During the Napoleonic Wars, the regiment took part in most of the major battles, including Austerlitz (1805), Jena (1806), Friedland (1807), Wagram (1809), Borodino (1812), Leipzig (1813) and Waterloo (1815).
During the post-revolution reorganisations of the army, it was redesignated as the 12th Regiment of Cavalry (12éme Régiment de Cavalerie). It saw service in Germany, Italy, and later for a short time in Belgium.
Summer 1940 : Regiment preserved within the framework of the Armée d'Armistice, as a garrison force at Orange
1942 : Armée d'Armistice dissolved
1943 : Regiment reconstituted as the Régiment de Chars (Tank Regiment) in North Africa, by the splitting of the 12e régiment de chasseurs d'Afrique (12th Regiment of Chasseurs of Africa), and added to the 2e Division Blindée (2nd Armoured Division).
1855 : Became 1er régiment de cuirassiers de la Garde Impériale (1st Regiment of Cuirassiers of the Imperial Guard) after the creation of a second regiment of Imperial Guard cuirassiers
1865 : Merged with the 2e régiment de cuirassiers de la Garde impériale (2nd Cuirassiers Regiment of the Imperial Guard) to form the new régiment de cuirassiers de la Garde impériale (Regiment of Cuirassiers of the Imperial Guard)
1871 : Became the 12e régiment de cuirassiers again after the fall of the Second French Empire
August 1914 : The 12e régiment de cuirassiers was assigned to the 6e brigade de cavalerie (6th Cavalry Brigade), which was itself attached to the 7e division de cavalerie (7th Cavalry Division).
January 1918: Became 12e régiment de cuirassiers à pied and was reattached to the 2e division de cavalerie à pied (2nd Cavalry Division on foot)
Commanding officers
1791 : Charles Michel de Lanay de Vallerie – colonel
1792 : Francois Durand Tauzia de la Litterie – colonel
1813 : Bautzen, Reichenbach, Jauer, Dresden, Wachau and Leipzig
1814 : La Rothière, Rosnay, Champaubert, Vauchamps, Valjouan, Athies, Reims, Fere-Champenoise, and Paris
1815 : Ligny and Waterloo (within 2e brigade, called the brigade Travers, in the 13e division de cavalerie, called the division Wathier, in the IVe corps de cavalerie under général de division comte Édouard Jean Baptiste Milhaud, of the army reserve)
(*) Battle honour on this regiment's flag
Colonels killed and wounded in command of the 12e Cuirassiers:
Colonel de Curnier : wounded November 1812
Officers killed and wounded whilst serving in the 12e Cuirassiers during the 1805-1815 period:
This regiment, long known as one of the best trained cavalry regiments, entirely merits the reputation it has gained in that sphere. (Ce régiment, qui depuis longtemps passe pour l'un des mieux exercés de la cavalerie, mérite toute la réputation qu'il s'est acquise dans ce genre.)
Thanks to an elite personnel and despite heavy losses, it knew how to preserve a high morale and a magnificent aggressive fervor (Grâce à un personnel d'élite et malgré de lourdes pertes, a su conserver un moral élevé et une ardeur combative magnifique.)
A tank regiment impregnated with the purest traditions of the cavalry, that distinguished itself by the rapidity and audacity of its actions (Régiment de chars imprégné des plus pures traditions de la cavalerie, qui s'est distingué par la rapidité et l'audace de ses actions.)
