire coalition

[@davidcollins2648]

The guard units recruited from among the best in the cavalry arm meaning you didn't have to be a Cossack to join the Guard Cossacks. It was the uniform that made them cossacks, not a lifestyle or social group. Many came from Russian nobility which cossacks were definitely not part of.

[@CrichtonNo5]

3 regiments of British guard cavalry 1st Lifeguards, 2nd Lifeguards and Royal Regiment of Horseguards

[@rhysnichols8608]

It’s always a pleasure when this fine young chap uploads a new video, yes I may be seen from time to time making volatile comments whenever my beloved emperor is insulted, but it’s all in good fun. I’m still salty about Waterloo I can’t get over it

[@skipsmoyer4574]

From my reading, and having a large Russian army, the Russians Cavalry, and guard that much more had a very good horse supply as the British did. Their heavy Cavalry was well mounted and that sure helps their ratings.

[@clive3490]

Berg Lancers, whlst having Guard staus, because Buonapart was the Grand Duke of Berg after Murat was promoted King of Naples, were brigaded with the Guard cavalry but Clash of Eagles (pg 91) says to give them French Line Lancer stats.

[@Temp445]

Could you do a video on the Marins de la Garde? No one really talks about what those guys did it’d be interesting

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

I've not yet it's difficult to find information about them in English. They're on the pile though!

[@frontenac5083]

Since Napoleon had his navy annihilated by the British in 1805 and because he never had the time, wherewithal or desire to reconstruct one, his Guard Sailors, who were only a handful to start with, didn't do much. Or rather, they were sailors in name only and were mainly used alongside other units on land, having been trained, among other things, in the use of artillerie, for example. This being said, indeed, that would still be an interesting topic to cover!

[@halfblindbear]

Have you thought about the fact that Napoleon had many cavalry units made up of Poles in the French Imperial Guard?

[@TheSpritz0]

I wouldn't feel good at ALL wearing anything BLUE on an active battlefield being on the British side, no wonder there were several "friendly fire" casualties in some of the battles... one example from the Battle of Quatre Bras two days BEFORE Waterloo- when the Dutch cavalry brigade disengaged and retired to friendly lines they were shot at by Scottish infantry because their uniforms looked like the French uniforms of the Chasseurs à Cheval. There were incidents at WATERLOO as well- Prussian artillery mistakenly fired on British artillery causing many casualties, and British artillery returned fire at the Prussians!!

[@rhysnichols8608]

British hussars wore blue too, I’d be paranoid

[@TheSpritz0]

@@rhysnichols8608 They as a unit must have had some "friendly fire" instances as well, either reported or went unreported but in history there were many ESPECIALLY before National uniforms became more standardized, or more recognizable. In the Napoleonic era, as well as wars afterwards UNTIL smokeless gunpowder was universally adopted mass clouds of smoke obstructed battlefields increasing the chance of firing on certain colors of uniforms... The American civil war is RIFE with incidents similar to this!

[@wingedhussars2734]

Good points well made

[@majorclanger6974]

sorry , must be a gitch , no images

[@TheSpritz0]

Images start at around 3 minutes 45 seconds...

[@czebri9108]

I terms of duchy of warsaw: the country war really poor. It war barely able to afford a small regiment of curassiers (sometimes😅). I terms of guard i would say that if you want a full polish army then give them polish lancers from imperial guard. Theoreticly saxon guard can be counted as "polish" cause the king of saxony was to be the a ruler of the duchy of warsaw

[@iannoble404]

Do you guys provide these in podcast form?

[@andreasolsoon3643]

Chasseurs a cheval de la garde imperial for me😊

[@stewarthayhurst1079]

The gendarme d'elite should be the same as the grenadier d'chevel as they are recruited from the grenadier d'chevel

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Great point!

[@frontenac5083]

Oh, dear... Grenadiers à cheval. Google is your friend.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

@frontenac5083 not sure what you mean bud?

[@richiehall3042]

I thought the Prussians fielded guard cavalry in 1813, I know they were left at home in 1815. Of course I might be wrong as I usually am

[@isidroramos1073]

IIRC the Prussian Guards, both infantry and cavalry, formed a combined corps with the Russian Guards & Grenadiers in 1813-14

[@andreasolsoon3643]

Oberst Dolffs commanded a reserve cavalry brigade at Lützen in 1813 consisting of (amongst other units) four squadrons of Garde du Corps.

[@jacksonstewart2970]

Looks the images failed to upload

[@TheSpritz0]

Images start at around 3 minutes 45 seconds...

[@paulbennett4415]

Can anyone tell me if the Austro-Hungarian army (during the Napoleonic Wars) had an imperial guard, foot guards or a garde du corps?💂‍♂️

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

They did, but they stayed safe and sound in Vienna

[@imrahilvondolamroth4205]

the austro-hungarian empire did not exist during the napoleonic wars.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

@imrahilvondolamroth4205 no, but we know what Paul means. We don't need to sniff buttons about it ;)

[@paulbennett4415]

​@@NapoleonicWargaming👍

[@isidroramos1073]

They did but it was so small than it had no role other than guarding the palaces and the royal family. If you are interested you can start by searching 'Trabanten Leibgarde'

[@AS-qy1zl]

It’s sort of sad reading about the Spanish. A bad army and barbaric partisans doesn’t do justice to the honorable last Spaniards to rule Mexico. “Tragic Cavalier” is a rightly titled book about the time.