The Cavalry, 1804-1815

After having dealt with the older regiments of the cavalry of the Guard in the preceding volume, in this book we will be looking at the units which, at the turning point of the Empire, best incarnated the universal character which Napoleon had wanted for his political edifice. Foreigners in the very heart of the unit entrusted with protecting him, what better proof of the trust he placed in the Poles, Dutch or in the Lithuanians...

These volunteers joined the elite and made up some of the most prestigious units in the Guard: the Mamelukes, the Polish Chevau-Légers, the Dutch of the 2^nd Regiment, etc.

In this volume the parade ends with the Berg Chevau-Légers and the majestic Gendarmes d'Elite who on foot or on horseback guarded the Emperor's residences.