The Prussian Army under Frederick William I (1713 - 40) - Chapter 5 - The Cavalry

When Frederick William I ascended the throne in 1713, he found 97 cavalry companies (house troops = Garde du Corps and Gens d`armes and 13 regiments, as well as 1 free company) with 7,737 men (= 3,791 Reuter and 3,946 dragoons).

The Reuter comprised: Garde du Corps, Gens d`armes, Leibregiment, Kronprinz, Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm, Wartensleben, Schlippenbach, Bayreuth, du Portail, Heiden and Katte, the latter two formations in Dutch service.

The dragoons comprised: Leibregiment, Prinz Albrecht Friedrich, Ansbach, Derflinger, Pannewitz, Albe and Ciesielsky (the latter formation only 1 officer and 60 rank-and-file strong).

The cavalry also participated in the consistent expansion of the army under the Soldier King.

Its personnel strength developed in this period as follows: 8,259 (1713), 9,563 (1715), 11,660 (1720), 15,497 (1729), 16,644 (1733), 17,801 (1738) and 18,188 (1740)¹, so it had increased by a factor of about 2.3 by the end of Frederick William I’s reign. The cavalry now counted: 12 regiments zu Pferde (= cuirassiers), 6 dragoon regiments and 2 hussar corps.

In the 17th century various forms of cavalry were known: lance riders, cuirassiers, arquebusiers and dragoons; of these, in further development only the cuirassiers as successors of the lance riders and the dragoons remained. In the 18th century, following East European models, hussars and ulans were added. The true heavy cavalry were the Regimenter zu Pferde². Since 01.12.1718 the Regimenter zu Pferde counted 5 squadrons each, which were each divided into 2 companies. This organization remained valid until 1789, only K 10 and from 1798 K 13 retained it beyond that.

Most Regimenter zu Pferde were created by converting former dragoon regiments, which was regarded at the time as a social elevation. On 06.08.1715 the dragoon regiment v. Pannewitz was converted into a regiment zu Pferde (K 12), on 11.06.1717 Lottum and Markgraf Albrecht followed (K 7 and K 11 respectively), and in early 1718 Blanckensee (K 4). In the same year the dragoon regiments Wartensleben and Heiden were distributed among various Regimenter zu Pferde. By splitting K 1 (1725) and K 6 (1727) K 2 and K 7 were created.

Regiments were named after their proprietors (= chiefs) and ranked according to their seniority of service; ranking by founding year was recognized only later, and was not officially used until the decline of the old Prussian army. Some Regimenter zu Pferde carried special designations: K 3 (founded 1672) = Leibkürassier-Regiment, K 10 = Gens d`armes and K 11 = Leibkarabinier-Regiment.

Under Frederick William I K 10 was considered the most noble regiment of the cavalry; in a letter to General-Lieutenant v. Natzmer of 30.12.1713 the king called K 10 the "First Regiment of our House"³. Already at the establishment of the squadron Gens d`armes in 1691 the formation was granted guard status: "We will consider this Esquadron Gens d'armes as a corps of our Electoral House, and grant it all prerogatives and freedoms, as used with the corps of the Grands-Mousquetairs, whereby we shall suitably provide for its commander and this squadron ... From all other fatigues however, such as particular watches in camp, work and other commands, which are not suitable for a guard, this squadron shall be freed and remain so"⁴.

K 10, initially only one squadron strong, was then expanded into its own regiment. On 03.04.1713 Frederick William I ordered General-Lieutenant v. Natzmer: "Earlier we have already informed you that we have destined for you, out of the most gracious trust we have in you, a separate regiment zu Pferd. To such a regiment we want to add 1. the esquadron gens d'armes consisting of 80 men and 2. the free company of Lieutenant Colonel Ciesielski of 75 men. For the remaining 295 men still needed for this regiment, we intend: from the upcoming 20 May at 25 Thlr. per man and horse, which in total amounts to 7,375 Thlr., to be paid from our General War Fund, together with provisions from 1 June, to the whole regiment, on the condition that the regiment be completed in personnel and horses within a year and a day, and as we will issue the necessary assignments in due time: so in the meantime you shall make every necessary arrangement so that the purpose we have intended may thus be achieved in accordance with our most gracious confidence in you; and if you should have anything further to recollect in this matter, we shall expect it for the further advancement of the affair. Friedrich Wilhelm" (Cologne, 3 April 1713)⁵.

