The Anatomy of Glory: Napoleon and His Guard

775 Pages·2017·43.783 MB·English

by  Henri Lachouque, Anne S K Brown

The Anatomy of Glory

THE ANATOMY OF GLORY
‘This book is the story of the Imperial Guard and of many guardsmen, from recruit to
marshal. Lachouque wrote of it with intellect and passion, deftly blending regimental
housekeeping with marches and battle into a tale of high adventure and stark destiny.
You cannot find a better history of it than this; nor are you likely to for years to come.’
John R. Elting
‘This dramatic account of the birth, life and death of the fabulous Imperial Guard tells
a stirring story.’
Leo Gershoy in The Saturday Review of Literature
‘No one but the most presumptuous who wishes to know about the Imperial Guard can
afford to ignore this astonishing compilation.’
Journal of the Royal United Service Institution
‘This sumptuous book can yield rich rewards to any reader interested in the fabric of
leadership. It is a delight to look at and a pleasure to read.’
Hanson W. Baldwin in The New York Times
‘Not the well-worn history of conquest and defeat, but of the grognards themselves,
marching through readable pages.’
W. A. Thorburn in History Today
‘Anne S. K. Brown has used her knowledge of French history and uniforms to render
Lachouque freely and vigorously. Napoleon just happened to be fallible. But the superb
apparatus of his fallibility is gorgeously recalled in this volume.’
The Scotsman
‘The Anatomy of Glory is a monumental work which must surely be regarded as
essential reading by those with an interest in those most elite of all French units, as well
as students of the period in general … The narrative is alive with numerous extracts
and quotations which are used to very good effect [and] Lachouque’s passion is evident
throughout.’
The Waterloo Journal
‘Lachouque and Brown’s Anatomy of Glory is a sacred text, dedicated to the worship
of a French secular deity, Napoleon Bonaparte, and his ministering angels, the Imperial
Guard. Bonaparte strides across its pages, “a universal genius”, foully betrayed by his
marshals but not by his adoring Guard … This book is a “must” for everyone with an
interest in the Napoleonic period.’
Dr Gary Sheffield, The Journal of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

The Anatomy
of Glory
Napoleon and his Guard
A STUDY IN LEADERSHIP
Adapted from the French of
Henry Lachouque
by
Anne S. K. Brown
with an Introduction by
DAVID G. CHANDLER
Frontline Books
A Greenhill Book
Published in 1997 by Greenhill Books, Lionel Leventhal Limited
www.greenhillbooks.com
This edition published in 2017 by

