During the revolutionary wars (1792-1799) and - especially - in the Napoleonic period (1799-1815), France probably had the most efficient war machine on the Old Continent, which almost led to its lasting hegemony over Europe. It will be a truism to say that the key element of this machine was the French army. In this army, on the other hand, a very important role was played by the Guard - initially the Constitutional (1791), then the Consular, and finally the Imperial (from 1804). At the time of the formation of the Imperial Guard, true veterans of the French army were recruited to it, who had 10 years of service and often took part in more than one battle. Assignment to the Guard was a reward and a great honor for them, and the Guard itself enjoyed great respect and respect in the French army. Let us add that in 1804 it numbered approximately 11,500 people and consisted of Guard grenadiers, Guard foot-shooters, Guard cavalry, as well as Guard sailors and artillerymen. In 1806, a regiment of guards dragoons and the 1st Regiment of Light Cavalry-Lancers of the Imperial Guard were also created. During the 1805-1807 campaign, the Guard was treated by Napoleon as an iron reserve that would enter the fight as a last resort. In 1809, the Guard was divided into the Young and the Old Guard, the former of which was to be used much more often in battle than the Old Guard. In 1812, the Medium Guard also appeared, but it went down in history a year later (1813). The Guard troops - both the Young and the Old - were used in combat during the campaigns of 1813, 1814 and 1815. The last episode of the Old Guard was the formation of a square by the 1st Guards foot rifle regiment under the command of General Cambronne, which - according to the legend - on the proposal of surrender, he replied: "The Guard dies, but never gives up!" Another anecdote about the Guard claims that when Napoleon met with Tsar Alexander I during the peace talks in Tilsit (1807), he pointed to the guard whose face was scarred with old scars and asked: "What do you think about soldiers who could endure such wounds? ”To which the tsar replied:" And what do you think of the soldiers who could inflict such wounds? ”. When Napoleon was embarrassed at this, the Guard Grenadier, unassisted, replied, "They're all dead now."
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on June 18, 1815 and was the last battle commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte with the French forces. It is assumed that on the French side, about 65,000 soldiers and 250 guns took part in the battle, while on the Anglo-Dutch and Prussian sides, a total of about 123,000 men, with about 160 guns (excluding Prussian artillery) fought. The French side was led, of course, by the emperor of the French, the allies - Arthur Wellesley, Fr. Wellington, and the Prussians - Gebhard von Blücher. British-Dutch troops, awaiting the arrival of the Prussians, but also based on the experiences of Fr. Wellington, learned from the fighting in Spain, adopted a defensive stance, and their position was supported by farm buildings. The battlefield with boggy ground, soaked with water after intense rainfall, also favored the defenders, as it made it difficult to develop a cavalry attack. The battle began around 11.30 with the French artillery cannonade, and later - with the attacks of the French infantry on the British-Dutch positions. Initially, the fight for the Hougomont farm was fought, but later also on the right flank and in the center of the Allied formation. The next phase of the battle was the British cavalry charges, which were intended to relieve the fighting infantry, which initially brought great success to the British, but were finally repulsed with considerable losses. Despite fierce fighting and attacks led by Marshal Ney, around 4.30 pm, the British positions seemed to be intact, and the Prussians, commanded by Gebhard von Blücher, were already approaching the battlefield. Finally, around 19.30, the 1st Prussian Corps entered the fight - it meant that the scales of victory were tilted towards the allies, despite the Old Guard's attack on British positions. The immediate aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo was Napoleon's abdication and the end of the Napoleonic era in the history of Europe.