IV Corps (Grande Armée)

The IV Corps of the Grande Armée was a military unit during the Napoleonic Wars.

Under Soult

Marshal Nicolas Soult took command of IV Corps in 1805.Chandler, 417.]

IV Corps formed part of the extended center of the French line at the Battle of Austerlitz in December 1805.Chandler, 31.] On the 2nd, Napoleon ordered Soult to attack the Pratzen Heights, from which the Allies had been attacking the French right wing. Repeated attacks from the Russians under General Kutusov almost collapsed IV Corps' line, but aid from Bernadotte's I Corps allowed the French to maintain their control of the Heights. The survivors then moved south and enveloped Buxhowden's column, sending the Allies into a retreat.Chandler, 35.]

IV Corps formed the right wing of the French line at the Battle of Jena in October 1806.Chandler, 215.] At Eylau in February 1807, IV Corps was beaten back by the Russian army under Generals Tutchkov and Dokhturov.Chandler, 146]

In 1808 Soult was transferred to Spain, where he took command of II Corps in the Peninsular War.

Invasion of Russia

The IV Corps consisted mainly of the Army of Italy during the 1812 invasion of Russia. It was commanded by Napoleon's stepson Eugène de Beauharnais. The IV Corps most notably participated in the Battle of Borodino [cite web|last=Badone|first=Jean Cerino et al|title=Battle of Borodino, 1812 - Armies. "French and Russian Orders of Battle"|url=http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/Borodino_battle.htm#borodinofrench|accessdate=2007-08-16] , where it formed the left wing of the French line.

Notes

References

* Chandler, David G. (1979). "Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars". New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. ISBN 0-02-523670-9