REGIMENT OF CAVALRY:
"FIELD MARSHAL DOMINGO NIETO"
DRAGOONS OF THE
LIFE-GUARD OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
REPUBLIC OF PERU

 

Dragoons Guards of the Field Marshal Nieto Regiment in winter and summer regimentals
Dragoon Guards of the Regiment of Cavalry: "Field Marshal Domingo Nieto" Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Perú in winter and summer regimentals

The Regiment of Cavalry: "Field Marshal Domingo Nieto", Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Perú, was a Regiment of Dragoons (Infantry on horseback) of the Perú's Army and was created in 1904 following up first french military mission's suggestion. This first french military mission's undertook the Peru's Army reorganization in 1896.

The Regiment formed in 1904, on the base of the President's Life-Guard Squadron, and a year later took the denomination: "Cavalry Regiment, President's Life-Guard", until by Supreme Resolution N° 31 IGE/IM of the 19 of September of 1949, took the name from "Cavalry Regiment: "Field Marshal Domingo Nieto", President's Life-Guard".

The elegant regimentals of the Dragoon Guards of the Regiment of Cavalry: "Field Marshal Domingo Nieto", Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Perú, recalls the regimentals of the french Dragoons of the Guard from the late 19th. century and was established following up first french military mission's suggestion.

The Regiment and Regimentals were in force until 1987. The Regiment of Cavalry: "Field Marshal Nieto" was deactivated in that year.

The Dragoons (according to the British Encyclopedia Dragoon was in late 16th-century Europe, a mounted soldier who fought as a light cavalryman on attack and as a dismounted infantryman on defense. The terms derived from his weapon, a species of carbine or short musket called the dragoon. Dragoons were organized not in squadrons but in companies, and their officers and noncommissioned officers bore infantry titles) of the Regiment of Cavalry: "Field Marshal Domingo Nieto" was created as a mounted military corps, in order to be Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Perú in times of peace, characterizing itself by the solemnity and disciplines of his ceremonies, and in order to be a movable infantry Corps used to cover to the infantry of the line during retirement of the Forces in the days of war.

Its traditional title of Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Perú make it one of the Peru Army's Corps more distinguished and popular and an traditional and irreplaceable symbol of Lima City.

The Regiment had its headquarters in the Fort "Barbones" (Bearded men). The Fort shows this name because it occupies the place of the old convent of the religious Order of the Betlehemitas whose members used long beards. The Fort is quarter of cavalry from the time of the Virrey Jose Fernando de Abascal and Souza "Marquess of the Concord" (1806-1815).

 

Marshal Domingo Nieto

Picture of Field Marshal Domingo Nieto Márquez, President of the Republic of Perú between the years 1843-1844. He war one of the most distinguished leaders of the Independence War. He fought heroically in the battles of Junín and Ayacucho. In his honor, the Presidential Life-Guard Regiment is named after him.

 

DRAGOONS OF THE FRENCH ARMY

 

French Dragoons of the Guard in the world war I
Cavalry charge of the French Dragoons of the Guard in the first days of the imperialist world war I

 

French Dragoons of the Guard in the world war I
German soldiers being led on foot by French Dragoons on horses in the imperialist world war I

 

German Uhlans of the Guard captured by French Dragoons of the Guard>

GERMAN UHLANS CAPTURED BY FRENCH DRAGOONS

This postcard is a color-tinted photo of soldiers being led on foot through the street by soldiers on horses. Text at top left: "German Uhlans Captured by French Dragoons." Text at bottom right: "© by the International News Service, N.Y. "On reverse: "German Uhlans Captured by French Dragoons. The dragoons marching the prisoners through Douai."; "New York"; "London"; "Made in U.S.A."

 

DRAGOON GUARDS OF THE GOVERNMENT PALACE

 

Dragoon Guards of the Cavalry Regiment: Field Mariscal Nieto in winter regimentals
Dragoon Guards of the Regiment of Cavalry: "Field Marshal Domingo Nieto", Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Perú, in winter regimental, at the left grating-door of the Government Palace in Lima - Perú

 

Dragoon Guards of the Cavalry Regiment: Field Marshal Nieto in summer regimentals
Dragoon Guards of the Regiment of Cavalry: "Field Marshal Domingo Nieto", Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Perú, in summer regimentals, at the left grating-door of the Government Palace in Lima - Perú. This Photo was taken in the end of 1960 decade

 

Dragoon Guards of the Cavalry Regiment: Field Mariscal Nieto in summer regimentals

DRAGOON GUARDS OF THE REGIMENT OF CAVALRY: "FIELD MARSHAL DOMINGO NIETO", LIFE-GUARD OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF PERU

Dragoon Guards of the Cavalry Regiment: Field Mariscal Nieto in summer regimentals mounting guard at the left grating-door of the Government Palace in Lima - Perú. Can be seen the main facade of the Parochial Church of Lima and one of the neoclassical towers of the Cathedral Church of Lima.

