The Electoral Saxon Army of the Seven Years’ War, 1756–1763
Following its surrender at Pirna, 15 October 1756, the army of the Electorate of Saxony went into Prussian captivity. Officers were dismissed, the NCOs promoted to officers, and entire regiments incorporated into the Prussian army, with the exception of the Leibgrenadier-Garde.
Infantry-Regiment Königin and Grenadier-Battalion Kurprinzessin refused to take the oath and were disbanded. Many soldiers of the remaining ten infantry regiments deserted en masse in the following months or went over to the enemy on the battlefield, so that by 1758 there was only one formerly Saxon infantry regiment on the establishment of the field army and two on the garrison establishment.
Many of the deserted Saxon soldiers made their way to Hungary via Bohemia and Poland, where a new Saxon army was being formed under the command of Lieutenant-General Franz Xavier prince of Saxony, count of Lusatia, from 1757. These troops received new regimental colours in March of 1758 and they took part in the campaigns of the combined French and Imperial Army along the Rhine.
Miniatures
- Austrian General Staff, 15 mm Old Glory SYA11
- Prussian Grenadiers
- Prussian Musketiers
- Prussian Fusiliers
- Prussian Dragoons
- Prussian Cuirasssiers
- Austrian Hussars
- Prussian Artillery
Electoral Saxon General Staff and Generals
| General Staff | Service |
|---|---|
| Feldmarschall Friedrich August Graf Rutowski | 1756 |
| Generallieutenant Prince Xavier of Saxony | 1756–1763 |
| Generalmajor Noe de Crousatz | 1756–1763 |
| Generalmajor Graf Nostitz | 1756–1763 |
| Feldjäger-Corps zu Fuß | 1756–1763 |
| Feldjäger-Corps zu Pferd | 1756–1763 |
Electoral Saxon Infantry of the Seven Years’ War
| Regiment | Proprietor | Service |
|---|---|---|
| Leibgrenadier-Garde | Kurfürst Friedrich August II. of Saxony |
1756–1763 |
| The Leibgrenadier-Garde spent the rest of the war in the neutral fortress of Königstein. | ||
| Garde zu Fuß | Kurfürst Friedrich August II. of Saxony |
1751–1760 |
| Infantry Regiment Königin | Maria Josepha Kurfürstin of Saxony, Queen of Poland | 1756–1756 |
| Infantry Regiment Prince Josef of Saxony | Prince Josef of Saxony | 1757–1763 |
| Grenadier Battalion Kurprinzessin | Maria Antonia Walpurgis, Kurprinzessin of Saxony | 1756–1763 |
| Infantry Regiment Prince Friedrich August of Saxony |
Prince Friedrich August of Saxony |
1756–1763 |
| Infantry Regiment Prince Xavier of Saxony |
Prince Xavier of Saxony | 1756–1763 |
| Infantry Regiment Prince Clemens of Saxony |
Prince Clemens of Saxony | 1756–1763 |
| Infantry Regiment Graf Brühl | General Graf Brühl | 1756–1763 |
| Infantry Regiment Fürst Lubomirski |
Generalmajor Fürst Lubomirski | 1756–1763 |
| Infantry Regiment von Rochow | von Rochow | 1756–1763 |
| Infantry Regiment von Minckwitz | von Minckwitz | 1756–1759 |
| Infantry Regiment Prince Anton of Saxony | Prince Anton of Saxony | 1759–1763 |
| Infantry Regiment Prince Adolf Johann of Saxe-Gotha |
Prince Adolf Johann of Saxe-Gotha | 1756–1763 |
| Infantry Regiment Prince Carl Maximilian of Saxony |
Prince Carl Maximilian of Saxony | 1756–1763 |
Electoral Saxon Grenadier Battalions 1756
