List of Royal French Army regiments in 1776 explained

Below is the List of French Army regiments (1776). Also included are the changes from the supplemental 1778 ordnance. Flags next to each unit represents what the majority of its members come from.

Cavalry

In 1776 the Royal French Army consisted of five 'groups' of cavalry ranging from light to heavy cavalry: Cavalerie (equivalent of Heavy Line Cavalry), Hussars, Chasseurs à Cheval, Chevaulégers, and Dragons (Dragoons).[1] [2]

Line Cavalry

Hussars

Dragoons

Infantry

In 1776 the Royal French Army consisted of six 'groups' of infantry ranging from infantry to Guards: Guards, French Infantry, Chasseurs, Infantry of the Colonies, and the Foreign Regiments.

Guards

French Infantry

Princes' Regiments

The Princes Regiments or Régiments du Princes were those regiments which were either raised or funded almost entirely by a Prince or member of the aristocracy. The only difference between these regiments and the French infantry were, as stated above their funding, and their exclusion from the regimental uniform grouping.

German Infantry

Swiss Infantry

Irish Infantry

Italian Infantry

Legions

Under the 1776 ordinance, all legions were disbanded and contributed a new mounted chasseurs company into each regiment of the cavalry, while the infantry components were absorbed into the new infantry garrison battalions.[3] Before 1776 these legions composed of a company of grenadiers, eight companies of fusiliers, and eight companies of dragoons, after the Peace of Versailles the volunteers were reduced to:

Legions (mixed infantry and cavalry)

Following the 1776 ordinance, all of the legions' infantry companies converted to infantry chasseurs and were incorporated into every regiment of the army, thereby providing every infantry regiment with a left–wing chasseur company. The cavalry of the legions were themselves also converted to chasseurs, but mounted and dispersed throughout the cavalry, thereby providing every cavalry regiment with a mounted (scouts) squadron.

After the former legions were disbanded, three more were raised (8 were originally planned) from foreign volunteers for service during the Anglo–French War (American Revolutionary War), these included:[4]

Provincial Troops

Under the 1776 ordinance, the provincial volunteers were due to be disbanded, but by order of the King this was reduced. The provincial troops were divided into 4 categories: Royal Grenadiers, Infantry, État Major Regiments, and provincial artillery.[5]

État Major

Grenadiers

By ordinance of 30 January 1778, the Corps des Grenaiders Royaux was re–constituted, but were formed as a result of the 1776 ordinance, therefore are presented on this page for convenience. These new regiments were formed by grouped the old garrison battalions' grenadiers companies from regiments of a certain area. The regiments consisted of:

Infantry

With the exception of the Régiment de la Ville de Paris, all provincial battalions were assigned to an infantry regiment, becoming their "3rd or Garrison Battalion", except for the Régiment du Roi which had their provincial unit as the 5th and 6th battalions respectively.

Artillery

New regiments and their predecessor battalions shown in order of precedence.

Artillery

In 1776 the French artillery consisted of 7 regiments, of which all held the number 64 in regimental precedence.[6] [7]

Admiralty

Until 1890, all colonial affairs were controlled by the Secretary of State of the Navy (known as the Admiralty) (Secrétaire d'État à la Marine), though the below regiments were part of the French Royal Army. They are only shown under the Admiralty as they were under the operational command of the organisation, not the administrative.

Colonial Regiments

Footnotes

  1. Susane, Volume I, pp. 169–171.
  2. Smith, Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars, pp. 48–51.
  3. Louis Susane, Volume VII, pp. 378–381.
  4. Smith, Uniforms of the American Revolutionary War, pp. 181–183.
  5. Susane, Volume VII, pp. 280, 292, 302–306.
  6. Smith, Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars, pp. 52–53.
  7. Smith, Napoleon's Regiments, pp. 294–297.

References

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