French Imperial Guard Zouaves – 1870

The Imperial Guard Zouaves.
Germans to the left and right, bullets whistling by and comrades falling.

The Imperial Guard of Napoleon III was build and uniformed on the model of that of his famous Uncle, the objective being to visualize the connection and heritage between the two emperors and Empires. 

Enjoying many of the same benefits of their predecessors, the Imperial Guard of Napoleon III was an elite unit consisting of two infantry divisions, one cavalry division and an artillery corps.

The Guard Zouaves with the characteristic hooded cape.

Within the 2^nd Guard Infantry Division we find the Guard Zouaves, first added in 1855.

The Guard Zouave participated in the Crimean War, the Second Italian War of Independence and in the Franco-Prussian War as part of General Bazaine’s Army of the Rhine. They were directly involved in the fighting at the battle of Rezonville (a.k.a Mars-la-Tour) under General Bourbaki as part of the southeastern French line.

The regiment flag - plenty of visual legacy from the first Empire. 

Actual photo of the Imperial Guard Zouaves.
From the camp at Châlons.

Facing the gallant attack of the German 5^th Division, the Imperial Guard had to stand their ground as they formed the French flank. A frightful fight ensued. 

The following is an account from the book “The Franco-Prussian War: Its causes, incidents and consequences” by Captain H.M. Hozier, published in London 1872(!) It brings to life the fighting taking place at Rezonville on August 16^th 1870 on the French left flank, as the Germans emerged out of the Bois des Ognons:

The French skirmishing with the Germans at Rezonville.

”…the French opened fire at 700 yards, and fearfully effective was the discharge, which caused the loss of their colonel and five officers, besides a considerable number of men. They then retired into the wood until the whole line could advance together, the French shells meanwhile inflicting fearful loss upon them, although under a screen of foliage. Whenever the German advance appeared the French troops opened fire, the assailants falling literally in heaps; but " Immer vorwädrts!" was the cry, and, under a storm of shot and shell, the gallant fifth division, led by the troops above-mentioned, moved on to meet the foe. 

Close up of the French line.
Lignards to the right and Imperial Zouaves to the left.

For fully an hour they fired at each other from a distance of fifty paces, the French, who had not until now suffered much, losing many men. The first line of their troops then gradually retired, and three regiments of the Garde Imperiale stood the brunt of the German advance almost, for the moment, alone in their glory. Here the German line was strengthened, and at twenty to thirty paces the fire was fearful, so much so that the French Guard had to fall back. Behind the German position were the woods they had gained.”

View slightly from above.
The officer standing proud while the unit takes it's losses.

After the heavy fighting at the battle of Rezonville, Bazaine would, perhaps too cautiously, keep the Imperial Guard in reserve at the following battle of Gravelotte-St-Privat on the 18th. Later it would be part of the invested French army of 180.000, caught inside Metz, only to be surrendered after Bazaine’s attempts of a break out and subsequent fruitless efforts to negotiate with the Prussians.

Thank you very much for reading!