Gendarmerie Imp?riale
In 1801 the Gendarmerie Nationale comprised 26 L?gions, composed of 1,750 mounted brigades and 750 foot brigades. Each brigade was composed of a NCO and 5 gendarmes.
In 1804 the Gendarmerie Nationale was renamed Gendarmerie Imp?riale. In 1805 there were 27 L?gions. Each had 2 squadrons (numbered consecutively) of 2 companies each. The number of brigades per company varied according to the topography and population of the area.
1st – Paris
2nd – Caen
3rd – Alen?on
4th – Rennes
5th - Angers
6th - Tours
7th – Bordeaux
8th – P?rigeaux
9th – Auch
10th – Carcassonne
11th – Rodez
12th – Lyon
13th – Nevers
14th – Troyes
15th – Arras
16th – Bruxelles
17th – Li?ge
18th – Metz
19th – Nancy
20th – Besan?on
21st – Dijon
22nd – Grenoble
23rd – Brignolles
24th – Avignon
25th – Mayence
26th – Bastia
27th – Turin
The Gendarmerie Imp?riale increased as the Empire expanded:
28th (G?nes, Appenins) formed 6 June 1805;
29th (Taro, Arno) formed 24 May 1808;
30th (Rome, Trasimene) formed 17 February 1810;
31st (Illyrie) formed in 1810;
32nd & 33rd formed 18 October 1810;
34th formed 4 July 1811.
In 1810 the squadron was abolished and a L?gion could consist of 2 to 6 companies. By 1811 there were 144 companies.
There were also 6 special L?gions charged with looking after the naval bases.
Gendarmerie d’Espagne
24 November 1809 decreed that 20 squadrons, each of 200 men (of whom 80 were to be mounted) should be organised for service in Spain. They were formed by February 1810. A separate “La L?gion de Catalogne” was organised for Catalonia. At the end of 1810 a couple of squadrons of mounted gendarmerie were trained to use lances; they took the name “Gendarmes Chevaul?ger” or “Lanciers-Gendarmes”.
The 12 December 1811 decree converted the squadrons into 6 L?gions de Gendarmerie d’Espagne. They were based:
1st – Burgos
2nd – Saragosse
3rd – Pampelune
4th – Vitoria
5th - Burgos
6th - Figui?res
Municipal Guards
Garde de Paris – two 2 battalion (each of 5 companies of 106 men each) infantry regiments and a squadron of dragoons of 2 companies (each of 86 men) were created on 4 October 1802 to act as Garde Municipale de Paris. Headquarters of 19 personnel. On 18 May 1806 it was militarised and renamed Garde de Paris; infantry battalions were increased to 6 companies (1 grenadier, 1 voltigeur and 4 fusilier) and the headquarters increased to 29 personnel. In 1812 the infantry was reduced to a single 2 battalion regiment and on 6 January 1813 it was converted to 134th R?giment d’Infanterie de Ligne. The Dragoons became part of the 2nd Regiment de Chevau-Legers Lanciers de la Garde on 30 December 1812.
Compagnies de r?serve
Created in 1804 and attached to the Gendarmerie to guard town halls, government archives and prisons. Each company was called “Compagnie de r?serve du d?partment (insert name of d?partment)”. Initially there were 107 companies (divided into 6 classes according to the importance of the department) assigned 1 per d?partment except Seine which had 2.
Company strength varied - 1st class 210 men, 2nd class 160 men, 3rd class 120 men, 4th class 100 men, 5th class 60 men and 6th class 36 men. In general 4 companies would be grouped to form a L?gion.
The L?gions were formed as follows (class number in brackets):
1st – Seine (3rd); Seine-et-Oise (3rd); Seine-et-Marne (5th); Oise (5th).
2nd –Seine-Inf?rieure (1st); Eure (5th); Calvados (3rd); Manche (4th).
3rd – Orne (5th); Eure-et-Loire (5th); Mayenne (5th); Sarthe (5th).
4th – C?tes du Nord (5th); Ille-et-Vilaine (4th); Finist?re (5th); Morbihan (5th).
