Dragoons were originally intended to be a sort of hybrid corps, of infantry mounted on horses, in order that they might arrive with more speed at the position in which they were to fight on foot; and in a battle they formed line and acted with the infantry.
The Regiment of the Dragoons of the Guard, created on 15th April 1806, was initially composed of four squadrons and one of vŽlites. Made up to five squadrons by the discontinuance of the latter on 1st April 1811, it numbered six squadrons in 1813 and 1814, four of which were 'Old Guard'.
They served in Spain, Austria and Russia. However like the remainder of the Guard: it is an elite regiment and an expensive one, the Emperor hesitated to use it other than as a last resort. No other cavalry regiment in the French army compared to its service in 1813 and 1814, the campaigns of the Guard par excellence. They were present at Dresden, Leipzig and especially Hanau where they charged the Austrian and Bavarian cavalry.