V Corps (Grande Armée)
Encyclopedia
The V Corps of the Grande Armée was a military unit during the Napoleonic Wars
. Formed in 1805 and later few times reorganized. In 1805-1807 there serviced mainly French troops under command French Marshals Lannes, Mortier, Lefebvre, general Savary and Marshal Massena.
In 1812 the V Corps was made up entirely of Polish soldiers from the Duchy of Warsaw
under the command of General Józef Antoni Poniatowski
. It was one of few non-French corps of the Grande Armée and at its peak in 1812 consisted of around 32,000 Polishmen.
After disastrous Russia campaign V Corps was rebuild in Magdeburg from new formed French units in winter 1813. These troops were under command of General Lauriston.
In march 1815 V Corps was rebuild again and given under command of General Rapp.
The V Corps varied in strenght and organization. In the beginning of each campaign it had:
- 14,000 French in 1805
- 18,000 French in 1806-1807
- 32,000 Polish in 1812
- 20,000 French in 1813
- 20,000 French in 1815
This Corps had several different troops.
In 1805 there were:
In 1806 and 1807 there were:
In 1812
In 1813
V Corps took part in Napoleon's invasion of Russia and fought hard in the Battle of Smolensk, Battle of Borodino
.
It also fougth hard and suffered heavy casualties during winter retreat. Polish soldiers from this corps get back to Warsaw and later were reinforced with new recruits. In 1813 they went to Saxony passing Austrian Bohemia (today Czech)and here formed VIII Corps in French service.
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. Formed in 1805 and later few times reorganized. In 1805-1807 there serviced mainly French troops under command French Marshals Lannes, Mortier, Lefebvre, general Savary and Marshal Massena.
In 1812 the V Corps was made up entirely of Polish soldiers from the Duchy of Warsaw
Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw was a Polish state established by Napoleon I in 1807 from the Polish lands ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the terms of the Treaties of Tilsit. The duchy was held in personal union by one of Napoleon's allies, King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony...
under the command of General Józef Antoni Poniatowski
Józef Antoni Poniatowski
Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski was a Polish leader, general, minister of war and army chief, who became a Marshal of France.-Early Austrian years and war with Turkey:...
. It was one of few non-French corps of the Grande Armée and at its peak in 1812 consisted of around 32,000 Polishmen.
After disastrous Russia campaign V Corps was rebuild in Magdeburg from new formed French units in winter 1813. These troops were under command of General Lauriston.
In march 1815 V Corps was rebuild again and given under command of General Rapp.
The V Corps varied in strenght and organization. In the beginning of each campaign it had:
- 14,000 French in 1805
- 18,000 French in 1806-1807
- 32,000 Polish in 1812
- 20,000 French in 1813
- 20,000 French in 1815
This Corps had several different troops.
In 1805 there were:
- Infantry Division - General Gazan
- Combined Grenadier Division - General Oudinot
- Light Cavalry Division - General Treilhard, then Lasalle
In 1806 and 1807 there were:
- Infantry Division - General Suchet
- Infantry Division - General Gazan
- Light Cavalry Division - General Treilhard
In 1812
- 16th Infantry Division - General Jozef Zajaczek,then Izydor Krasinski and Franciszek Paszkowski
- 17th Infantry Division - General Jan Henryk Dabrowski
- 18th Infantry Division - General Ludwik Kamieniecki
- Cavalry Division - Gereral Michal Ignacy Kamieński
In 1813
- 16th Infantry Division - General Nicolas Joseph Maison
- 17th Infantry Division - General Jacques Pierre Louis Puthod
- 19th Infantry Division - General Marie Joseph Rochembeau
V Corps took part in Napoleon's invasion of Russia and fought hard in the Battle of Smolensk, Battle of Borodino
Battle of Borodino
The Battle of Borodino , fought on September 7, 1812, was the largest and bloodiest single-day action of the French invasion of Russia and all Napoleonic Wars, involving more than 250,000 troops and resulting in at least 70,000 casualties...
.
It also fougth hard and suffered heavy casualties during winter retreat. Polish soldiers from this corps get back to Warsaw and later were reinforced with new recruits. In 1813 they went to Saxony passing Austrian Bohemia (today Czech)and here formed VIII Corps in French service.