Hat 8171 Napoleonic French Elite Infantry with bicornes (1805)

During the revolutionary wars (1792-1799) and - especially - in the Napoleonic period (1799-1815), France probably had the most efficient war machine on the Old Continent, which almost led to its lasting hegemony over Europe. It will be a truism to say that the key element of this machine was the French army. In this army, on the other hand, the infantry played a very important role, in which, from 1803, units of voltower began to be formed (fr. voltigeurs). These units were intended to fight in a row in front of the main attacking mass of their own infantry regiment. They were also used as light infantry to insure the marches of own troops or to conduct reconnaissance. In their training, a lot of emphasis was placed on shooting skills, independence on the battlefield and the ability to use terrain obstacles. Shorter men were also recruited to them, rather than to line infantry or grenadiers. From 1804 in a line infantry battalion there was a single company of volunteers, which numbered 120 people. On the other hand, from 1808, when the number of companies in the battalion was reduced, the vaulting company had 140 full-time employees. It is worth noting that, unlike the line infantry, the vaulters used dragoons with carbines.