Imperial Guard (Napoleon III)
Encyclopedia
The Imperial Guard of Napoleon III was a military unit in the French Army
formed by Napoleon III as a re-establishment of his uncle Napoleon I's Imperial Guard, with an identical uniform and almost the same privileges. It was formed by a decree of the emperor on 1 May 1854, and was made up of 17 regiments of cavalry, artillery and infantry, squadrons of workmen and mounted gendarmes
, and a division taken from the corps of military engineers. The emperor added a regiment of Zouave
s to the Guard in 1855, cherry-picked from the 3 regiments of Zouaves which he had created in 1852. This fourth Imperial Guard Zouave regiment had their uniform trimmed in yellow rather than the red of the other 3 Zouave regiments, and yellow instead of blue tassels.
A row of houses in the English style were built in Rue Alquié, Vichy
for the officers of this unit, which would accompany Napoleon III to Vichy. The American officer Philip Kearny
was a member of the unit at the 1859 Battle of Solferino
.
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
formed by Napoleon III as a re-establishment of his uncle Napoleon I's Imperial Guard, with an identical uniform and almost the same privileges. It was formed by a decree of the emperor on 1 May 1854, and was made up of 17 regiments of cavalry, artillery and infantry, squadrons of workmen and mounted gendarmes
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
, and a division taken from the corps of military engineers. The emperor added a regiment of Zouave
Zouave
Zouave was the title given to certain light infantry regiments in the French Army, normally serving in French North Africa between 1831 and 1962. The name was also adopted during the 19th century by units in other armies, especially volunteer regiments raised for service in the American Civil War...
s to the Guard in 1855, cherry-picked from the 3 regiments of Zouaves which he had created in 1852. This fourth Imperial Guard Zouave regiment had their uniform trimmed in yellow rather than the red of the other 3 Zouave regiments, and yellow instead of blue tassels.
A row of houses in the English style were built in Rue Alquié, Vichy
Vichy
Vichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants...
for the officers of this unit, which would accompany Napoleon III to Vichy. The American officer Philip Kearny
Philip Kearny
Philip Kearny, Jr., was a United States Army officer, notable for his leadership in the Mexican-American War and American Civil War. He was killed in action in the 1862 Battle of Chantilly.-Early life and career:...
was a member of the unit at the 1859 Battle of Solferino
Battle of Solferino
The Battle of Solferino, , was fought on June 24, 1859 and resulted in the victory of the allied French Army under Napoleon III and Sardinian Army under Victor Emmanuel II against the Austrian Army under Emperor Franz Joseph I; it was the last major battle in world...
.