Saxon Army

From Project SYW

Hierarchical Path: Main Page >> Armies >> Saxon Army

1 Introduction to the Saxon Army of 1756
2 Saxon regiments serving with the Austrians and Reichsarmee 1757-1763
3 The Saxon Corps serving with the French Armies 1758-1762
4 References

Introduction to the Saxon Army of 1756

At the end of the Great Northern War, the long fight against Sweden was over. August II, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, started a reform of his armed forces. A first reorganization of the army was performed on June 20 1717:

in addition to the Chevaliersgarde and the Garde du Corps, who were under direct command of the Elector, he now directly supervised the Hausartillerie, the Field Artillery and the Engineer Corps;
the cavalry had cuirassiers regiments (heavy cavalry), 5 dragoons regiments and a hussar regiment (in 1730 two squadrons of the dragoon regiment Sachsen Gotha were transformed in the horse grenadiers);
the infantry consisted of two guards infantry regiments and eight line infantry regiments;
the artillery battalion was divided in Haus and Feld (Field-) artillery:
- the Hausartillerie manned 30 heavy mortars and the heavy guns of the fortresses;
- the Feldartillerie of Saxony and Poland were equipped with 3-, 6- and 12-pounder guns.

In 1694, the first standing Saxon Army totalled 15,000 men (80% of them being foreigners). During the reign of Friedrich August I this percentage was reduced to 28%. In 1730, only 11% of the men were not born in Saxony. The total force of the Army was by then 30,000 men.

The application of the 1722 Infantry Regulation and of the 1728 Cavalry Regulation was put under direct control of the Elector. The commissioning in the Officer Corps and NCO was improved.

In 1727 was raised the InvalidenKorps (two battalion, each of four companies of 166 men, 32 NCO and a staff of 21 men). The first battalion received the half-invalid men, the second battalion the full-invalid men. They served as garrison in fortresses.

Particular attention was dedicated to the dress and armament of the troops. Infantry received flintlocks with iron ramrod. A force of 1,200 men was stationed in Poland. The general staff was reformed. Four new cuirassiers regiments were raised between 1730 and 1732. In the summer of 1718 nearby Dresden and in 1725 near Pillnitz, extensive manoeuvres of the whole army were performed under the eyes of the monarch. The troops learned to fight in three ranks in linear order. The Saxon Field-Artillery was augmented from three to four batteries. The Artillery Train was raised. The summer camp of the year 1728 was overshadowed by the military event of the Parade of Zeithain. The financial cost of paying, re-equipping and re-arming the Saxon Army was staggering. Several measures were undertaken to reduce the high desertion rate which, between 1717 and 1728, had drained 9,333 men, about a third of the army strength. The problem was reduced but, never solved. A deserter became infamous, his name was Karl Stulpner. He deserted several times during 40 years of service and after a grace he spent 10 years in the Prinz Maximilian Infantry stationed in Chemnitz before disappearing in the Bohemian forests.

In 1731, the Adelige Kadetten Company counted 155 men.

After the Second Silesian War (1744-1745), the Saxon army had undergone severe reductions. By the summer of 1756, the army in Saxony amounted to 12 infantry regiments in 25 battalions, 8 cavalry regiments in 32 squadrons, 5 companies of artillery, 8 companies of garrison troops, and the smallish cadres of 4 Kreis-Regimenter (provincial militia) for a total of some 21,200 men. Furthermore, 4 cavalry regiments (Karabiniersgarde and 3 regiments of Chevauxlegers) with some 2,300 men and 2 Pulks (bands) of Tartar Hoffahnen (court-banners) with some 876 men were stationed in Poland in 1756, and thus, avoided the poor fate of their brothers-in-arms when the entire army surrendered at Pirna on October 15.

By 1752, new and well-elaborated service and drill regulations had been introduced. They included Austrian and, more often, Prussian elements. The infantry battalion was formed 3 deep, and divided into 4 Divisons, 8 Halb-Divisions or 16 Pelotons. Battle tactics called for a slow and continued advance by employing a 'rolling' fire by the battalions sub-divisions from a distance of 250 to 100 paces. At this distance it was to fall into a faster pace and approach the enemy to 20 paces, interrupted by 3 halts for delivering a general battalion volley by the second and third rank. Assuming the opponent would still hold its ground, the first rank would now fire followed by the entire battalion charging home with the bayonet. If charged by cavalry, the battalion was to hold its fire until the horse approached to 10 paces.

The cavalry formed in 2 or 3 ranks. The squadron was divided into 3 sections, each with 2 half-sections. The use of firearms while mounted had been practised, though, instructions called for charging at a gallop and relying on 'cold steel' only.

Saxon Army

From Project SYW

Contents

Introduction to the Saxon Army of 1756

Staff

Royal Household and special formations

Infantry

Cavalry Guards

Cuirassiers

Light Dragoons and Chevauxlegers

Uhlanen or Tartars

Jägerkorps

Artillery

Invalids or Garrison Troops

Militia

Saxon regiments serving with the Austrians and Reichsarmee 1757-1763

The Saxon Corps serving with the French Armies 1758-1762

Infantry

Cavalry

Artillery

References

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