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Organisation

The Prussian Army under Frederick William I (1713 - 40) - Chapter 3 - The Infantry

The Prussian army was a land force, the core of which was the foot troops. According to a "Specification" of 24.07.1713 the old Prussian army comprised 255 infantry companies with 32,895 men and 60 cavalry companies and 45 dragoon companies with 8,748 men (each including non-commissioned officers and excluding the musicians), i.e. infantry and cavalry stood in relation to one another as 4:1. In addition there were the garrison troops, the artillery and the cadet institutions. In the course of the systematic strengthening of the army the infantry grew as follows: 21,746 (1713), 35,134 (1715), 48,967 (1731), 52,391 (1739); similarly the cavalry was increased: 7,737 (1713), 9,914 (1715), 15,876 (1731), 17,842 (1739).

Organisation

A contribution to the history of the Old Prussian Infantry Regiment Duke of Brunswick (IR No. 21).

Infantry Regiment No. 21 was formed in 1713 from various regiments returning from Dutch service, namely surplus personnel from five regiments. The canton (replacement district) lay in the Principality of Halberstadt, namely — in part — the counties of Wernigerode, Ilsenburg and Hohenstein and the towns Quedlinburg, Gröningen, Wegeleben, Halberstadt, Wernigerode, Derenburg, Bleicherode, Schsa, Ellrich and Beneckenstein.

Organisation

The Prussian Army under Frederick William I (1713–40) - "The Tall Lads" - on the History of the Famous Guard Regiment

Besides No. 3, the King's Regiment (No. 6) was the second infantry unit with an increased establishment. Even before the standing armies were formed, princes raised special formations for the protection of their person, some of which as early as the 16th and 17th centuries wore uniform dress and, above all, displayed splendid clothing; examples include the Swiss Guard of the Papal States (established 1506), the Royal Bodyguard (Trabant Guard) in England (established 1485), the Royal Noble Guard in Spain (established 1646) and the Royal Musketeer Corps in France (established 1622). The designation ‘guard’ became generally customary for these body and protective guards (Fr. garde = to protect, guard, watch).