Grenadiers à cheval

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1774

The Grenadiers à cheval were part of the royal guard in France ( Maison militaire du roi de France ). In contrast to the purely representative palace guards, this was a fighting association of company strength.

Established in December 1676 by decree by King Louis XIV , the company was on December 15, 1775 under Louis XVI. dissolved for reasons of economy, the simple grenadiers with the rank of maréchal-des-logis distributed among the cavalry regiments.

The strength of the crew fluctuated over the years, in 1678 the company comprised 120 riders. After the army was reduced on the occasion of the peace of Nijmegen it was reduced to 100 men. In 1725 there were only 84 men, the workforce increased to 150 during the Seven Years' War in 1759. The personnel replacement was recruited from the ranks of the Grenadiers de France.

The armament consisted of musket , flintlock pistol and sword , and optionally entrenching tools . In the field, the Grenadiers à cheval always marched at the head of the guards.

Combat missions

Dutch War

War of the Palatinate Succession

War of the Spanish Succession

War of the Polish Succession

War of the Austrian Succession

Seven Years War

After 1761 until its dissolution, the company did not take part in any fighting.

Standard

Standard

The standard of the company shows the typical characteristics of the French guard cavalry. In the central field there is a bursting grenade, the currency band above carries the inscription:

  • UNIQUE TERROR - UNIQUE LETHUM (Unique in Terror - Unique in Annihilation)

This standard was awarded to the company after the battle of Leuze, in which it had distinguished itself in particular.

Workforce

At the time of deployment, the company consisted of:

The officer positions were reserved for the nobility. The NCOs and horsemen were chosen from among the ranks of the infantry grenadiers. They had to be of stately figure and have mustaches.

literature

  • Histoire de la maison militaire du roi de 1814 à 1830 , E. Titeux, Ed. Baudry (Paris), 1890.
  • Encyclopédie théologique , Tome I, Vol. 2, Jacques-Paul Migne, Paris, 1859.
  • Dictionnaire de la conversation et de la lecture , Volume 29, Bellin-Mandar, Paris, 1836.

Web links

Commons : Uniforms of the Royal French Guard  - collection of images, videos and audio files