5th - Loire-Inf?rieure (2nd); Maine-et-Loire (4th); Vend?e (5th); Deux-S?vres (5th).
6th - Loir-et-Cher (5th); Indre-et-Loire (4th); Indre (6th); Vienne (5th).
7th – Charente (5th); Charente-Inf?rieure (5th); Gironde (1st); Landes (6th).
8th – Lot-et-Garonne (5th); Dordogne (5th); Haute-Vienne (5th); Corr?ze (5th).
9th – Haute-Garonne (2nd); Gers (5th); Hautes-Pyr?n?es (6th); Basses-Pyr?n?es (5th).
10th – Tarn (5th); Aude (5th); Ari?ge (6th); Pyr?n?es-Orient (5th).
11th – Cantal (5th); Loz?re (6th); Aveyron (5th); Lot (5th).
12th – Puy-de-D?me (3rd); Haute-Loire (5th); Loire (6th); Rh?ne (1st).
13th – Creuse (6th); Allier (5th); Cher (5th); Ni?vre (5th).
14th – Loiret (3rd); Yonne (5th); Aube (5th); Marne (5th).
15th – Nord (2nd); Pas-de-Calais (3rd); Aisne (5th); Somme (3rd).
16th – Lys (4th); Escaut (2nd); Jemmape (4th); Dyle (2nd).
17th – Deux-N?thes (2nd); Meuse-Inf?rieure (5th); Ourte (3rd); Sambre-et-Meuse (5th).
18th – F?rets (6th); Ardennes (5th); Meuse (5th); Moselle (4th).
19th – Vosges (6th); Meurthe (4th); Haut-Rhin (5th); Bas-Rhin (3rd).
20th – Doubs (4th); Haute-Saone (5th); Jura (5th); L?man (4th).
21st – C?te-d'Or (3rd); Haute-Marne (6th); Ain (6th); Saone-et-Loire (3rd).
22nd – Is?re (5th); Mont-Blanc (5th); Ard?che (6th); Dr?me (5th).
23rd – Hautes-Alpes (6th); Basses-Alpes (6th); Alpes-Maritimes (5th); Var (5th).
24th – Bouches-du-Rh?ne (1st); Vaucluse (5th); Gard (3rd); Herault (5th).
25th – Rhin-et-Moselle (5th); Roer (2nd); Sarre (5th); Mont-Tonnerre (4th).
26th – Golo (5th); Liamone (5th).
27th – P? (1st); Stura (5th); Marengo (5th); Tanaro (4th); Sesia (5th); Doire (5th).
As the Empire grew so did the number of Legions:
28th formed 6 June 1805– Montenotte; Appenins; G?nes.
29th formed 24 May 1808 – Taro; Arno-M?diterran?e; Ombrone.
30th formed 17 february 1810 – Rome (2 companies); Trasim?ne.
31st never really organised – Carniole; Carinthie; Istrie; Croatie civile; Dalmatie; Raguse.
32nd formed 18 October 1810 – Zuyderz?e; Bouches-de-la-Meuse; Yssel-Sup?rieur.
33rd formed 18 October 1810 - Bouches-de-l’Yssel; Frise; Ems-Occident; Ems-Orient.
34th formed 4 July 1811 - Ems-Sup?rieur; Bouches-de-Weser; Bouches-de-l’Elbe. (note Ems-Orient wastransferred to 34th Legion in 1811).
Napoleon saw the reserve companies as a reservoir of troops for the army. For example – in late 1806 he drew on the reserve companies to form the Regiment of the Fusiliers of the Guard; 1,600 men went to the legions of reserve in January 1808 etc.
Garde Nationale (National Guard)
Adapted from Paddy Griffith “The Art of War of Revolutionary France 1789-1802”, John R. Elting “Swords around a Throne”, George Nafziger “Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia”, Scott Bowden “Napoleon’s Grande Arm?e of 1813”, Camille Rousset “La Grande Arm?e de 1813” & E de Lab?dolli?re “Histoire de la Garde Nationale r?cit complet de tous les faits qui l’ont distinguee depuis son origine jusqu’en 1848”
The Garde Nationale started in 1789 as a voluntary unpaid bourgeois militia (or ‘neighborhood watch’) in every town, for local duties only; ages eligible 18-60. They were raised to replace the Milice (conscripted Provincial militia which was disbanded early in the revolution). It was largely disbanded after many of the Paris units attempted a counter-revolution in 1795.