The regiment Gens d`armes was garrisoned in Berlin and was valued by the bourgeoisie: "A particular noteworthy event of that year (note: 1724) is that the monarch made an important change and collected the cavalry, previously scattered across the countryside, and transferred it to the cities. The former thereby gained not a little and the latter received an elevation; Berlin received the Gens d`armes regiment within its ring walls. This excellent corps then formed a main ornament of the Prussian army, and enjoyed a number of advantages over other troops. It consisted of the best and most well-to-do people, and as it was once the appointment for anyone who could bear arms to become a soldier, this regiment, because of the many advantages and the respect it enjoyed, attracted the attention of all well-off citizens. Every head of household gladly exerted what was in his power to have his son or children join it. The Gens d`armes were house troops and it was an honor to serve among them; hence they could never lack handsome recruits, and it was not possible to see prettier cavalry than them ...""⁶.

K 3 ranked after K 10, but did not enjoy the privileges of the guard. K 11 was converted on 11.06.1717 from a dragoon regiment (Markgraf Albrecht) into a regiment zu Pferde, this step—justified by particular merits—was regarded as a social promotion in the hierarchy of the army. The corresponding order read: "After His Royal Majesty in Prussia has declared the Regiment of Dragoons of the Prince Albrecht Friedrich to be, out of special grace and distinction, a regiment Reuther, yet so that it shall remain in the previous provisions until further order, however the trumpeters of the said regiment are to be provided with the most necessary accoutrements"⁷. On 28.04.1738 K 11 received the title Leibkarabinier-Regiment and was assigned the rank immediately after the Leibregiment (K 3): "We Friedrich William King in Prussia, having most graciously resolved, after the recent death of the late Generalmajor Count v. Truchses, to declare the regiment he held until then as Leib Carabiniers Regiment. Initially and henceforth our Leib Carabinier Regiment shall have the rank immediately after our Leib Regiment zu Pferd; He, our colonel, the Count v. Wartensleben, shall lead the command over it"⁸. Only with the establishment of the Garde du Corps regiment (K 13) in 1740 was K 10 displaced from the first place in the cavalry regimental ranking⁹_.

The table of organization of a regiment zu Pferde comprised, in addition to the 30 surplus personnel, a total of 726 persons, namely: 10 Rittmeister (including staff officers), 10 lieutenants (including 3 staff Rittmeister), 11 cornets (including 1 adjutant), 10 warrant officers (Wachtmeister), 10 quartermasters (Fouriere), 40 corporals, 10 trumpeters, 5 feldschers, 10 flag smiths and 660 rank-and-file (called Reuter). For the non-commissioned officers, trumpeters, rank-and-file and flag smiths, 742 service horses belonged to the regiment.

The dragoons originated in the 17th century as mounted infantry; the intention was to combine the firepower of the infantry with the mobility of the cavalry. The dragoons initially still fought on foot and were organized infantry-wise. Even under King Frederick I they were considered mounted infantry, but were similarly armed and clothed as the Reuter. Over time, however, they increasingly resembled classical cavalry in equipment and tactics.

This transformation into Reuter continued under Frederick William I and was completed under his successor. In 1715 the dragoons were temporarily equipped with cuirasses (only breastplates); additionally they were to receive leather collars like the Regimenter zu Pferde. Thus the Soldier King apparently sought the creation of a unified cavalry¹⁰. After most dragoon regiments had been converted into Regimenter zu Pferde, the outfitting with cuirasses again fell away¹¹.

The dragoons retained infantry characteristics for a long time: they wore the coat and waistcoat of the infantry, had ensigns, the musicians were drummers and not trumpeters, and company commanders were called captains and not Rittmeister.

The horse stock was overall smaller than in the Regimenter zu Pferde.