Frontline Books
an imprint of Pen & Sword Books Ltd,
47 Church Street, Barnsley, S. Yorkshire, S70 2AS
For more information on our books, please visit
www.frontline-books.com, email [email protected]
or write to us at the above address.
Copyright © Lionel Leventhal, 1978
Introduction © David G. Chandler, 1978
Publishing History
First edition 1961, Lund Humphries & Brown University Press.
Second, revised edition published 1962, Lund Humphries & Brown University Press.
Third edition with a new introduction by David G. Chandler 1978,
Arms & Armour Press/Lionel Leventhal Limited.
Fourth edition with a new introduction by John R. Elting 1997,
Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal Limited.
Fifth edition published 2017, Frontline Books.
ISBN: 978-1-52670-341-5
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or
introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior
written permission of the publisher.
CIP data records for this title are available from the British Library
Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY
CONTENTS
List of Plates . . . . . . . viii 7. Cavaliers and Guns . . . 204
Maps and Plans . . . . . . xi 8. The Music of the Guard . . 209
Introduction . . . . . . . xii
Translator’s Preface . . . . . xvi V. THE GUARD IN ACTION
November Night . . . . . . xix 1. The ‘Majestic Migration’ . . 217
2. Poland . . . . . . . 225
I. THE GUARD IS BORN 3. Smolensk . . . . . . 231
1. The Ancestors . . . . . 3 4. Borodino . . . . . . 237
2. The Guard of the Consuls . . 7 5. Moscow . . . . . . 241
3. Marengo . . . . . . 13 6. The Retreat . . . . . 248
4. The Guides of Bonaparte . . 20 7. Krasny . . . . . . . 255
5. ‘The Guard’ . . . . . 24 8. Crossing the Berezina . . . 261
6. Savages and Sailors . . . 30 9. The Remnants . . . . . 268
7. The Fledglings . . . . 35
VI. THE GUARD TAKES CHARGE
II. THE GUARD KEEPS WATCH 1. Improvisation . . . . . 275
1. The Imperial Guard . . . 41 2. The New Guard . . . . 281
2. Coronation . . . . . 46 3. Lützen . . . . . . . 287
3. The March to Vienna . . . 52 4. Bautzen . . . . . . 295
4. Austerlitz . . . . . . 60 5. The Armistice . . . . . 301
5. A Packful of Glory . . . 67 6. Dresden . . . . . . 306
6. Precarious Peace . . . . 71 7. The Battle of Nations . . . 313
7. Jena . . . . . . . 76 8. The Retreat . . . . . 320
8. Berlin . . . . . . . 80 9. Invasion Threatens . . . 325
9. Eylau . . . . . . . 84
10. The Household Troop . . . 90 VII. THE GUARD AT BAY
11. Friedland . . . . . . 97 1. Alarm and Confusion . . . 333
12. Paris . . . . . . . 103 2. Bar-sur-Aube . . . . . 338
3. Brienne . . . . . . 343
III. THE GUARD SUFFERS 4. Montmirail . . . . . 349
1. South by Stealth . . . . 111 5. Château-Thierry . . . . 356
2. Madrid . . . . . . . 117 6. Mind Over Matter . . . . 361
3. The Marines at Baylen . . 123 7. Craonne . . . . . . 368
4. The Poles at Somosierra . . 130 8. Rheims . . . . . . 377
5. Benavente . . . . . . 139 9. Arcis-sur-Aube . . . . 382
6. The Young Guard . . . . 144 10. The Eleventh Hour . . . 387
7. The Long Road Back . . . 148
8. Essling . . . . . . . 153 VIII. THE GUARD STAGGERS
9. Wagram . . . . . . 158 1. The Fall of Paris . . . . 395
10. Schönbrunn . . . . . 165 2. Fontainebleau . . . . . 400
3. Betrayal . . . . . . 405
IV. THE GUARD IN SPLENDOR 4. A Dynasty in Liquidation . . 410
1. Imperial Bridegroom . . . 171 5. ‘Farewell, My Children’ . . 416
2. The Gilded Phalanx . . . 177
3. The Fêtes of 1810 . . . . 183 IX. THE GUARD FALLS
4. Days of Anxiety . . . . 188 1. The Dissolution of the Guard . 425
5. The ‘Baby Guard’ . . . . 194 2. The Royal Grumblers . . . 429
6. The School of the Guard . . 198 3. The Guard at Elba . . . . 437
vii
the anatomy oF glory
X. THE GUARD DIES APPENDIX ‘C’
1. The Flight of the Eagle . . 449 Dates of Principal Events . . . 510
2. The Restoration of the Guard . 459
3. The Last Muster . . . . 465 APPENDIX ‘D’
4. The Last Campaign . . . 473 Arms and Tactics of the Guard . . 512
5. Waterloo . . . . . . 481
6. The Death of the Guard . . 492 APPENDIX ‘E’
7. The Aftermath . . . . . 500 Napoleon’s Coach at Waterloo . . 517
APPENDIX ‘A’ Notes on Illustrations . . . . . 519
Chronological List of Guard Units . 506 Notes on Artists . . . . . . 522
Author’s Bibliography . . . . 532
APPENDIX ‘B’ Index of Names and Persons . . . 538
Troop Levies 1800–1815 . . . 509 Acknowledgements . . . . . 563
PLATES
Opposite page 6 Plate 21. Conscript treating Guard NCOs
Plate 1. Bonaparte defended by grenadiers Plate 22. Mameluk
at Saint-Cloud Plate 23. Project for Bonaparte’s triumphal
Plate 2. Trumpeter of horse grenadiers, entry into London
Guard of the Consuls Plate 24. Napoleon awarding the Legion of
Plate 3. Grenadiers, Guard of the Consuls: Honor at the Camp of Boulogne
