Caliver Books: The Polish nation was not well treated during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. Their country, which was one of the largest in Europe at the time, was partitioned on three occasions until it ceased to exist. However, it is seen as a golden period in their history due to their struggle to regain their independence from this occupation. Some Poles saw salvation through benevolent Russian overlordship, while others sought to create a new kingdom with the aid of France. It is with the second of these that this book deals. Initially, Polish Legions were created in Italy with the hope that they would be allowed to fight to re-establish their homeland; and later, the Duchy of Warsaw was created that was only a fraction of the former state it replaced.
The organization and uniforms of all these formations are covered, along with some details of other units, such as those formed for the Imperial Guard and the French army itself. Along the way, some details have been included from Polish sources that were not available in English, such as what the headgear of the lancer elite companies actually was; and also as much detail as can be found of some of the more obscure formations, such as the Nobel Levy and various Honour Guards. Details of Lithuanian regiments have also been included, which had much in common with the Poles. The Lithuanian Rifles Battalions have been covered in as much depth as possible, despite their very short existence; the Duchy of Warsaw also had some light infantry units, and these have also been recorded. The Polish troops in this period have always been colorful and interesting, and hopefully the reader will find this book both helpful and enlightening.
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