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The 1st Life Guards was one of Britain’s oldest and most prestigious cavalry regiments. Its origins date back to the 17th century, when it was raised to serve as part of the monarch’s personal guard. Over time, it became part of the Household Cavalry, gaining a reputation as an elite heavy cavalry regiment.

During the wars against Napoleon, the regiment saw active service in the Iberian Peninsula. Its most famous moment came in 1815, after Napoleon returned from exile. The 1st Life Guards was sent to Belgium and fought at Waterloo on 18 June, as part of the Household Brigade. As heavy cavalry, it took part in the major British cavalry charges against the French and suffered heavy casualties during the battle.

After Waterloo, the regiment continued to serve throughout the 19th century, combining military duties with ceremonial service to the Crown. As warfare changed, so did the regiment, eventually giving up its horses and becoming a mechanised unit.

In 1922, the 1st Life Guards was amalgamated with the 2nd Life Guards to form The Life Guards, ending its existence as a separate regiment. Its traditions, however, continued within the new regiment.

Today, The Life Guards remain part of the Household Cavalry alongside The Blues and Royals. They still perform ceremonial duties in London, but they are also a modern military unit capable of serving in armoured reconnaissance roles.

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The Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1870 after years of growing tensions between France and Prussia, worsened by the Luxembourg Crisis and finally by the Ems Dispatch. Napoleon III knew that France was weakened and that the Prussian army was superior, but pressure from Parliament and an increasingly furious French public pushed him to declare war. His health was also severely deteriorating, while France was facing a growing political crisis.

After several French defeats, Napoleon III moved with his army toward Sedan, where they became surrounded by Prussian forces and their allies from the German states. During the Battle of Sedan on September 1, 1870, the emperor, suffering from severe pain due to his poor health, even had difficulty mounting his horse. Nevertheless, he remained near his troops and continued encouraging them as the French attempted to break through the encirclement. For hours, fierce fighting continued, with repeated attempts to escape the trap, but the Prussian forces gradually tightened the encirclement and subjected the French army to heavy artillery fire.

Realizing that continuing the fight would only lead to more unnecessary deaths with little chance of escape, Napoleon III decided to surrender. The following day, September 2, he surrendered his sword to King Wilhelm I and was taken prisoner along with much of his army. The defeat at Sedan soon led to the fall of the Second French Empire.

Achille Baraguey d’Hilliers (1795–1878) was a French military officer with a very long and unusual career. He was born on September 6, 1795, in Paris, and was the son of General Louis Baraguey d’Hilliers. He was 18 years old when he fought at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, where he lost his left hand.

After the fall of Napoleon I, he continued his career in the French army and, over the years, supported Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, who would later become Napoleon III. His career continued until the Crimean War broke out in 1853, when he commanded the French expedition to the Baltic and took part in the capture of Bomarsund in 1854, after which he was appointed Marshal of France.

Later, during the Italian campaign of 1859, he commanded the French I Corps and played an important role in the victory at Solferino, where his troops captured the town after heavy fighting against the Austrians.

When the Franco-Prussian War began in 1870, he was appointed Military Governor of Paris. From this position, he tried to prepare and organize the defense of Paris. Baraguey d’Hilliers spoke directly with Empress Eugénie de Montijo and warned her about the condition of the French army and the difficulties he saw ahead in the war. Eugénie considered him too pessimistic and difficult to control, as the marshal had a strong personality and did not easily accept interference from the regent.

Eventually, Eugénie dismissed him and he was replaced by General Louis Jules Trochu. The irony is that Trochu, who replaced him, eventually turned his back on Eugénie and was appointed president of the Government of National Defense after the fall of the Second Empire.

After the fall of the Empire, the new Republic still relied on Baraguey d’Hilliers and appointed him president of the commission tasked with investigating the causes of the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War.

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The painting depicts French General Jean-Auguste Margueritte leading the French cavalry during the charges at Floing, at the Battle of Sedan on September 1, 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War.

With the French army almost completely surrounded by German forces, Margueritte was ordered to launch his cavalry against the Prussian positions. His troops were composed mainly of Chasseurs d’Afrique, along with other cavalry units, and made several charges against the enemy lines.

The French suffered casualties, but they also inflicted losses on the Prussians. Some cavalrymen managed to reach the enemy artillery batteries, while others continued charging even after being left almost alone, advancing under infantry and artillery fire.

Margueritte was mortally wounded while leading the charge. King Wilhelm I of Prussia watched the action and, impressed by the courage of the French cavalrymen, is said to have exclaimed: “Ach, die tapferen Leute!” — “Ah, what brave men!”

The charges failed to break the encirclement, but they gave the French forces a brief respite, inflicted casualties on the Prussians, helped disrupt their positions, and allowed the French to reorganize temporarily. Margueritte died on September 6, 1870, from his wounds.