French Imperial Guard

E76008

The French Imperial Guard was an elite military formation of Napoleon Bonaparte’s army, renowned for its battlefield prowess, strict discipline, and role as the emperor’s personal guard and strategic reserve.

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Observed surface forms (4)


Statements (58)

Predicate Object
instanceOf elite military formation
imperial guard
military unit
allegiance Napoleon Bonaparte NERFINISHED
branch French Army
commander Jean-Baptiste Bessières
Napoleon I NERFINISHED
Édouard Mortier
country First French Empire
disbanded 1815
disbandedAfter Battle of Waterloo
engagedIn Battle of Austerlitz
Battle of Borodino
Battle of Leipzig
Battle of Wagram
Battle of Waterloo
French invasion of Russia
surface form: Russian campaign of 1812
formedAs Consular Guard
garrisonLocation Paris
hasPart Chasseurs à cheval of the Guard
French Imperial Guard self-linksurface differs
surface form: Chasseurs à pied of the Guard

Dutch Lancers of the Guard
Foot Artillery of the Guard
Grenadiers à cheval of the Guard
Grenadiers à pied of the Guard
Horse Artillery of the Guard
Imperial Guard
surface form: Imperial Guard Artillery

Imperial Guard
surface form: Imperial Guard Cavalry

Imperial Guard
surface form: Imperial Guard Engineers

Gendarmes de la Garde
surface form: Imperial Guard Gendarmerie

Imperial Guard
surface form: Imperial Guard Marines

Mamluk forces
surface form: Mamelukes of the Imperial Guard

Middle Guard
Old Guard
Polish Lancers of the Guard
Young Guard
inception 1799
languageOfCommand French
mottoOrSayingAssociated “La Garde meurt mais ne se rend pas”
notableFor battlefield prowess
high morale
loyalty to Napoleon
strict discipline
partOf Grande Armée
peakPeriod Napoleonic Wars
privilege better equipment
higher pay
prestige within the army
reorganizedAs Imperial Guard
reputation “La Garde”
role personal guard of Napoleon I
shock troops
strategic reserve
selectionCriteria battlefield experience
exemplary conduct
physical stature
significantEvent proclamation of the French Empire in 1804
typicalStrength several tens of thousands of men at peak

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Hougoumont farm attackedBy French Imperial Guard
this entity surface form: French Imperial Guard units
The Distribution of the Eagle Standards depicts French Imperial Guard
French Imperial Guard hasPart French Imperial Guard self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Chasseurs à pied of the Guard
Battle of Ligny hasParticipant French Imperial Guard
this entity surface form: Imperial Guard (France)
Battle of Marengo notableUnit French Imperial Guard
this entity surface form: French Consular Guard
Battle of Wagram notableUnit French Imperial Guard