Grand Duchy of Cleve-Berg, 1806–1813

Schloss Benrath near Düsseldorf.

In 1806, Maximilian Joseph, Duke of Pfalz-Zweibrücken and King of Bavaria ceded his Duchy of Berg to France. Napoleon I. established the Grand Duchy of Berg with its capital in Düsseldorf, and on 18 March 1806 made his brother-in-law, and Maréchal de France, Joachim Murat Grand Duke of Cleve and Berg. Murat immediately raised the 1. Bergische Infanterie-Regiment of four battalions, which participated in the Siege of Graudenz (West Prussia) in 1806. Each battalion had eight companies of 100 men each.

Following the Treaties of Tilsit, 7 July 1807, additional provinces were incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Berg. As a result, the 11. Bayerische Infanterie-Regiment von Kinkel, as well as an infantry battalion and a hussar detachment of Orange-Nassau were transferred to the army of Berg. After October 1808, the army of the Grand Duchy of Berg consisted of the following formations:

Infantry

  1. Infanterie-Regiment, April 1806
  2. Infanterie-Regiment, August 1808
  3. Infanterie-Regiment, Oktober 1808
  4. Infanterie-Regiment, August 1811

Cavalry

Artillerie-Bataillon

  1. Horse Artillery Battery
  2. Foot Artillery Battery
  3. Sapper, Miner, Pontonnier Company
  4. Train Company

Gendarmerie & Militia

  • Gendarmerie
  • Garde National

By decree of 14 November 1808, the Grand Duchy of Cleve-Berg was organized into four Départements. On 15 July 1808, Joachim Murat became King Joachim I. of the Two Sicilies. In 1809, Napoleon Louis Bonaparte (11 October 1804 – 17 March 1831), son of Napoleons youger brother Louis I Napoleon Bonaparte, King of Holland, Count of Saint-Leu, was made Grand-Duke of Cleve-Berg.

The Grand Duchy of Cleve-Berg was dissolved in 1813, and it became a Prussian province in 1814.

Bibliography

  • Pivka, Otto von: Napoleon’s German Allies (1) – Westfalia and Kleve-Berg (Reading 1975)

Napoleonic Miniatures