Dawson, Paul L. Napoleon’s Line Infantry

Uniforms and Equipment

Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 marked an important turning point in his reign. His Grande Armée, consisting of over half a million men, was decimated within six months, leaving only about 10,000 survivors. The campaign cost over a million lives, including soldiers and civilians. Historian Paul Dawson examines the uniforms and equipment of the more than 120 regiments that took part in the invasion and subsequent campaigns. His research, based on over 1,000 archive boxes from the Service Historique de l'Armée de Terre and the Archives Nationales, provides unprecedented detail on the army's clothing and equipment. Dawson's study shows the introduction of the 1806 and Bardin regulations and their practical implementation. Each year, the regiments were inspected and the soldiers were provided with clothing and equipment, with repairs being recorded. New recruits paid for their equipment through deductions from their pay, and damage due to misuse was charged to them. The army faced constant challenges in maintaining uniforms and equipment, from simple waistcoats to more specialised items such as epaulettes and tools for engineers. This groundbreaking book offers rare insights into the clothing of the French line infantry, with contemporary illustrations and photographs of surviving uniforms that shed light on what soldiers wore during Napoleon's final campaigns.