La Bataille de Bautzen 1813

French Naval Troops Were Known As “Marines” And Fought Effectively In 1813-1814

This last item was particularly valuable. The “Marines” were naval gunners who were not being used since the French fleets were being blockaded in their harbors. Napoleon was able to mobilize 20,000 of these highly trained and motivated sailors to fight in his army. They proved to be excellent soldiers. Fighting mainly with Marmont’s VI corps, the “Marines” were an important part of the French army, and fought till the end in 1814 with great skill and valor. These Marine units continued to fight for France long after the Napoleonic Wars ended and received unit citations for their combat as recently as Bosnia; Kosovo and, in this century, Afghanistan. Finally, Napoleon was able to call up a large and excellent contingent of National Guard troops. In the summer of 1812, Napoleon was able to mobilize 80 “Cohortes” of National Guard troops. La Bataille de Bautzen 1813 Page ! of ! 3 4