The Electoral Saxon Army of the Seven Years’ War, 1756–1763

The 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

Seven Years’ War Miniatures