In 1740 there were 6 dragoon regiments, of which three regiments (D I., III./IV., V.) each counted 10 squadrons and were thus twice as strong as an ordinary cavalry regiment.

Their establishments included: 10 captains, 20 first lieutenants, 20 second lieutenants, 12 ensigns, 10 warrant officers, 10 quartermasters, 100 corporals, 10 flag smiths, 30 drummers, 8–10 feldschers, 1,320 rank-and-file and 50 surplus (service horses: 1,486).

The remaining regiments (D II, VI, VII) with only 5 squadrons counted: 10 captains, 10 lieutenants, 11 ensigns, 10 warrant officers, 10 quartermasters, 40 corporals, 5 flag smiths, 20 drummers, 5 feldschers, 660 rank-and-file and 30 surplus¹².

At the end of the Soldier King’s reign the 6 regiments were commanded by the following chiefs:

D I.: Colonel Hans Friedrich v. Platen (since 13.08.1725),

D II.: Colonel Frhr. v. Sonsfeld (since 13.08.1725),

D III.: Colonel Adolph Friedrich v.d. Schulenburg (since 02.02.1724),

D V.: Margrave Friedrich v. Bayreuth (since 07.08.1731),

D VI.: Colonel Friedrich Christoph v. Möllendorff (since 23.09.1734) and

D VII.: Colonel Christoph Friedrich v. Thümen (since 23.12.1737).

It is interesting that the dragoon regiment v. Wuthenow (later v. Möllendorff, D VI) was jokingly called porcelain dragoons, since in 1717 (capitulation of 19.04.1717) it was formed from 600 taken-over Saxon riders. For these, payment had been made not in cash but with precious porcelain from royal palaces. At the same time Colonel Achaz v. d. Schulenburg received the order to raise a dragoon regiment of 8 companies.

The proposals for forming the regiment, the corresponding royal remarks and the capitulation points before Colonel von Schulenburg for the regiment he was to establish were transmitted by Albedyll on 02.04.1717¹³. The nucleus for the regiment was formed by detachments from all cavalry regiments (except K 10): "circular order to the cavalry that they shall give 44 non-commissioned officers and 300 common Reuter Dragoons without horses and uniforms, only an old uniform coat on the body. The men shall be delivered to the new Schulenburg dragoon regiment on 1 June, the men shall be not over 40 years and not under 20 years, they must have served in both campaigns, must be all country-born. No foreigners, in particular they must have done two campaigns. As there are still two months until 1 June, the regiments shall in those two months complete themselves again with sturdy young men, Generalmajor Grumbkau shall detail how many each regiment shall deliver"¹⁴. The soldiers still missing for the establishment had to be recruited.

Since 22.08.1714 the dragoon regiment D III. bore the honorable title "Grenadiers zu Pferde", the corresponding royal order read: "... whereby, as a sign of Our most gracious approval at the review of your regiment of dragoons and in order to bestow upon it as much more distinction as possible, We have most graciously decided that the said regiment shall from now on no longer bear the name of dragoon regiment, but of Grenadiers zu Pferde"¹⁵. To outwardly document this distinction, the formation was equipped with special headgear.

In addition to the usual hats for minor and middling service the regiment henceforth wore a kind of fusilier cap (depicted in the Dessau specification of 1729); later it seems to have worn the set of grenadier caps relinquished by No. 6 (depicted in the Dessau specification of 1737). Due to a serious failure of a squadron of the regiment on 27.02.1741 at Baumgarten it lost this special headgear and had to hand it over to Infantry Regiment No. 42"¹⁶.

