The army of the Duchy of Warsaw - the troops of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw , which existed in 1807-1813.
In 1807, the Grand Duchy of Warsaw was formed, which actually depended on Napoleonic France . At the same time, an army of this state was created, numbering about 50 thousand people (35 thousand infantry, 12.5 thousand cavalry, 3.5 thousand artillery and 800 sappers).
The infantry consisted of 17 regiments with three battalions; in the battalion there were 6 companies (1 grenadier , 1 jaeger and 4 fusilier ).
The cavalry consisted of 16 regiments of four squadron personnel (one of the Cuirassiers , 2 hussars , 3 horse rangers and 10 uhlans ).
Artillery consisted of a foot regiment in 12 mouths and an equestrian regiment in 2 batteries.
The engineering troops comprised a 6-company battalion of sappers and pontoon.
In addition to these units, there were also troops of the army of the French Empire, formed from the Poles and maintained exclusively with funds from the French government. The number of these troops belonged to the Legion of the Vistula , consisting of 4 infantry regiments and a cavalry regiment. In 1811, these troops were reinforced by two more light-shelled regiments. In addition, the old guard Napoleon was still a Grenadier Light Regiment, formed in 1807 from the noble Polish youth.
Polish troops took part in the war with Spain and established themselves there with the most brilliant side. The Guardian light-winged regiment was especially famous, the 3rd squadron of which made the legendary attack of Somoyerra on November 30, 1808.
In 1809, 65 thousand people of the troops of the Duchy of Warsaw took part in the war with Austria .
Preparing for war with Russia , Napoleon demanded in 1811 the highest pressure of their military forces from the Poles. In addition to the active forces, 14 thousand reserve troops (17 battalions (one for the infantry regiment), 16 squadrons (one for the cavalry regiment) and an artillery battalion) were formed. Then the militia of 18 thousand people was created, and by the beginning of the war of 1812 Napoleon had 85 thousand people of Polish troops.
At the opening of hostilities in 1812, the following Polish troops were stationed in the Great Army of Napoleon :
- the troops of the Duchy of Warsaw, who formed the V Corps of the Great Army ;
- the troops of the Duchy of Warsaw, which were part of the French corps: two infantry brigades of Radzivil (5th, 10th and 11th infantry regiments) and Zholtovsky (4th, 7th and 9th infantry regiments) and cavalry brigade Rozhnetsky Division (2nd, 3rd and 16th Uhlan regiments). The Radziwil Brigades entered the division of Granzhan X Corps of Macdonald ; Zholtovsky's brigade - in the division of Girard IX Corps Victor ; Rozhnetsky cavalry brigade was in the IV cavalry corps of Latour-Maubura . In addition, the 13th Infantry Regiment was abandoned by the garrison in Zamost .
- French troops, composed exclusively of Poles ( Legion of the Vistula , 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th infantry and 7th light regiments), entered the division of Klapareda , which was part of the Guards Corps , 8th Light Regiment - in the Corbino Brigade of II Corps , and 9th Light Regiment - in the 1st Division of the Brière Light Quarter . As part of the Old Guard was Guards Light Polish Regiment.
In addition to these troops, Napoleon called on the Poles, who had been subjects of the Russian Empire, under their banners. In July 1812, he ordered the formation of a national guard, gendarmes, a guard lancers' regiment, 4 infantry regiments and 5 cavalry regiments in Lithuania .
In general, at least 120 thousand Poles gathered in Napoleon’s army.
During the campaign of 1812, the Kaminsky cavalry division was separated from the V Corps: 3 regiments were attached to the IV Corps of Latur-Maubourg, and 3 regiments to the Corps of Murat .
In 1813, out of the remnants of the Polish regiments and new recruits, the VIII Corps was formed, with a force of 14,500 people, under the command of Poniatowski . The rest of the Polish troops were again distributed in the French corps and garrisons of the fortresses. The total number of Poles in Napoleon’s army by this time was over 40 thousand people.
In the battle of Leipzig VIII Corps, heroically covering the retreat of Napoleon, almost all was destroyed.
In January 1814, the remnants of this corps and other regiments were assembled in Sedan , under the command of General Dombrowski , and formed 1 infantry regiment, 2 Uhlan regiments and Krakus regiments . The remnants of the 3rd cavalry regiments of the Vistula Legion were merged into the 7th Uhlan regiment. From all the Polish artillery were formed foot and horse batteries. Of the officers left without soldiers, accounted for honorary squadrons. The total number of Polish troops, not counting the guards, by this time barely reached 4 thousand people.
April 11, 1814, after the abdication of Napoleon from the throne, the Polish troops were allowed to return to their homeland with their military property. Only from volunteers of the Guards Light Regiment was formed a squadron to accompany Napoleon on the Elbe . This squadron took part in the events of 1815 and died entirely under Waterloo .
See also
- Polish legions
Links
- Polish troops in the Russian army // Military Encyclopedia : [in 18 t.] / Ed. VF Novitsky [et al.]. - SPb. ; [ M. ]: Type. t-islands I. D. Sytin , 1911-1915.