Les Vieux Corps

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The name Les Vieux Corps was used in the French Army of the Ancien Régime for the only infantry regiments that were permanently in service and most respected after the Royal Guard . There were the two groups of the so-called Grands Vieux (great old people) and the Petits Vieux (small old people)

The terms disappeared after January 1, 1791 when the regimental names were abolished.

Origins

The “Vieux Corps” emerged from the so-called “Bandes des provinces frontières”, the armed army of the border provinces. These were Swiss, Spaniards, Italians, Gascogner and German Landsknechte (Lansquenets) and horsemen (Reîtres) . These were fearsome mercenaries who would shrink from nothing , who were deployed at the head of the French infantry (which often consisted of compulsory and poorly equipped peasants) until the 16th century with the corps of the "Bandes noires du Piémont" such a force emerged, which then became the basis for the "great old regiments" (and for the standing army).

The "Grands Vieux Corps"

According to the French order of battle, the units of the royal guard, the Régiment des Gardes françaises and the Régiment des Gardes suisses , were at the head , followed by the regiments of the “Vieux Corps”. The Guard and the “Vieux Corps” were in reputation above all other regiments of the army and had a not inconsiderable number of special rights. They were the first to carry the white flag (Drapeau blanc or Drapeau colonel) of the body company .

There were

In the first half of the following century the group was reinforced by two regiments:

The regiments of Champagne , de Piémont and de Normandie always had the same name until the regimental names were abolished on January 1, 1791.

The "Grands Vieux" were royal regiments until January 1, 1791, the regiment holder was the king himself, and they were therefore commanded by a lieutenant colonel or a colonel en second . The Ministry of War was responsible for the recruitment and supply. It was the only six infantry regiments that were never reduced or dissolved, even in peacetime.

Flags of the "Grands Vieux Corps"

Body flags

  • General body flag

  • Life flag of Navarre

Ordinance flags and uniforms

  • Régiment de Picardie 1585 to 1780

  • Régiment de Picardie 1672

  • Régiment de Navarre 1594 to 1791

  • Régiment de Navarre 1720

  • Régiment de Champagne 1585 to 1791

  • Regiment de Champagne 1734

  • Régiment de Piémont 1585 to 1791

  • Regiment de Piémont 1757

  • Regiment de Normandie 1616 to 1791

  • Regiment de Normandie 1762

  • Régiment de La Marine 1636 to 1791

  • Régiment de La Marine 1776

The "La Marine" case

After the Cardinal de Richelieu had created his own regiment in 1635 with the "Régiment de Cardinal-Duc" (it was a matter of pure prestige), he used his influence to ensure that this regiment received the status of the "Great Old" and was equipped with the white flag. This immediately aroused envy and resentment among the other regiment owners from the high nobility, whose units were considerably older and who had been denied this privilege. This went so far that in 1650 there were still disputes over the right of way in the attack on Mouzon , which was occupied by the Spanish. The Régiment de Sault involved was one of the great old regiments and was under no circumstances willing to give way to the “upstarts” of “La Marine”. Finally, the king (or the queen as regent) had to intervene. The "Régiment de La Marine" was used from 1636 in the brigade association with the Régiment de Picardie - both units were to be treated without distinction.

After the authority of Louis XIV had established itself over time, he put the regiment by royal decree of March 26, 1670 definitely on the 6th rank of the "old man" regiments and ended all disputes.

The "Petits Vieux Corps"

Under Louis XIII. There were then another six high-ranking infantry regiments called the "Little Old Ones". They were not necessarily among the oldest regiments, but they also had privileges and carried the white cross in their flags in front of the normal regiments. Just like the "old men", they had their own prévôt de justice

Of these six regiments, however, only three always had the same name:

The other three bore the name of the respective colonel and changed it when the regiment owner changed:

They too were part of the royal regiments with their associated peculiarities. They, too, were never disbanded in peacetime, but were then subject to reduction, which, if necessary, led to staff reductions down to one or two companies.

Flags of the Petits Vieux

Body flags

  • General body flag

  • Life flag of the Régiment du Roi 1757 to 1791

Ordinance flags

Only the three listed here belonged firmly to the six regiments of the "Petits Vieux". The other three places were awarded differently.

literature

  • Journal des sciences militaires des armées de terre et de mer. Volume 1. R. Chapelot, Paris 1825, p. 12 ( full text in the Google book search).
  • François de Bourgoing: Revue contemporaine. Volume 13. Bureau de la Revue contemporaine , Paris 1854, p. 212 ( full text in the Google book search).
  • Louis Susane: Histoire de l'ancienne infanterie française. Volume 3. J. Corréard, Paris 1851 ( full text in the Google book search).
  • Adrien Pascal, Jules du Camp: Histoire de l'armée et de tous les régiments, depuis les premiers temps de la monarchie française jusqu'à nos jours. Volume 4. A. Barbier, 1850 ( full text in the Google book search).

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Journal des sciences militaires des armées de terre et de mer. Volume 1. R. Chapelot, Paris 1825, p. 12 ( full text in the Google book search).
  2. ^ François-Alexandre Aubert de La Chenaye-Desbois , Jacob Baron von Eggers: Dictionnaire militaire ou recueil alphabétique de tous les termes propres à la guerre, etc. Volume 2. George Conrad Walther, Dresden 1751, Sp. 1149 ff. ( Full text on the Internet Archives ).
  3. ↑ Gabriel Daniel: Histoire de la milice françoise et des changemens qui s'y sont faits depuis l'établissement de la monarchie dans les Gaules jusqu'à la fin du règne de Louis le Grand. Volume 2. Paris 1724, pp. 248, 281. New edition: Hachette, Paris 2012, ISBN 978-2-01-266802-7 .
  4. ↑ a b erroneously referred to as “colonelle” in the picture
  5. ^ François-Alexandre Aubert de La Chenaye-Desbois, Jacob Baron von Eggers: Dictionnaire militaire ou recueil alphabétique de tous les termes propres à la guerre etc. Volume 2. George Conrad Walther, Dresden 1751, Col. 679 ff. ( Full text on the Internet Archives ).
  6. ↑ Gabriel Daniel: Histoire de la milice françoise et des changemens qui s'y sont faits depuis l'établissement de la monarchie dans les Gaules jusqu'à la fin du règne de Louis le Grand. Volume 2. Paris 1724, p. 281. New edition: Hachette, Paris 2012, ISBN 978-2-01-266802-7 .