Grenadiers à Cheval de la Garde Impériale

Grenadiers à Cheval
"Heads up, gentlemen, these are bullets, not turds". Colonel Louis Lepic harangues the Grenadiers à Cheval as they are forming for a charge under intense fire at the Battle of Eylau in 1807. Painting by Édouard Detaille at the Chantilly Museum.
Active	1797–1815
Country	France
Allegiance	First French Empire
Branch	Imperial Guard
Type	Heavy cavalry
Role	Shock Action
Size	one regiment (1166 men, at full strength)
Garrison/HQ	École militaire in Paris Blois (during Restoration)
Nickname(s)	Les chevaux noirs de Bessières (Bessières' dark horses)
Engagements	Marengo, Austerlitz, Eylau, Essling, Wagram, Dresden, Leipzig, Hanau, La Rothière, Champaubert, Montmirail, Château-Thierry, Vauchamps, Reims, Craonne, Méry-sur-Seine, Waterloo
Commanders
Notable commanders	Jean-Baptiste Bessières Michel Ordener Frédéric Henri Walther Claude Étienne Guyot Louis Lepic (second-in-command)

The Grenadiers à Cheval de la Garde Impériale (in English: Horse Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard) constituted a heavy cavalry regiment in the Consular, then Imperial Guard during the French Consulate and First French Empire respectively. They were the senior "Old Guard" cavalry regiment of the Imperial Guard and from 1806 were brigaded together with the Dragons de la Garde Impériale.

A part of the Republican Consular Guard, the Grenadiers became the senior "Old Guard" heavy cavalry regiment when the Imperial Guard was founded, in 1804. Their maximum official complement was just over 1100 officers and troopers, commanded by a general of division or a seasoned general of brigade, with some of the most famous cavalrymen of the time as commander.

Rarely committed to battle during the Napoleonic Wars, they were usually kept in reserve, alongside the Emperor, during the most significant battles of 1804-1815. When sent into action, such as during the battles of Marengo, Austerlitz, Eylau, Hanau or Waterloo, as well as during a number of actions of 1814, results were usually impressive. The regiment was disbanded in 1815, after Napoleon's downfall and the second restoration of the Bourbons.

The origins of the Guard Horse Grenadiers dated back to the Constitution of the Year III, which provided for the organisation of a guard for the French Directory. Within this guard, a cavalry regiment was formed and most cavalrymen were drawn from the 9th dragoons. However, the horse guards would only take service in 1796 and a 1797 regulation stated that the guards were to be called 'grenadiers'. The next major reorganisation came with the French Consulate, just days after the 18 Brumaire 1799 coup d'Etat. This reorganisation reshuffled the general staff of the regiment and gave its command to chef de brigade (colonel) Michel Ordener, assisted by three chefs d'escadron (squadron commanders). Further reorganisations in 1801 and 1802 were conducted under the supervision of General Jean-Baptiste Bessières, bringing the regiment to four squadrons of two companies each and integrating it in the newly created Consular Guard, with the general staff of the regiment also expanded.