| Life Guards of Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Лейб-гвардии Конный полк | |
 Regimental Badge | |
| Active |
1721–1918 1918–1920 |
| Country |
 Russian Empire |
| Branch |
 Russia Army |
| Type | Cavalry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Part of | Life Guards |
| Motto(s) | "To the day of the Bicentenary of the Horse Guards" |
| Engagements | World War I |
The Life Guards Horse Regiment (Лейб-гвардии Конный полк) was a former guards cavalry regiment of the Imperial Guard. The regiment was one of the first regiments formed during Peter I (Pytor I)'s Reign during the Great Northern War. The regiment was later disbanded in 1918, but reformed in the White Army part of the Guards Cavalry Regiment. The regiment's final disbandment date was in 1923 following the end of the Russian Civil War.
History[]
The Life Guards Horse Regiment trace their roots back to the Life Dragoons Squadron formed in 1721 under Prince Alexsander Menshikov. Although the regiment's roots date back to 1706, the regiment was fully formed by 1721. The squadron, after many renames and assignments, ended up being known as the Kronshlot Dragoon Company of the St Petersburg Governate. By 1725, the squadron was reorganised and expanded becoming, the Life Horse Regiment, being modelled after their Swedish enemy's structure and look. During the Battle of Poltava, the regiment took the Timpani of the Swedish Horse Guards' Regimental Band, which they kept and is still on display in St. Petersburg today.
On 31 December 1730, the regiment was renamed as the Life Horse Guards Regiment and given the full rights to the Guards' Corps and grouping. The regiment's first organisation was only of two squadrons. Until Empress Anna the regiment was, might sound weird, manned by Russians, but after Empress Anna, the regiment took most to all of their men from the Baltic Germans. In 1737 the regiment had expanded to 5 squadrons (5 Companies (troops) each), which 3 troops of them took part in the Russian-Turkish War especially during the Battle of Ochakov and Battle of Stavuchany. In 1801 Emperor Alexander I renamed the regiment, becoming the Life Guards Horse Regiment. After the death of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, the regiment's Colonel-in-Chiefs would always be the leaders of the empire.
Napoleonic Wars[]
In 1803 Russia joined the War of the Third Coalition, and under an army lead by Mikhail Kutuzov the 1st Western Army moved to group up with the 1st and 2nd Austrian Armies based in Moravia. During the Austrian Campaign and later the Battle of Austerlitz, the regiment was under the control of the Russian Imperial Guard Group and the Cavalry Guards under Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich and Lieutenant General Kologrivov, respectively. The 3rd Troop of the 2nd Squadron later captured the eagle of one of the battalions of the 4th Infantry Regiment. For this distinction, the regiment's motto became; "For the capture of the enemy banner near Austerlitz on 20 November 1805", and this was added onto the regiment's flag. The regiment later participated in the Battle of Heilsberg and Battle of Friedland. During the Battle of Friedland, the regiment's 4th Squadron held off a massive French cavalry attacked letting part of the army escape, in total the regiment had killed 16 Officers and 116 Lower Ranks. In 1812 during the French Invasion of Russia the regiment was assigned to the 1st Cuirassier Division under Major General Nikolay Depreradovich under the 5th Reserve Guards Infantry Corps. During the Battle of Borodino, the regiment along with the Chevalier Guard Regiment the group charged Lorge's Division from Latour-Maubour Corps at the Raevsky Battery. After this small charge, the regiment was given 32 Honours and major awards. By 1813, the regiment was given another inscription "For dinstinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from the limits of Russia in 1812". In 1813 Russia joined the War of the Sixth Coalition and the regiment later took part in the Battle of Kulm, Battle of Leipzig, Battle of Fehr-Champenoise, and later the Battle of Paris where they were granted St George Standards.
Mid-1800's[]
In 1825 during the Decembrist revolt, the regiment disposed the rebels where the regiment only lost one man. By 1831, two divisions of the regiment took part in the January Uprising where they suppressed a lot of the rebels. In 1849, the regiment took part in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 where they suppressed the revolution along with the Austrian forces. During the Crimean War the regiment was stationed in Petrograd in the case of an Anglo-French landing.
World War I[]
Before mobilisation for the war, the regiment was assigned to the 1st Brigade of the 1st Guards Cavalry Division under the Guards Corps. The regiment was stationed at Poceluev Bridge barracks. The regiment's organisation was as follows:
- Regimental Headquarters
- Regimental Staff
- Band of the Life Guards Horse Regiment
- Regiment
- Regimental Headquarters Squadron
- Reconnaissance Troop (Razvyedchiki)
- 1st Squadron
- 1st Troop
- 2nd Troop
- 3rd Troop
- 4th Troop
- Pioneers Detachment
- 2nd Squadron (Same as 1st)
- 3rd Squadron (Same as 1st)
- 4th Squadron (Same as 1st)
- Machine-Gun Detachment
- Pioneers Troop
- 1st Line Regimental Transportation Group
- 2nd Line Regimental Transportation Group
Upon mobilisation the regiment moved, along with the 1st Army, to the Eastern Front. The regiment later took part in the Battle of Kaushen, during the battle the regiment was almost destroyed when almost all squadron officers were killed. In 1917, the regiment was renamed as the Horse Guards Regiment. In December, following the October Revolution the regiment's (1st, 2nd and 5th) Squadrons were disbanded near Zhmerinka (1st Division). And the 3rd, 4th, and 6th Squadrons (2nd Division) were disbanded later. In March 1918, the regiment was officially disbanded.
Russian Civil War[]
In January 1918, the men who returned to the barracks formed part of the basis of the 1st Cavalry Regiment of the Red Army. This regiment was later disbanded in spring of 1919, following high feelings for moving over to the White Army.
In 1919, after the disbandment of the regiment most of the former regiment formed part of the reconnaissance force of the Combined Guards Infantry Regiment within the White Army and later the 2nd Squadron, Consolidated Regimentof the Guards Cuirassier Division. By June, the squadron was doubled forming two squadrons of the new 1st Guards Combined Cuirassier Regiment. Following the battles of later 1920, the regiment was mostly destroyed and later disbanded in 1920. After the end of the war, the regiment's emigrés formed a white movement group known as the "Union of Horse Guards".
Commanders[]
Commanders-in-Chief
- 1730—1740 Empress Anna Ionnova
- 1740—1741 Emperor Ivan VI
- 1741—1761 Empress Elizaveta Petrovna
- 1761—1762 Emperor Peter III
- 1762—1762 Field Marshal, Prince George Ludwig of Schleswig-Holstein
- 1762—1779 Emperor Catherine II (The Great)
- 1779—1796 Emperor Paul I
- 1796—1800 Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich
- 1800—1800 Grand Duke Tsesarevich Konstantin Pavlovich
- 1800—1800 General of Cavalry Alexander Friedrich Karl, Prince of Württemberg
- 1800—1831 Grand Duke Tsesarevich Konstantin Pavlovich
- 1831—1855 Emperor Nicholas I
- 1855—1881 Grand Duke Alexander II
- 1881—1894 Emperor Alexander III
- 1894—1917 Emperor Nicholas II