The reform that Napoleone Bonaparte made on the 1st Vendemiarie An XII (24th September 1802) allotted the chivalry in three specialities:

• Heavy chivalry Cuirassiers & Carabiniers
• Line chivalry Dragoons & Lancers
• Light chivalry Ussards & Chasseurs

Were born so 12 cuirassiers regiments (become 14 since the 24th December 1809) that in the beginning of the 1805's campaign were grouped in three autonomous divisions:

- Gen. Nansouty division formed by the 2nd 3rd 9th 12th Rgt

- Gen. d'Hautpoul division formed by the 1st 5th 10th 11th Rgt

- Gen. Espagne division formed by the 4th 6th 7th 8th Rgt

Each regiment was commanded by a colonel and it was formed by four squadrons (become 5 since the 1806 until the 1809) formed each one by 2 companies with 500 swords (become 800 since the end of 1806)

The cuirassiers were nicknamed "Les gros talons" o "Les hommes de fer"; their furious and bloody charge's pitiless trumpet made tremble all battle field's sun.

The cuirassiers wrote pages of legendary value until the last heroic sword's hit during the Waterloo's battle that was one of the higher military episode, but it was the end of the Napoleonic Empire and its wonderful epic.

This extraordinary cavalry petrified Clinton, who had seen Talavera and Badajoz. Wellington, three-quarters vanquished, admired heroically. He said in an undertone, "Sublime!"