VIII Corps (Grande Armée)
VIII Corps | |
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The VIII Corps of the Grande Armée was a French military unit that existed during the
A new VIII Corps was formed from Westphalians for the French invasion of Russia in 1812 and placed under Junot's command once more. The corps was effectively destroyed during the retreat. The following year, the corps was rebuilt with Polish units and assigned to Józef Poniatowski. The VIII Corps fought in the 1813 German campaign and ceased to exist after the Battle of Leipzig.
History
1805
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Battle_of_durenstein_1805.png/220px-Battle_of_durenstein_1805.png)
The corps was first called into existence during the
Even after his decisive triumph at Austerlitz, Napoleon believed Archduke Charles' large army to be a threat. Therefore, he ordered Masséna to reorganize his
1806–1807
During the War of the Fourth Coalition, the VIII Corps was re-established at Mainz under Mortier. Together with troops from the Kingdom of Holland under King Louis Bonaparte, the corps defended against a westward thrust by Prussian forces in the former Electorate of Hanover.[6] On 17 October 1806, Napoleon ordered Mortier to seize Fulda while Louis was to capture Paderborn and Münster. From these locations they would converge on Kassel whose ruler, William I, Elector of Hesse the emperor wished to depose.[7] On 1 November, Mortier entered Kassel from the south with General Loison's 5,500-man division composed of three French light infantry regiments. Louis arrived from the north with Dutch soldiers a few hours later to complete the bloodless conquest. On 7 November, the French and their allies arrived near Hamelin (Hameln). Two days later, Louis pleaded illness and withdrew from the campaign.[8]
Mortier left Dumonceau's Dutch division to carry out the
The VIII Corps was involved in the unsuccessful
1812–1813
The corps was reconstituted for the invasion of Russia and leadership was given to Vandamme. Together with the V Corps (Poles), VII Corps (Saxons), and IV Cavalry Corps, it was assigned to the 2nd Support Army under Jérôme Bonaparte. All the corps troops belonged to Jérôme's Kingdom of Westphalia. General Jean Victor Tharreau commanded the 1st Division and General von Ochs led the 2nd Division. On 24 June 1812, the corps consisted of 15,885 infantry in 18 battalions, 2,050 cavalry in 12 squadrons, and 34 artillery pieces. Jérôme's inexperience as a general was mitigated by the appointment of General Jean Gabriel Marchand as his chief of staff.[13] Nevertheless, after being harshly criticized in a letter by his brother, Jérôme resigned his command on 14 July and went home.[14] The command of the corps passed to Junot.[15]
At the
In the following year, Prince
Order of battle
Dürenstein: November 1805
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Dubufe_-_Marshal_Mortier.jpg/220px-Dubufe_-_Marshal_Mortier.jpg)
Marshal
- 1st Division (VI Corps): General of Division Pierre Dupont de l'Etang
- Brigadiers: Generals of Brigade Marie François Rouyer, Jean Gabriel Marchand
- 9th Light Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- 32nd Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- 96th Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- 1st Hussar Regiment (3 squadrons)
- Artillery: 3 guns
- Brigadiers: Generals of Brigade Marie François Rouyer, Jean Gabriel Marchand
- 2nd Division (V Corps): General of Division Honoré Théodore Maxime Gazan
- Brigadiers: Generals of Brigade Jean François Graindorge, François Frédéric Campana
- 4th Light Infantry Regiment (3 battalions)
- 54th Line Infantry Regiment (3 battalions)
- 100th Line Infantry Regiment (3 battalions)
- 103rd Line Infantry Regiment (3 battalions)
- 4th Dragoon Regiment (3 squadrons)
- Artillery: 3 guns
- Brigadiers: Generals of Brigade Jean François Graindorge, François Frédéric Campana
- 3rd Division (II Corps): General of Division Jean-Baptiste Dumonceau (not engaged)
- 1st Dragoon Division (Cavalry Corps): General of Division Louis Klein (not engaged)
Source:
Hameln: November 1806
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Graaf_Dumonceau_met_keten_van_de_Orde_van_de_Unie.jpg/150px-Graaf_Dumonceau_met_keten_van_de_Orde_van_de_Unie.jpg)
Marshal Édouard Mortier
- Division: General of Division Jean-Baptiste Dumonceau (6,000, 12 guns)
- 1st Brigade: General of Brigade Crass
- 1st Dutch Jäger Regiment (1st Battalion)
- 2nd Dutch Jäger Regiment (1st Battalion)
- 3rd Dutch Jäger Regiment (1st Battalion)
- 2nd Brigade: General of Brigade von Heldring
- 2nd Dutch Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- 3rd Dutch Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- 4th Dutch Line Infantry Regiment (1 battalion)
- 3rd Brigade: General of Brigade von Hasselt
- 7th Dutch Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- 8th Dutch Line Infantry Regiment (1 battalion)
- 4th Brigade: General of Brigade Mascheck
- 3rd Dutch Hussar Regiment
- Two horse artillery batteries
- 1st Brigade: General of Brigade Crass
Source:
Borodino: September 1812
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/G%C3%A9n%C3%A9ral_Jean_Victor_Tharreau.jpg/220px-G%C3%A9n%C3%A9ral_Jean_Victor_Tharreau.jpg)
