The Voltigeurs were ‘French’ military skirmish units created in 1804 by Emperor Napoleon. Voltigeurs (English: “vaulters”) were named after their originally conceived mode of operation: although they were foot soldiers, on the battlefield they were intended to jump onto the rear of cavalry horses to advance more quickly!
This proved unworkable and they were trained to be ‘elite skirmishers’, but they retained their original name. Voltigeurs formed an integral part of the Grande Armée’s basic building blocks, the Line and Light infantry battalions.
The voltigeurs were skilled at sharp shooting and received specific training in marksmanship, using cover and taking the initiative. Operating in loose formation, forming the skirmish line and screening the line battalion from the enemy.
The Army of the ‘Duchy of Warsaw’ (Polish army) of that time was modelled after the French Napoleonic Army which resulted in some social tensions, but is generally credited with helpful modernization and useful reforms. Overall, the Polish units were reckoned by the French to be highly motivated and of high quality. Under Prince Józef Poniatowski the army participated in numerous wars on the side of Napoleonic France, including the War of the Fourth Coalition (1806–1807), Peninsular War, the War of the Fifth Coalition (primarily in the Polish–Austrian War) of 1809, and in the War of the Sixth Coalition (in particular, in the French invasion of Russia) of 1812–1813.
In the Russian campaign of 1812, the Polish units formed an entire corps (the V Corps) of the Grande Armée. The army sustained over 70% losses! At the battle of Leipzig in 1813, the Army suffered further heavy casualties , where Prince Poniatowski died.
After this defeat, the Duchy was occupied by Napoleon’s enemies. Much of the Army followed Napoleon back to France that year.
Disorganized after Poniatowski’s death, in 1814, the army was incorporated into the French Army, and ceased to exist. With the final defeat of Napoleon and after the ‘Treaty of Fontainebleau’ most of the Polish soldiers were given into the custody of the Russians!!