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| Along the course of Napoleonic France, several revisions to the army uniform and equipment occurred. While relatively few official changes affected the cuirassiers, the rigors of campaign took their toll on uniform and equipment items. Field improvisation did occur with the cuirassiers, although to a lesser extent than found in the infantry and artillery. Uniform and equipment items would often be carried forward following an official change. Often specific items such as the early period helmet were prized by officers and troopers and retained even when officially superceded, sometimes for their better quality and more often as a display of service longevity. |
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The Royal Heritage from 1600 In the Ancien Regime, from the 17th Century through the mid-18th Century, Royal regulations mandated a cuirass breastplate for all cavaliers, and both breast and backplates for the officers. The illustration to the right shows a cuirass and casque from the early-mid 17th Century. The cuirass was that armor left after removing the metal protection for the shoulder and full arm - speculation persists that as campaigns increased in range and battlefield mobility became increasingly important, and the battle cavalry felt they needed increased freedom of movement for their arms, they simply discarded the shoulder and arm armor over a period of time. |
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Society also confuses uniform issues of during this period. The problem is that the term cavalier was also a civilian designation of a person of status in society.... upper middle class. The print to the left by Thomas Shields is entitled Cavalier, Period of Louis XIII, shows the military appearance, with correct hat and boots, and saber and gauntlets on the table. The painting to the right is Cavalier in the time of Louis XIII by Meissonier, shows a more civilian appearance. Both of these works illustrate the problem caused by the cross over between military and civilian dress. The cavalier was afterall expected to ride to the defense of state and sovereign, a vestige of feudal times. Uniforms at that time were very much non-uniform - walking out dress for the Cavalier was similar. |
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| The armor was considered
outmoded by the cavaliers in the times of musketry and with the regulation
of 1763, armor was eliminated for all but one regiment. From 1763 to the Revolution, there was only one
true cuirassier regiment, the Cuirassiers du Roi (the 8th Regiment of
Cavalry) which were raised
in 1666. Their uniform was classic for the period, a long, full blue
coat with red distinctions, full cuffs, white gauntlets, blue
undergarments, cravats, heavy boots and tricorne hat trimmed
white. The cuirass was full, barrel bodied, worn front and back. In 1733 the King attempted to convert all of the heavy cavalry regiments to cuirassiers - a vision that proved to expensive for the available resources. In 1762 the Cuirassiers du Roi were outfitted with a blue coat having red facings, a narrow black felt tricorne with white wool lace bindings, The other cavalry regiments at that time sported coats of red, gray or blue, with red, blue, or black facings, red or yellow waistcoat, and white or yellow buttons. |
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During the Revolution and Directorate 1789-1799 Revolutionary France spelt troubled times for the heavy cavalry arm. Cavaliers, who could trace their traditions to the feudal mounted knights, were widely considered representative of the upper classes and the antithesis of everything the Revolution stood for. The battle cavalry was not a popular arm. The heavy cavalry horse, what we now refer to as a Warmblood, was not commonly bred in most parts of France - therefore there were relatively few mounts available compared to the hussar and chasseur mounts. Furthermore, the troopers tended to prefer the more spectacular uniforms and operational employment of the light cavalry. The first significant change in the uniform regulations of the French Army during the Revolution were published on November 1, 1789, addressing the infantry while the uniforms of the cavalry and artillery remained essentially unchanged from the Royal Army. With the remodeling of the French Army in 1791 the Cuirassiers du Roi were designated the 8th Cavalry Regiment, regimental numbering assigned by seniority. |
| These heavy horse units were termed Cavalerie and for the most part retained the uniforms of the previous Royal Army. The Braun and Schneider print to the right illustrates the battle cavalry (termed line cavalry) uniform in the center. A tricolor cockade was worn on the bicorne, with a tricolor white over red over blue plume on parade. Royalist buttons were replaced by a revolutionary design. A smaller portmanteau was also introduced, which was usually covered by the long tails of the double-breasted uniform coat. Buff or gray pantalons ŕ cheval were worn. |
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The buff gauntlets were colored white when possible. The gauntlet was a two piece glove, having relatively thin leather at the fingers and palm for improved tactile feel and dexterity, with a relatively thick (typically 3/8 inch) leather cuff over the wrist for protection. Belts were buff leather colored white. The heavy cavalry arms were a long, straight heavy sword and a brace of two cavalry pistols. No long arms were issued. |
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Consular Republic Period 1799-1804 As originally uniformed the first 6 regiments of Cuirassiers has scarlet facings while the other 6 regiments had jonquille (bright yellow) facings. The cuirassier uniforms displayed the markings of elite status - scarlet plumes on the helmet (usually kept in the portmanteau when on campaign), scarlet epaulets, and the grenadiers flaming grenade insignia on their coat turnbacks, belt buckles, and shabraques. Troopers often retained their threadworn and patched uniform from the Revolutionary Period through 1800-1802 - times were economically tough for the Republic. Many troopers replaced these uniforms at personal expense, retaining the previous style. A long cloak, a semicircular wool cape that ran from the troopers shoulders down to his boot tops and extending to the horse's hips and croup. When not worn this cape was folded and attached atop the portmanteau. When battle was anticipated, the troopers strapped the cloak roll laterally across their saddle pommel, providing protection from their groin to the bottom of the cuirass. |
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Imperial Period 1804-1815 By the end of 1804 twelve regiments of cuirassiers had been organized and all but the 5e Cuirassiers had been issued the cuirass (the 5e Régiment being issued the cuirass in 1805). The 13th and 14th regiments added in 1808-10 had dark red or wine-colored facings (termed lie de vin). During 1810-12 the facing colors of the original 12 regiments were changed to scarlet for the 1st - 3rd regiments, aurore (the golden orange of the dawn or dusk sky) for the 4th - 6th regiments, jonquille for the 7th - 9th regiments, and rose (deep pink) for the 10th - 12th regiments. In the painting to the left, the cuirassier wears the battle dress, or Tenue de Campaign. This cuirassier portrait illustrates the enlisted uniform - note the uniform includes a cartridge box and no red plume in the casque. The Tenue des Cuirassiers defines this and the other uniforms used in our impressions for every season and dress. |
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Cuirassier |
The cuirassier (left) and officer (right) are wearing the Grande Tenue a cheval or parade dress. Both are wearing white culottes de peau and have a plume on their casque. Note the differences in horse furniture - the cuirassier has a sheepskin shabraque and a portmanteau while the officer has covers over the pistol buckets. |
Senior Officer |
| Principal sources:
Bukhari, Emir. Napoleon's Cavalry. London:Presidio Press. 1979, and other sources. Elting, John R. Napoleonic Uniforms Vol 1. NY:Macmillan. 1993. Knötel, Richard, Herbert Knötel and Herbert Sieg. Handbuch der Uniformkunde (Uniforms of the World). Hamburg:Schulz 1937. (trans of 1956 ed. by Charles Scribner's Sons, NY. 1980). Petard, Michel (English trans by Nicholas Powell) L'Homme de 1807 - Le Cuirassier. Uniformes No. 41. Jan/Feb 1978. Rigo, Petard, Pigeard, Malvaux. Les Cuirassiers 1801-1815. Tradition Magazine No. 54-55. Jul/Aug 1991. |
| All artwork copyrighted - do not copy or reproduce without permission. |
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