In 1805 Napoleon reorganised the Garde Nationale into Cohortes (Cohorts) - the equivalent of a battalion. Each cohort comprised 10 companies (1 grenadier, 1 chasseur & 8 fusilier – note Elting & Lab?dolli?re clearly say chasseur & not voltigeur company). Four Cohortes were grouped together into a Legion – the equivalent of a regiment. The grenadier & chasseur companies were made up of retired veterans or bon bourgeoisie who wereable to provide their own uniforms.
The only National Guard Legions activated at the start of the Imperial regime were those from the D?partments du Nord, de la Somme, du Pas-de-Calais and de Lys. They totalled 33 L?gions. The L?gion du Quesnoy had only 3 Cohortes. The Legions were numbered as follows (page 305 Lab?dolli?re):
D?partment du Nord:
1re Legion Lille
2e Turcoing
3e Douai
4e Dunkerque
5e Bergues
6e Cambray
7e le Quesnoy
8e Hazebrouck
9e S?clin
10e Avesnes
11e Armentieres
12e Saint-Amand
13e le cateau
14e Valenciennes
D?partment du Pas-de-Calais
1re Arras
2e B?thune
3e Boulogne
4e Saint-Omer
5e Montreuil
6e Aire
7e Bapeaume
8e Saint-Pol
D?partment de la Somme
1re Amiens
2e Abbeville
3e P?ronne
4e Mondidier
5e Douliens
6e Molliens-le-Vidane
D?partment de Lys
1re Bruges
2e Bruges
3e Ypres
(Elting says they were identified by the name of the department from which they were came. If the department provided more than one legion, they were numbered, e.g. 1st L?gion du Nord etc. – but Lab?dolli?re has them clearly numbered & identified by town).
During 1805-07 the grenadier & chasseur companies were mobilised into provisional “elite battalions” for frontier & coastal security. The national guards of Antwerp, Boulogne, Besan?on, Lille, Mayence (Mainz), Rouen, Strasbourg, & other major places along the Rhine and English Channel were put on a war footing, ready to reinforce or replace the local garrisons.
In March 1812, in preparation for his invasion of Russia, Napoleon completely remodelled the Garde Nationale. It was supposed to contain all able-bodied civilians, divided into 3 bans according to age:
· the first comprised men between the ages of 20 and 26 who had not served in the army. They were expected to provide 100 cohorts immediately for active duty within France as frontier guards, interior police (including the enforcement of conscription), and garrisons for the depots, arsenals and fortresses. Only 88 cohorts were actually mobilised. Each cohort comprised of 6 companies of infantry, 1 artillery company & 1 depot company.
· the second ban comprised men between the ages of 26 and 40;
· the third ban comprised men between the ages of 40 and 60.
Each Cohorte was supposed to have 1,080 men but average strength was 850 men.