 

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD

 

Important detail in the Government Palace of Peru was the ceremony of the Changing of the Guard. Established in 1940 by the pompous president Manuel Prado Ugarteche, it was solemnized by musical notes of the traditional military marches of Cavalry of the Perú's Army, such as: "Prince", "3rd. Cavalry", "Prayer to the Horse", "Trumpets of Cavalry", etc. The trumpeters of the Regiment's War Band heralded the beginning of the ceremony playing these military marches. The ceremony took place each weekday at 13 o'clock (no Sundays) at the palace's honor courtyard, the Troopers, composed by 40 soldiers of mounted infantry, dressed the regimentals of french inspiration, of the Dragoons of the Cavalry Regiment: "Field Marshal Domingo Nieto", Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Perú. The impressive military rite attracted many onlookers because of its ceremonial precision. Only in two countries of the world this ceremony is made. England and The Vatican.

In addition the changing of the Dragoon Guard was the representative act of an ancient military culture under the French influence.

 

Dragoon Guards of the Life-Guard Regiment Field Marishal Nieto

Photo of the traditional Changing of the Presidential Guard of Mounted Infantry made ceremonially by the gallant Dragoons of the Cavalry Regiment: "Field Marshal Nieto", Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Peru, the Dragoon Guards dress their summer regimentals. The photography corresponds at the time of the beginning of the ceremony and in it is seen the old Guard Platoon (i.e. the Guard is going to come out from the government palace).

 

A typical stamp of the Lima City was the traditional changing of the Presidential Guard of mounted Infantry made by the gallant Dragoons of the Regiment: Marshal Nieto, in this view they dress their summer regimentals

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD BY THE GALLANT DRAGOONS OF THE REGIMENT OF CAVALRY: "FIELD MARSHAL DOMINGO NIETO", PRESIDENTIAL LIFE GUARD

Photography of the traditional Changing of the Presidential Guard of Mounted Infantry made ceremonially by the gallant Dragoons of the Cavalry Regiment: "Field Marshal Nieto", Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Peru, the Dragoons dress summer regimentals. To the left this the old Guard Platoon and to the right the new Guard Platoon.

 

A typical stamp of the Lima City was the traditional changing of the Presidential Guard of mounted Infantry made by the gallant Dragoons of the Regiment: Marshal Nieto, in this view they dress their summer regimentals

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD BY THE GALLANT DRAGOONS OF THE REGIMENT OF CAVALRY: "FIELD MARSHAL DOMINGO NIETO", PRESIDENTIAL LIFE GUARD

Photography of the traditional Changing of the Presidential Guard of Mounted Infantry made ceremonially by the gallant Dragoons of the Cavalry Regiment: "Field Marshal Nieto", Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Peru, the Dragoons dress summer regimentals (unlike the troops the regimentals of the official is denominated of formation). The photography corresponds at the moment of the changing of the guard, to the left this the new Guard Platoon and to the right the old Guard Platoon.

 

Dragoon Guards of the Regiment: Marshal Nieto

Photography of the traditional Changing of the Presidential Guard of Mounted Infantry made ceremonially by the gallant Dragoons of the Cavalry Regiment: "Field Marshal Nieto", Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Peru, the Dragoons dress summer regimentals. The photography corresponds at the moment at which the guard is changing itself, in it the Officials with his sabres martially execute the classic standard greeting in 5 times, to the left this the new Guard Platoon, to the right can be seen two trumpeters of the Regiment's War Band.

 

A typical stamp of the Lima City was the traditional Changing of the Presidential Guard of Mounted Infantry made ceremonially by the gallant Dragoons of the Cavalry Regiment: Marshal Nieto

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD BY THE GALLANT DRAGOONS OF THE
PRESIDENT'S LIFE-GUARD REGIMENT: "FIELD MARSHAL DOMINGO NIETO"

A typical stamp of the Lima City was the traditional Changing of the Presidential Guard of Mounted Infantry made ceremonially by the gallant Dragoons of the Cavalry Regiment: "Field Marshal Nieto", Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Peru. In the photography the Dragoon Guards dress winter regimentals and march in the french way and keeping time, this step is a french martial stepping denominated "Marching in the time" and dates from the time of the French King Louis the fourteenth, better-known under the nickname "King Sun". The photo corresponds at the end of the ceremony, in the foreground the Regiment's War Flag and its guardsmen preceding to the new Guard Platoon, in the background is the old Guard Platoon preceded by the trumpeters of the Regiment's War Band. The Dragoon Guards of both platoons take ceremonial lances, these weapons are on guard and placed diagonally, the lance recalls the weapon adopted in 1889 by the Dragoons of the French Army.

 

 

A CRAZY PRESIDENT ORDERED THE "FIELD MARSHAL NIETO" REGIMENT'S END

In 1987 the questionable peruvian president Alan García, better-known under the nickname "Crazy Horse", was furious because of the regimentals, in the french fashion, of the Regiment of Cavalry: "Field Marshal Domingo Nieto", Life-Guard of the President of the Republic of Perú. Alan García ordered 1st. Cavalry ("Hussars of Junín" Regiment of Light-Horse), must be his personal life-guard and the Hussars of Junín are known under the nickname "Crazy Horse's Life-Guard" ever since.

 

Hussars of Junín Regiment of Light-Horse, 1st. Cavalry, Liberator of Perú
The HUSSARS of Junín are the new president García's Life-Guard and these soldiers are known under the nickname "Crazy Horse's Life-Guard" ever since. In this view the dismounted Hussars of Junín are marching on foot

 

 

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