Napoleon’s Last Soldiers — Moving Again After 165 Years

Video from History In Motion

Napoleon’s Last Soldiers — Moving Again After 165 Years

"In 1858, Napoleon’s last soldiers stood for one final portrait…" from the video introduction

The secret to Napoleon’s ‘Old Guard’ was that they were actually really old

By Team Mighty

Updated Apr 12, 2023

They were the most celebrated and most feared military unit of their day, with distinctive bearskin hats, they were elite and easily recognizable: Napoleon’s vaunted Old Guard. Napoleon called them “The Immortals of France,” and they kind of were. It wasn’t just about age, it was about experience. France was pretty much at war between 1792 and 1815. If you could survive that long in the French Army, chances are you were pretty good at your job.

The first time Napoleon faced exile, he bid adieu to the Old Guard, who had been the foundation of the French Army for 15 years, and some were serving well before he became emperor. It was part of the greater Imperial Guard, which had swelled in numbers from 10,000 men to 100,000 men during his 1814 invasion of Russia.

France’s Imperial guard had everything it needed to function as an army all on its own, including staff, infantry, cavalry, artillery, and even marines. Unlike most Armed Forces, which would merely promote the aged men to higher ranks, Napoleon separated the army into three distinct sections, the Young Guard, Middle Guard, and the Old Guard...."

from the article : The secret to Napoleon’s ‘Old Guard’ was that they were actually really old

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