Historical notes     Infanterie Line infantry, 1807-1809 period Line infantry, 1810-1813 period Light infantry Jaegers Guard infantry

Artillerie Foot artillery Horse artillery Engineers Train Cavalerie Light horses Cuirassiers Hussars

Historical notes

Campaign of 1806

In 1806 Saxony was occupied by Prussia; its army of twenty thousand men was integrated into the Prussian army. At that time the Saxon army included

The infantry regiments had two battalions, each with four companies of one hundred twenty men. The two grenadiers companies of each regiment were regrouped into battalions of four companies at the brigade level. The cavalry was organized in squadrons of one hundred twenty men; the regiments had four squadrons except for the hussars, who had eight.

In December of 1806 by the treaty of Posen the elector of Saxony became king, and Saxony joined the Confederation of the Rhine. At the beginning of 1807 three infantry regiments and two battalions of grenadiers made up part of the French X Corps which besieged Danzig.

Campaign of 1809

The Saxon army was a corps of the Army in Germany, under the orders of Bernadotte. It was organized in two divisions, each containing two infantry brigades and one of cavalry. One of the brigades included three infantry regiments and two companies of light infantry, the other two infantry regiments or two companies of light infantry and two battalions of grenadiers.

Now the infantry battalion contained one light company besides four companies of riflemen. As for the light infantry companies, they became in the course of the campaign two battalions, later to two regiments.

The role of the Saxon corps not very effective during the campaign, which gave rise to some rather bitter-sweet letters between Napoleon and Bernadotte.

From 1810 to 1812

In 1810 the infantry was reduced to eight regiments (which gave four battalions of grenadiers). The light companies were retired from the battalions of the line and organized as two battalions of light infantry, each of four companies. A battalion of grenadiers of the guard was also established.

In Russia in 1812 the Saxon army formed the VII Corps under the orders of General Reynier, covering the right of the great army along with the Austrians under Schwarzenberg.

The corps included two infantry divisions and one cavalry brigade. In each division the first brigade included two infantry regiments and one battalion of grenadiers; the second brigade, one light battalion and either one infantry regiment or two battalions of grenadiers. As for the cavalry brigade, it included two regiments of light horse (of which one was armed with lances) and one regiment of hussars.

Besides the VII Corps, Saxon units were scattered in other parts of the great army:

The losses of the campaign were very heavy, and the army of 1813 contained a very high proportion of new recruits.

From 1813 to the end

In 1813 at first the Saxon army furnished two divisions, always under General Reynier. Thrashed at Gross-Beeren, then again at Dennewitz, the Saxons were reduced to one division.

The cavalry (always the best part of the Saxon army) deserted early in the campaign, followed by the infantry and the artillery on the very battlefield at Leipzig. The Saxons did not have any part in the 1814 campaign.

In 1815 the Prussian army recruited Saxons, generally by force, which led to some trouble, and in particular to mutinies.