It should not go unmentioned that the Prussian hussars also owe their origin to Frederick William I. Their establishment falls in the year 1721. In that year General Heinrich Jordan v. Wuthenow (1657 - 1727, since 1713 Major General, from 1721 Lieutenant General, from 28.03.1717 chief of D VI.) formed the core of this troop; the first commander was Captain (Rittmeister) Schmidt. The small corps (30 men) was assigned to D VI. under the designation: Prussian Hussars. The hussars have their origin in the Hungarian riders in the Austrian army. From the beginning the national-Hungarian costume was characteristic for the hussars' clothing, and their task as light cavalry was primarily reconnaissance and security duty. According to Transfeldt¹⁷ their designation is also explained against this background. The word huszar thus came to Germany as Hußar and originates from the Medieval Latin cursarius (= undertaker of raids, raider). From this arose the Old Italian corsare (= robber, privateer, corsair). With this meaning the word hussar has been known since about 1600. The regular hussar units of the 18th century therefore have their roots in the imperial hussars that already appeared in the Thirty Years' War; alongside the free troops formed on Austrian models (pandurs) they were the main bearers of the so-called small war.

Real significance — in Prussia even as regular battle cavalry — they only attained under the Soldier King’s successor. The first hussar unit was increased in 1722 to 2 companies. In 1727 D VI. was split and the hussars were assigned to D VII. (garrisons: Insterburg, Ragnit, Goldapp, Stallupönen, Pittkallen). Their establishment in 1727 was 150 men, commanded by Rittmeister v. Bronikowski. In 1730 there were 300 hussars in 3 squadrons. In 1724 the young arm suffered a severe setback with the mutinous flight of an entire company under Rittmeister Gabor; the king wrote indignantly on 19.09.1724 to his military confidant, Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau: “... by God I got the Rittmeister back again; I will give 3,000 (Thlr.) whoever brings him back alive, I am so vexed about it that I cannot write more”,¹⁸. The incident remained only a (painful) episode.

In 1730 the Berlin hussars were formed. As they were commanded by Oberstleutnant Egidius Arend v. Beneckendorff, they were also called Beneckendorff’s Corps Hussars. Their establishment initially amounted to 120 men and their garrisons were: Berlin and Beelitz. In this formation the later popular hussar general Hans Joachim von Zieten began his career as a cavalryman. By 1731 the new hussar formation had already grown to 2 companies with a total of 160 men. The biographer of Frederick William I, Fassmann, reports on the internal structure etc. of the newly formed hussar formation: "These newly established two companies of hussars, which may since then have been increased, consist mostly of Germans, namely such men who had already served the king in the infantry; however they had not had the required stature, but were gathered and well-built. They were required to be: God-fearing and loyal to the king, and absolutely not gamblers and drunkards. The commander of both companies is the Oberst-Lieutenant, Mr. von Beneckendorff, a born German; though with his beard and otherwise he looks completely like a Hungarian, even speaks almost broken German; which comes because he long served among the hussars in imperial and later in princely Oettingen service. The horses for mounting both hussar companies were sent by His Majesty the king from Hungary, and most of them were so wild that their riders, who were still relatively inexperienced in cavalry, were often thrown off and hurled to the ground, so that some of them had their ribs split in half, others broke an arm or a leg ... "¹⁹.

By 1733 they numbered 402 men in 3 squadrons. The Berlin hussars were (from 1731) under the direct command of the king; in 1736 they were — now under the command of Major v. Wurmb (since 10.01.) — raised to the Royal Leib Corps Hussars (H 2) (since 01.06.) and united in Berlin.

Since 23.12.1735 Friedrich Heinrich Eugen Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (son of the Field Marshal, 1705 - 1781, since 1732 chief of D VII, later of K 6, but remained chief of the corps of Prussian hussars) was chief of the Prussian Hussars (H 1); these comprised in 1739 720 hussars in 6 squadrons. At the end of Frederick William I's reign the Leib Corps Hussars counted: 21 officers, 22 non-commissioned officers, 6 trumpeters, 3 feldschers, 3 flag smiths, 402 rank-and-file and 404 horses; the Prinz Eugenius Hussar Corps: 24 officers, 60 non-commissioned officers, 12 trumpeters, 3 feldschers, 720 rank-and-file and 795 horses²⁰.

Like the infantry, the cavalry was supplemented by the supply of recruits "from the country, towns and those districts" or by recruitment by the regiments at home and abroad (VA of 22.06.1713); later this mode of replacement was supplemented by the enrollment of potential recruits in the vicinity of the stationing areas. This practice, initially initiated by the military itself as a low-cost measure, was officially established and detailed by, among others, the KO of 01.05.1733 as the so-called canton system. Individual formations were now assigned concrete military replacement districts (= cantons). The number of hearths varied in the cantons, with cavalry formations necessarily being assigned replacement districts with fewer hearths because of their smaller establishments, namely²¹:

Additional to be completed: Details on canton replacement for the cavalry.