| Grenadier Battalion | Parent Units |
|---|---|
| Grenadier-Bataillon Bennigsen | Garde zu Fuß & Infantry Regiment Graf Brühl |
| Grenadier-Bataillon Kavanagh | Prince Friedrich August & Lubomirski |
| Grenadier-Bataillon von de Pforte | Prince Xavier & Prinz of Saxe-Gotha |
| Grenadier-Bataillon von Götze | Prince Maximilian & Minckwitz |
| Grenadier-Bataillon von Milckau | Königin & Infantry Regiment von Rochow |
| Grenadier-Bataillon von Pfundheller | Prince Clemens & Leibgrenadier-Garde |
Electoral Saxon Cavalry of the Seven Years’ War
| Regiment | Proprietor | Service |
|---|---|---|
| Regiment Garde du Corps | ||
| Karabiniergarde | ||
| Leibkürassiere | ||
| Königl. Prinz-Kürassiere | ||
| Kürassier-Regiment von Arnim | ||
| Kürassier-Regiment Fürst Anhalt | ||
| Kürassier-Regiment von Plötz | ||
| Kürassier-Regiment von Vitzthum | ||
| Chevauleger-Regiment Graf Brühl | ||
| Chevauleger-Regiment Prinz Karl | Karl Christian, Prinz von Sachsen | 1756–1763 |
| Chevauleger-Regiment Prinz Albrecht | ||
| Chevauleger-Regiment Graf Rutowski | ||
| Ulanen Pulk Wilczewski | ||
| Ulanen Pulk Rudnicki | ||
| Ulanen Pulk Bronikowsky | ||
| Husaren-Eskadron von Schill | Rittmeister Johann Georg von Schill | 1761–1763 |
Upper Saxon Circle Contingent of the Imperial Army
| Regiment | Proprietor | Service |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kreis-Regiment | 1733–1756 | |
| 2. Kreis-Regiment | 1733–1756 | |
| 3. Kreis-Regiment | 1733–1756 | |
| 4. Kreis-Regiment | 1733–1756 | |
| The four regiments of the electoral Saxon contingent of the Upper Saxon Circle perished with the army in 1756 and they were not raised again during the war. | ||
Electoral Saxon Garrison Troops and Militia
| Formation | Commanding Officer | Service |
|---|---|---|
| Invalidencorps Garnisonkompanie Königstein |
||
| Invalidencorps Garnisonkompanie Pleißenburg |
||
| Invalidencorps Garnisonkompanie Sonnenstein |
||
| Invalidencorps Garnisonkompanie Stolpen |
||
| Invalidencorps Garnisonkompanie Wittenberg |
||
| Invalidenkompanie Waldheim | ||
| Henneberg Miliz | 1730–1756 |
Electoral Saxon Artillery and Engineers
| Formation | Commanding Officer | Service |
|---|---|---|
| Artillerie-Bataillon | 1756–1763 | |
| Artillerie Hauskompanie, Dresden | 1756–1763 | |
| Pionierkorps, Dresden | 1756–1763 |
Bibliography
- Förster, Hoch, Müller, Swoboda: Uniformen europäischer Armeen, 17. bis 20. Jahrhundert
- Funcken, L. & F.: Historische Uniformen 18. Jahrhundert, Band 2, S. 82-85
- Große, Otto: Prinz Xaver von Sachsen und die sächs. Armee 1758–1763, Leip. 1907
- Großer Generalstab, Die Kriege Friedrichs des Großen. Der Siebenjährige Krieg
- Knötel-Sieg: Handbuch der Uniformkunde
- Knötel, Uniformkunde V 26 Sachsen
- Kraszewski, Józef Ignacy: Graf Brühl
- Lezius/Knötel, Zeitalter Friedrichs des Großen, Sturm Zigaretenbilder
- Mollo, John: Uniforms of the Seven Years’ War, 1756–1763
- Schirmer, Friedrich: Die Heere der kriegführenden Staaten 1756-63
- Wise, Terence, & Rosignoli, Guido: Military Flags of the World, 1618–1900
- Zeitschrift für Heereskunde Nr. 150, Berlin
- Ref.№ UPS 56, Museum für deutsche Geschichte (Zeughaus), Berlin