Prussian Uniforms in the Biedermeier Period (1815-1850).
After original or earlier reproductions of lithographs from the 19th century. Accompanying preliminary remarks, image captions and descriptions follow.
The Prussian State in 1815.
The Congress of Vienna (September 18, 1814 to June 9, 1815) marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars and attempted a reorganization of Europe.
Prussia was among the victors and of course benefited territorially from the redistribution and allocation of various areas in the west and east, although the fate of Poland in particular became a point of contention between Austria, Russia and Prussia. A large part of the Kingdom of Saxony also, incidentally, fell to Prussia.
A "Decree on the improved organization of the provincial authorities" of April 30, 1815 then divided Prussia into ten provinces. Only East Prussia, West Prussia and Posen did not belong to the territory of the German Confederation. After the fusion of the two Rhenish provinces already carried out in 1822, nine provinces remained. After 1866 further provinces were added.
The total area of the Prussian state now comprised 279,992 sq km. Of this, 185,496 sq km belonged to the German Confederation. "The German Confederation was a confederation of states to which in 1815 the ‘sovereign princes and free cities of Germany’ agreed, including the Emperor of Austria and the kings of Prussia, Denmark (with regard to Holstein) and the Netherlands (with regard to Luxembourg)" (Wikipedia). Prussia now counted 12,994,000 inhabitants.
The Prussian Military.
According to Paul von Schmidt (Der Werdegang des Preussischen Heeres, reprint Krefeld 1975, pp. 242 ff.), the Prussian army after the completion of the reorganization in 1817 comprised about 130,000 men, namely
Infantry: 2 Guard, 2 Grenadier and 34 line regiments of 3 battalions; 1 Guard Jäger, 1 Guard Schützen, 2 Jäger and 2 Schützen battalions.
Cavalry: 1 regiment Garde du Corps, 4 cuirassier regiments, 1 Guard and 8 line dragoon regiments, 1 Guard and 8 line hussar regiments, 1 Guard and 8 line uhlan regiments.
Artillery: 1 Guard and 8 line artillery brigades.
Pioneers: 1 Guard and 8 line pioneer detachments.
Conscription System and Internal Conditions.
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Infantry.
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Cavalry.
Rexr
Technical Troops.
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Landwehr and Landsturm.
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Strength of the Prussian Troops in the Year 1859.
According to Paul von Schmidt (Der Werdegang des Preussischen Heeres, reprint Krefeld 1975, pp. 259 ff.), the army in 1859 had the following strength:
Infantry: 2 Guard, 2 Grenadier regiments, 1 Guard Reserve Infantry Regiment of 2 battalions, 32 line regiments of 3, 8 reserve regiments of 2 battalions, 8 combined reserve battalions, 1 instructional infantry battalion, 1 training detachment (non-commissioned officers' school), 1 Guard non-commissioned officer company; furthermore 1 Guard Jäger, 1 Guard Schützen and 8 line Jäger battalions.
Cavalry: 1 regiment Gardes-du-Corps, 1 Guard Cuirassier regiment, 8 line cuirassier regiments, 1 Guard and 4 line dragoon regiments, 1 Guard and 12 line hussar regiments, 2 Guard and 8 line uhlan regiments, 1 instructional squadron.
Artillery: 1 Guard, 8 line regiments, 1 combined fortress artillery detachment, 1 fireworks/mortar detachment and the senior artificer school, finally 1 artillery examination commission.
Pioneers: 1 Guard, 8 line detachments, 2 reserve pioneer companies.
For the disabled there were 2 invalids' homes, the Guard and 8 provincial invalids' companies.
The Landwehr comprised in its two levies: Infantry — 4 Guard Landwehr and 33 Landwehr regiments, 8 Landwehr cavalry regiments of the reserve regiments.
Cavalry: 2 Guard Landwehr cavalry regiments, 8 heavy Landwehr cavalry regiments, 4 Landwehr dragoon, 12 Landwehr hussar, 8 Landwehr uhlan regiments and 8 squadrons of the 8 reserve regiments.
Recommended Articles
Heeressoziologie
Friedrich Frhr. v. Schroetter, The Development of the Term "Servis" in the Prussian Military System.
Research on Brandenburg and Prussian History, 1900, pp. 1 ff.
Heeressoziologie
Foreigners in the Old Prussian Army
The replacement system of the Old Prussian Army, which combined the canton system and recruitment1, resulted consequently in a composition of natives and foreigners; the rank-and-file therefore consisted of two completely different components.
Uniformierung & Ausrüstung
The Uniforms of the Old Prussian Cuirassiers (Pohl) - K 6
Based on an original manuscript. This is evidently modeled on the history of the clothing, armament and equipment of the Royal Prussian Army / By the Most Supreme Order of His Majesty ... edited by the Royal War Ministry. Edited by Constantin Kling; Vol. 2: The Cuirassier and Dragoon Regiments from the beginning of the 18th century until the reorganization of the army in 1808.