The cavalry guards are representatives of one of the most privileged regiments of the Russian Empire. He raised many famous people in his ranks, such as:
- Denis Davydov - hero of the war with Napoleon and poet;
- Ivan Annenkov and Sergey Volkonsky - Decembrists;
- Nikolai Martynov and Georges Dantes - the killers of Mikhail Lermontov and Alexander Pushkin;
- Alexander Ipsilanti - leader of the revolution in Greece;
- Mikhail Skobelev - general, hero of the war with the Turks;
- Pavel Skoropadsky - hetman of Ukraine;
- Karl Gustav is the President of Finland.
When was the regiment created and what were its functions?
The meaning of the concept
The cavalier guard is a name consisting of two French words: “cavalier” - “rider”, and “guard” - “guard”. The military association belonged to the heavy cavalry. Their weapons, uniforms and equipment were a minor modification of the cuirassiers.
Appearance in the Russian Empire
The cavalry guards are officers or soldiers of a unit that appeared in 1724 as an honorary guard of the empress. He was formed by the date of her coronation. Peter I assumed the position of captain. Sixty of the tallest people were selected for Catherine 1. The unit was disbanded after the coronation.
Transformation History
In 1726, Catherine 1 temporarily restored the cavalry guard. The same thing at one time was done by Elizabeth I and Catherine II. But these units were not military, they were an imperial escort or a noble guard.
The Cavalier Guard Corps was established in 1799 by Paul I. It consisted of 189 nobles. The sovereign decided to create a corps that would really serve. So he wanted to attract noble youth to military affairs.
In 1800, the corps was transformed into the Cavalier Guard regiment. The new part no longer had the previous privileges and began to be equipped not only with nobles, but also with stately statuesque peasants or soldiers. Under Alexander I, the regiment was increased to 991 people.
Baptism of fire
In 1805, the battle of Austerlitz took place. The guards heavy cavalry showed itself in it from the best side. The cavalry guards managed to come to the aid of the Russian guard infantry in time, which was pressed by the superior forces of the French.
As a result of the battle, the fourth cavalry guard squadron was almost completely destroyed. 18 people survived. In total, out of 800 people, 26 officers and 226 soldiers were lost during the battle.
The regiment also distinguished itself in 1807 at the Battle of Heilsberg. He came to the aid of the vanguard of General Bagration.
Battle of Borodino
During World War II, the regiment was held by the command in reserve. The cavalry guards - this was the elite of the Russian cavalry. Therefore, it was used only in special cases. It was the same in 1812 during the battle of Borodino.
The cavalry guards were introduced at the most dramatic moment of the battle. The guards rushed to attack the Polish Lancers and Saxon cuirassiers. At that moment, buckshot hit the head of the cavalry guard Levenwold. The death of the colonel did not affect the attack, the enemy was crushed. The pursuit led to the fact that a hundred cavalrymen were too close to the superior forces of the enemy. They decided to join the battle, which frightened the enemy troops. This allowed them to return to their regiment without loss.
In the battle of Borodino cavalry guards lost 14 officers and about 90 soldiers.
The regiment took part in other significant battles of the Napoleonic wars, including outside of Russia.
Then for 100 years he was in a relatively peaceful state. The last 36 years of its existence, Maria Fedorovna, wife of Alexander III, was considered the chief of the regiment.
Participation in the First World War
Even under Nicholas I there was a certain selection in the regiment. The soldiers and officers were supposed to be blondes with gray or blue eyes. Their horses were selected depending on the squadron:
- the first is light-bay horses without markings;
- the second - bay horses with marks;
- the third - bay horses without markings;
- the fourth is dark bay horses without markings.
Such recruitment continued until the end of the history of cavalry guards. This end brought the tragic events of the First World War. It began in 1914. The regiment was immediately sent to the front. The first battle took place near the village of Causen. It was an East Prussian operation.
The battle started unsuccessfully for the Russians, as the Germans used artillery for which the horses were not prepared. The riders had to dismount and attack the enemy with the help of carbines with bayonets. They managed to put the enemy to flight, but the price of this victory was too high. The cavalry guards lost a significant part of the officers.
In 1916, the regiment took part in battles on different fronts. They had to change their white uniforms to a uniform of a protective tone; instead of riding, they were engaged in digging and crawling. The strategy of war was changing and required new tactics.
They took part in the decisive Brusilovsky breakthrough. He was the last combat mission of a brave regiment. When in 1917 Nicholas II abdicated, the cavalry guards began to guard the railway stations. Soon, the Bolsheviks fired officers of the regiment.
After the February revolution
The Bolsheviks, having come to power, disbanded the regiment. But the cavalry guards did not cease to exist. Most officers took the side of the white movement, fighting for almost 3 years. They tried to stay together. The combat biography of the officers ended in 1920, when they emigrated from Russia through the Crimea.
Being in exile, the officers of the cavalry guard created their own organization called the “Cavalier Guard Family”. Their company helped the needy officers, published its own annual magazine, published 30 years before 1968.