Armour of rifleman Fauveau

On the battlefield, the role of the heavy cavalry , also known as the “reserve cavalry”, was to act en masse and use their impact to accentuate an advantage or rectify an unfavourable situation. The heavy cavalry consisted of regiments of cuirassiers and riflemen. Since 1811, riflemen  – who had sustained heavy losses during the campaign of 1809 – wore helmets and iron cuirasses similar to those of the cuirassiers but which were covered with brass foil to avoid confusion.

Corps d'élite admiré de tous, le 1er et le 2ème régiment de Carabiniers sont présents à Waterloo, le 18 juin 1815.

Maintenus en réserve, ils ne participent pas à la charge de la cavalerie contre l'armée de Wellington décidée par Napoléon dans une vaine tentative de prendre l'avantage avant l'arrivée du gros des troupes prussiennes. Malgré la bravoure des cavaliers menés par le maréchal Ney, la charge échoue.

The riflemen and what remained of the cuirassiers then joined in, in a final, desperate and improvised charge that constitutes one of the highlights of the Battle of Waterloo. However, they were merely chipping away at the British “wall”. Half the troops had fallen.

Despite its power, without supporting infantry the French cavalry alone was unable to turn around a situation that had started off badly. The arrival of the Prussian troops was followed by that of the Imperial Guard. Its courage and valour could not be faulted and its glory was ensured for a long time to come. However, the battle was already lost.