General of Division Jean-Andoche Junot (8,900, 30 guns)
- 23rd Infantry Division: General of Division Jean Victor Tharreau †
- 1st Brigade: General of Brigade François Auguste Damas †
- 3rd Westphalian Light Infantry Battalion
- 2nd Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions, 2 guns)
- 6th Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions, 2 guns)
- 2nd Brigade: General of Brigade von Borstell
- 2nd Westphalian Light Infantry Battalion
- 3rd Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions, 2 guns)
- 7th Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment (3 battalions, 2 guns)
- Divisional Artillery:
- 1st Westphalian Foot Artillery Company (8 guns)
- 1st Brigade: General of Brigade François Auguste Damas †
- 24th Infantry Division: General of Division von Ochs
- 1st Brigade: General of Brigade Legras
- Westphalian Guard Grenadier Infantry Battalion
- Westphalian Guard Chasseur Infantry Battalion
- Westphalian Guard Chasseur-Carabinier Infantry Battalion
- 1st Westphalian Light Infantry Battalion
- Divisional Artillery:
- 2nd Westphalian Foot Artillery Company (8 guns)
- 1st Westphalian Guard Horse Artillery Company (4 guns)
- 1st Brigade: General of Brigade Legras
- Corps Cavalry: General of Brigade von Hammerstein
- 24th Light Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade von Hammerstein
- 1st Westphalian Hussar Regiment (4 squadrons)
- 2nd Westphalian Hussar Regiment (4 squadrons)
- Guard Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade Wolf
- Westphalian Guard Chevau-léger Regiment (4 squadrons)
- 24th Light Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade von Hammerstein
- Corps Artillery: Major Schulz
- 1st Westphalian Guard Horse Artillery Company (2 guns)
Source: Mikaberizde, Alexander; Vovsi, Eman (2007). "The Battle of Borodino: Order of Battle of the Allied Army". The Napoleon Series. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
Leipzig: October 1813
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Prince_Joseph_Poniatowski_by_J%C3%B3zef_Grassi.jpg/150px-Prince_Joseph_Poniatowski_by_J%C3%B3zef_Grassi.jpg)
Marshal Józef Poniatowski †
- 26th Infantry Division: General of Division Ludwik Kaminiecki
- Brigade: General of Brigade Jan Kanty Julian Sierawski
- 1st Polish Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- 16th Polish Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- Legion of the Vistula (2 battalions)
- Brigade: General of Brigade Casimir Malachowski
- 8th Polish Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- 15th Polish Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- Divisional Artillery:
- 5th Polish Foot Artillery Battery
- 7th Polish Foot Artillery Battery
- 14th Polish Foot Artillery Battery
- Brigade: General of Brigade Jan Kanty Julian Sierawski
- 27th Infantry Division: General of Division Jean Henri Dombrowski
- Brigade: General of Brigade Edward Zoltowski
- 2nd Polish Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- 14th Polish Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- Brigade: General of Brigade Stefan Grabowski
- 12th Polish Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
- Divisional Artillery:
- 10th Polish Foot Artillery Battery
- Polish Horse Artillery Battery
- Brigade: General of Brigade Edward Zoltowski
- 27th Light Cavalry Brigade: General of Brigade Jan Nepomucen Umiński
- 14th Cuirassier Regiment (2 squadrons)
- Krakus Regiment (4 squadrons)
- Corps Artillery: Colonel Jakob Antoni Redel
- 11th Polish Foot Battery
Source: Millar, Stephen (2004). "French Order of Battle at Leipzig: The Northern Sector". The Napoleon Series. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
Source: Millar, Stephen (2004). "French Order of Battle at Leipzig: The Southern Sector". The Napoleon Series. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
Notes
- ^ Chandler (1966), p. 403
- ^ Chandler (1966), p. 1103
- ^ Chandler (1966), p. 406
- ^ Smith (1998), pp. 215–216
- ^ Schneid, pp. 42–43
- ^ Petre (1993), pp. 192–193
- ^ Petre (1993), pp. 293–294
- ^ Petre (1993), p. 297
- ^ a b Smith (1998), p. 233
- ^ Petre (1993), p. 298
- ^ Smith (1998), p. 252
- ^ Smith (1998), p. 249
- ^ Chandler (1966), p. 755
- ^ Chandler (1966), p. 776
- ^ Chandler (1966), p. 1112
- ^ Chandler (1966), p. 788–789
- ^ Chandler (1966), p. 799
- ^ Chandler (1966), p. 801
- ^ Smith (1998), p. 391
- ^ Chandler (1966), p. 828
- ^ OSG, Napoleon at Leipzig, p. 4
- ^ Chandler (1966), p. 917
- ^ Chandler (1966), pp. 926–927
- ^ Chandler (1966), p. 931
- ^ Chandler (1966), pp. 935–936
References
- Chandler, David G. (1966). The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York: Macmillan.
- ISBN 0-275-98612-8.
- Mikaberizde, Alexander; Vovsi, Eman (2007). "The Battle of Borodino: Order of Battle of the Allied Army". The Napoleon Series. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
- Millar, Stephen (2004). "French Order of Battle at Leipzig: 16-18 October 1813". The Napoleon Series. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
- Petre, F. Loraine (1976). Napoleon's Campaign in Poland 1806–1807. London: Lionel Leventhal Ltd.
- Schneid, Frederick C. (2002). Napoleon's Italian Campaigns: 1805–1815. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers. ISBN 0-275-96875-8.
- ISBN 1-85367-276-9.