drummer; officer Plate 25. Officer élite gendarmes, 1803
Plate 4. French Army on campaign in 1800 Plate 26. Chasseurs of the Consular Guard:
Plate 5. Regiment of chasseurs à cheval, sapper; drum major
Consular Guard Plate 27. Captain of the Mameluks,
Plate 6. Lieutenant of light artillery, Plate 28. Arrival of the First Consul in Antwerp
Consular Guard Plate 29. Regiment of the horse grenadiers,
Plate 7. Trumpeter of light artillery, Consular Guard
Consular Guard Plate 30. Drummer, grenadiers of the
Plate 8. Drummer, Legion of élite Imperial Guard; Italian grenadiers
gendarmes; Costume of Roustan Plate 31. Drummer of the chasseurs à
cheval, Imperial Guard
Opposite page 38
Plate 9. Béssières; Murat Opposite page 54
Plate 10. Bonaparte as First Consul Plate 32. Imperial family
Plate 11. French Army crossing the Alps Plate 33. Surrender of Ulm
Plate 12. Battle of Marengo Plate 34. Guard drummers beating the Charge
Plate 13. Desaix; Barbanègre; Daumesnil; Plate 35. Napoleon in coronation dress
Soulès; Caffarelli Plate 36. Imperial family leaving Notre-Dame
Plate 14. Grenadier Brabant at Marengo Plate 37. General Rapp announcing the victory
Plate 15. Lannes; NCO, Company of Veterans to Napoleon at Austerlitz (double page)
Plate 16. La Revue de Quintidi (Bonaparte Plate 38. Coronation firework display
reviewing the Consular Guard) Plate 39. Entry of the Grand Army into
Plate 17. Hulin; Duroc Vienna
Plate 18. Larrey; Ordener; Chauveau; Plate 40. Officers, élite gendarmes, Imperial
Bigarré; Davout Guard; trooper, Empress’ Dragoons
Plate 19. Decrès; Baste; Fouché; Savary Plate 41. Clerk; Clément; Berthier;
Plate 20. Quartermaster, marines of the Guard Gros; Morland
viii
plates
Opposite page 86 Plate 69. Napoleon and Marie-Louise at
Plate 42. Grenadiers and chasseurs of the Saint-Cloud (double page)
Guard in surtouts Plate 70. Napoleon in campaign uniform
Plate 43. Fusilier-grenadier; fusilier-chasseur Plate 71. Bridge to the Island of Löbau
Plate 44. Wagon train, Guard and Line; Plate 72. Tirailleur-grenadier; officers;
Gendarme d’ordonnance sappers of the Guard
Plate 45. Battle of Eylau
Plate 46. Triumphal entry of the Guard Opposite page 182
into Paris Plate 73. Württemberg and English
Plate 47. Gunner, Guard foot artillery Household Cavalrymen
Plate 48. Officer, Polish light-horse; Guard Plate 74. Archduke Charles; d’Aboville;
horse gunner Mouton; Masséna
Plate 49. Marines of the Guard in Plate 75. Death of Lannes at Essling
campaign dress Plate 76. Prince Eugène, Viceroy of Italy
Plate 77. French Army at Vienna, 1809
Opposite page 118 Plate 78. Funeral of Marshal Lannes
Plate 79. Tirailleur in bivouac; drummer,
Plate 50. Desmichels; Dahlmann; Grand
Vélites of Turin
Duke Constantin; Kutuzov
Plate 80. Lepic; Tindal; Dorsenne; Mouton-
Plate 51. Ney; Dejean; Lefebvre; Guindey;
Arrighi de Cassanova Duvernet; Clarke
Plate 81. Spanish guerrilla chief in camp
Plate 52. Napoleon’s entry into Berlin
Plate 82. Recruits for the Guard; chasseur
Plate 53. Marie Walewska; Bennigsen;
on the march
Martin; La Bedoyère; Kellermann
Plate 83. Drum major on the march
Plate 54. ‘They grumbled … and kept on
Plate 84. Delaborde; Desvaux de Saint-
following him’
Maurice; Sorbier; Claparède; Barclay
Plate 55. Fête of the Guard at Tilsit;
de Tolly
Kalmucks and Bashkirs
Plate 85. Friant; Durosnel; Ney; Mortier
Plate 56. Guard parading at Tilsit
Plate 86. Italian Guardsmen at Smolensk;
Plate 57. Daru; Walther; Guyot; Letort Old chasseur in Russia
Plate 58. Krasinski; Lefebvre-Desnoëttes; Plate 87. Russian Army at Borodino
Delaître; Lariboisière
Plate 88. Napoleon and his suite; Platov and
Plate 59. Entry of King Joseph into Madrid
his Cossacks
Plate 60. Grivel; Dupont; Royal Family of
Spain; Murat; Drouot Opposite page 208
Plate 61. Lasalle at Stettin; Subjugation of Plate 89. Officer of tirailleurs; voltigeur,
Estremadura
coloured plate
Plate 62. Kozietulski; Niegolewski; Suchet; Plate 90. Grenadier, 3rd Dutch Grenadiers,
Philippe de Ségur flanker, coloured plate
Plate 63. The Poles at Somosierra Plate 91. Drum major of the grenadiers,
Plate 64. French Army crossing the Guadarramas colored plate
Plate 65. English retreat from Corunna; Plate 92. Musician of the grenadiers;
English gunners evacuating their guns cymbal player, colored plate
Plate 93. Drummer of the horse grenadiers,
Opposite page 150 colored plate
Plate 66. Lancer of Berg; Royal Guard Plate 94. Drummer, Empress’ dragoons,
of Spain colored plate
Plate 67. Guard chasseurs à cheval Plate 95. Lancer, 2nd ‘Red’ Lancers,
on campaign colored plate
Plate 68. 10th English Hussars; colonel in Plate 96. Bavarian light-horse and artillery,
chief, chasseurs à cheval colored plate
ix