The XII Corps of the ''

Grande Armée The (; ) was the primary field army of the French Imperial Army (1804–1815), French Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Commanded by Napoleon, from 1804 to 1808 it won a series of military victories that allowed the First French Empi ...

'' was a short-lived French military unit that existed during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. The corps was formed in the spring of 1813 and

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

Nicolas Oudinot Nicolas Charles Oudinot, duc de Reggio (; 25 April 1767 – 13 September 1847), was a French general of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He is known to have been wounded 34 times in battle, being hit by artillery shells, sa ...

was appointed as its commander. The formation included one Bavarian and two French infantry divisions. During the German campaign, the XII Corps was engaged at Lützen,

Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin (), until 1868 ''Budissin'' in German, is a town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the Bautzen (district), district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree (river), Spree river, is the eighth most ...

, and

Luckau Luckau (Lower Sorbian: ''Łuków'') is a city in the district of Dahme-Spreewald in the States of Germany#States, federal state of Brandenburg, in eastern Germany. Known for its beauty, it has been dubbed "the Pearl of Lower Lusatia". Origin of t ...

. After the summer 1813 armistice, the corps fought at

Großbeeren Großbeeren is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the district of Teltow-Fläming in the Germany, German state of Brandenburg. Geography Located about 3 km south of Berlin's city limits. It includes the localities of ''Diedersdorf'' ...

and

Dennewitz Dennewitz is a village of Germany, in the federal state and old Prussian province of Brandenburg, near Jüterbog, 40 km. S.W. from Berlin. It is part of the municipality of Niedergörsdorf, Teltow-Fläming district. History It is memorable a ...

. After the latter action, Emperor

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

dissolved the XII Corps and assigned its units to other formations. Oudinot found employment as a commander of two divisions of the Young Guard.

Order of battle

Bautzen, 1813

XII Corps: Marshal

* 13th French Division: General of Division Michel-Marie Pacthod ** Brigade: General of Brigade Bernard Pourailly *** 1st Light Infantry Regiment (4th Battalion) *** 7th Line Infantry Regiment (3rd and 4th Battalions) *** 10th Line Infantry Regiment (4th Battalion) *** 42nd Line Infantry Regiment (4th Battalion) ** Brigade: General of Brigade Antoine Gruyer *** 1st Neapolitan Light Infantry Regiment (2 battalions) *** 101st Line Infantry Regiment (2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions) * 14th French Division: General of Division Guillaume Latrille de Lorencez ** Brigade: General of Brigade Louis Nicolas Marin Leclerc des Essarts *** 52nd Line Infantry Regiment (3rd and 4th Battalions) *** 137th Line Infantry Regiment (4 battalions) ** Brigade: General of Brigade François Nizard Charles Joseph d'Hénin *** 156th Line Infantry Regiment (4 battalions) ** Artillery: 2 foot artillery companies * 29th Bavarian Division: ''General-Leutnant'' Clemens von Raglovich ** Brigade: ''General-Major'' Karl von Beckers *** 1st Combined Light Infantry Battalion *** ''Prinz Karl'' Line Infantry Regiment Nr. 3 (2nd Battalion) *** ''Isenburg'' Line Infantry Regiment Nr. 4 (2nd Battalion) *** ''Herzog Pius'' Line Infantry Regiment Nr. 8 (2nd Battalion) *** Line Infantry Regiment Nr. 13 (Reserve Battalion) ** Brigade: ''Oberst'' Nikolaus von Maillot de la Treille *** 2nd Combined Light Infantry Battalion *** ''Preysing'' Line Infantry Regiment Nr. 5 (2nd Battalion) *** Line Infantry Regiment Nr. 7 (2nd Battalion) *** Line Infantry Regiment Nr. 9 (2nd Battalion) *** ''Junker'' Line Infantry Regiment Nr. 10 (2nd Battalion) ** Divisional artillery and cavalry: *** 3 foot artillery companies *** Combined ''

Chevau-léger ''Chevau-légers'' ( from French ''cheval''—horse—and ''léger''—light) was a generic French name for light cavalry and medium cavalry. Their history began in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, when the heavy cavalry forces of the ...

'' Regiment (3 squadrons) ''Source:''

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:XII Corps Grande Armee GAI12