128 of the 130 D?partments provided troops to the Cohortes – only Corsica & Simplon did not. The 88 Cohortes were formed from the following:
1re Cohorte Seine
2e Cohorte Rome; Trasim?ne
3e Cohorte Zuyderz?e
4e Cohorte Rh?ne; Loire
5e Cohorte Gironde
6e Cohorte Bouches-du-Rh?ne
7e Cohorte Bouches-de-l’Elbe, Bouches-du-Weser; Ems-Sup?rieur
8e Cohorte Aisne
9e Cohorte Eure-et-Loir; & Loiret
10e Cohorte Oise
11e Cohorte Seine-et-Marne
12e Cohorte Seine-et-Oise
13e Cohorte Ardennes; Marne
14e Cohorte Marne; Meuse
15e Cohorte For?ts; Moselle
16e Cohorte Meurthe
17e Cohorte Vosges
18e Cohorte Bas-Rhin
19e Cohorte Haut-Rhin
20e Cohorte Ain; Doubs
21e Cohorte Jura
22e Cohorte Haute-Sa?ne
23e Cohorte Is?re
24e Cohorte Haute-Alpes; Dr?me
25e Cohorte L?man; Mont-Blanc
26e Cohorte Basses-Alpes; Alpes-Maritimes; Vaucluse
27e Cohorte Var
28e Cohorte H?rault
29e Cohorte Aveyron
30e Cohorte Ard?che; Loz?re
31e Cohorte Gard; Tarn
32e Cohorte Haute-Garonne
33e Cohorte Ari?ge; Haute-Pyr?n?es
34e Cohorte Gers; Tarn-et-Garonne
35e Cohorte Aude; Pyr?n?es-Orientales
36e Cohorte Landes; Basses-Pyr?n?es
37e Cohorte Charente-Inf?rieure; Vend?e
38e Cohorte Loire-Inf?rieure
39e Cohorte Deux-S?vres; Vienne
40e Cohorte Finist?re
41e Cohorte C?tes-du-Nord
42e Cohorte Ille-et-Vilaine
43e Cohorte Morbihan
44e Cohorte Calvados
45e Cohorte Manche
46e Cohorte Orne
47e Cohorte Seine-Inf?rieure
48e Cohorte Eure
49e Cohorte Somme
50e Cohorte Nord
51e Cohorte Nord
52e Cohorte Lys
53e Cohorte Pas-de-Calais
54e Cohorte Pas-de-Calais
55e Cohorte C?te-d’Or
56e Cohorte Aube; Haute-Marne
57e Cohorte Sa?ne-et-Loire
58e Cohorte Yonne
59e Cohorte Cantal; Haute-Loire
60e Cohorte Puy-de-D?me
61e Cohorte Charente; Dordogne
62e Cohorte Corr?ze; Dordogne
63e Cohorte Lot-et-Garonne; Lot
64e Cohorte Cher; Ni?vre
65e Cohorte Allier; Creuse
66e Cohorte Indre; Haute-Vienne
67e Cohorte Indre-et-Loire; Loir-et-Cher
68e Cohorte Maine-et-Loire
69e Cohorte Mayenne
70e Cohorte Sarthe
71e Cohorte Dyle; Bouches-de-l’Escaut
72e Cohorte Escaut
73e Cohorte Escaut; Jemmapes
74e Cohorte Jemmapes
75e Cohorte Deux-N?thes
76e Cohorte Meuse-Inf?rieure; Lippe; Bouches-de-Rhin
77e Cohorte Ro?r
78e Cohorte Ourte; Sambre-et-Meuse
79e Cohorte Mont-Tonnerre
80e Cohorte Rhin-et-Moselle
81e Cohorte Sarre
82e Cohorte Doire; P?; Sesia
83e Cohorte Marengo; Stura
84e Cohorte Appenins; Taro
85e Cohorte G?nes; Montenotte
86e Cohorte Arno; Ombrone; M?diterran?e
87e Cohorte Ems-Oriental; Ems-Occidental; Bouches-de-l’Issel; Frise
88e Cohorte Bouches-de-la-Meuse; Issel- Sup?rieur
The 88 Cohortes of the first ban were used to help rebuild Napoleon’s army in 1813. They were converted into twenty-two 4 battalion line infantry regiments (135th to 156th) – each of 6 companies. The depot companies of the cohorts were combined to form 4 company depot battalions for the regiments. One artillery company was retained per regiment and the remainder were used to help reconstitute 3 artillery regiments.
37 “Urban” cohorts were formed for garrison duty, and small “elite” legions were formed for service in the field.
Before the campaign for France, Napoleon ordered the formation of 2 reserve armies composed of Cohortes de gardes nationals – one at Soissons, Meaux, Nogent, Troyes & Lyons; the other at Toulouse & Bordeaux. He also re-established a garde nationale de Paris composed of 1 L?gion of 4 battalions per arrondissement (there appear to have been 12 L?gions but the information is not totally clear), each battalion comprised 5 companies (1 grenadier & 4 fusilier). The 4 grenadier companies of each L?gion formed an elite battalion, with the name “bataillon d’elite de ….. L?gion”.