M-Model 32056 Trooper of Chasseurs a Cheval de la Garde 1804-1815

The Guards Mounted Rifle Regiment reached its roots indirectly to the gid company, which initially functioned in the Army of the Alps, and in 1795 it was incorporated into the French Army of Italy. In 1800, by a special decree of Napoleon Bonaparte, a regiment of mounted riflemen of the consular guard was formed, and in May 1804 this regiment was transformed into the Regiment of Mounted Rifles of the Imperial Guard. Initially, this regiment consisted of 4 cavalry squadrons, and in 1812 the number of its squadrons was increased to five. Interestingly, in 1813 the number of squadrons increased to eight. A regiment in such an unusual structure existed in the period 1813-1814. The task of the Guards Mounted Rifle Regiment was, first of all, to guard the person of Napoleon, and therefore the presence of a soldier of this regiment itself indicated the close presence of the emperor. Besides, Napoleon himself very often dressed in the uniform of a colonel of this regiment. It is worth adding that the officer commanding the regiment personally guarded the door of the imperial headquarters in the evening. At the same time, the Guards Mounted Rifle Regiment was thoroughly a combat regiment and took an active part in the battles at Austerlitz (1805), Prussian Iława (1807) and Małojarosławiec (1812). The basic weapons of the regiment's riflemen were the model 1803 cavalry rifle, a pair of pistols and the model 1802 saber.