Officer, 8th Cuirassiers
Morsbronn, 1870

Since the Napoleonic Wars, the cuirassiers’ regiments have filled the heavy cavalry role in the French Army.

During the Second French Empire, Napoleon III tried to recreate the glory of the former Empire, and the arrangement of the Army and his Imperial Guard was a big part of it. Subsequently, the cuirassiers participated in all major campaigns of the period, including the Franco-Prussian War.

In this conflict, the cavalrymen of the 8th and 9th cuirassier regiments lived through a dramatic situation during the Battle of Wörth in 1870. While chasing some Prussian troops in a counterattack in the nearby village of Morsbronn, 700 men ended up trapped inside the village and were massacred by close range fire in a matter of minutes. This massive casualty episode is remembered as one of the most tragic moments of the history of French Cavalry.

Note: This is a resin miniature kit that requires assembly and painting.