In addition, foreign recruitment remained in place, extensively regulated in the reglements of 1732"^22_.The cavalry therefore consisted, as did the infantry, of foreigners and natives, whereby the body size of the recruits was also given considerable importance.

In the period 1713–40, according to the monthly general lists, 37,065 horses were added while 29,417 horses were retired. Under King Frederick William I centralized procurement of replacement horses was introduced; previously this had been a matter for the individual formations. In 1724 the king regulated the economy of the deeply indebted cavalry regiments and developed a concrete program for their debt relief. In this context the mode of remounting was also revised. In 1727 so-called economy reglements were promulgated for the cavalry²³. Accordingly, only horses that were no longer fit for field service were to be decommissioned.

From 1727 the Regimenter zu Pferde were to retire and replace 50 horses annually (in August). For other losses one calculated 20 horses, for the dragoons together 46 horses; from 1739 they likewise received 70 remounts annually"²⁴.

On 06.11.1739 the king wrote to Hans Jürgen Detloff v. Massow (1686–1761): "Each regiment must in future manage with 70 remount horses annually. Otherwise the chief and commander shall not only pay for the additional horses from their own purse, but also be held accountable"²⁵.

The average service life of a horse was assumed to be 10 years. The old horses were sold and the proceeds used for remounting. An average sale price of 6 Reichsthaler per horse was assumed. The amounts were credited to the horse fund and kept there for remounting. The price for replacing a decommissioned horse of the Regimenter zu Pferde amounted to 75 Reichsthaler (excluding transport costs); the flat price set for dragoon horses was lower, it amounted to 50 Reichsthaler (from 1738: 55 Reichsthaler). Replacement horses were procured only for the coming February (from 1737: mid-November²⁶), so that the saved forage costs could also flow into the horse fund. The remaining remounting costs were financed by monthly deductions from the pay of the Reuter/Dragoons/Hussars. Of the monthly pay at the regiment Gens d`armes of 6 Reichsthaler gross the corresponding deduction amounted to 16 groschen; thus the soldiers paid for their horses themselves in addition to their uniform and equipment²⁷.

Pay at the aforementioned elite regiment Gens d`armes was higher than in other cavalry formations, hence the monthly deduction for remounting was lower in those regiments.

The regiment Prinz Gustav zu Pferde, for example, raised a total of 9,383 Reichsthaler, 19 groschen, 4 pfennig for remounting in 1734; the dragoon regiment Prinz Eugen produced a total of 3,994 Reichsthaler, 20 groschen, 10 pfennig in 1733.

The costs for the uniforms or equipment of cavalry officers were also precisely specified; for officers of the Regimenter zu Pferde — with an average service life of 10 years — a parade horse at 150 Reichsthaler and an additional horse at 80 Reichsthaler were also budgeted. For officers of the dragoon regiments 2 horses were accounted for at a total of 230 Reichsthaler.

The hussars received economy reglements later; their horse stock was cheaper, namely 50 Reichsthaler for the Berlin ones and 20 Reichsthaler for the Prussian hussars. Supervision of H 2’s fund was assigned on 11.01.1736 to Wolf Adolf v. Pannwitz (1679–1750, from 1739 chief of K10)²⁸.

Horses were generally procured abroad, e.g. in Hanover, Holstein and Jutland²⁹; the remounts for the hussars came from Hungary"³⁰. On 17.10.1730 King Frederick William I expressed to Johann v. Bronikowski (1690–1767, later chief of H1) his pleasure that he had procured 110 horses from Turkey"³¹.

The domestic stud system developed only later and was systematically promoted by the king (from 1722). He founded the Trakehnen stud in East Prussia. There were concrete requirements for horse stock and the king followed the remounting of the regiments with a critical eye. Thus he wrote on 07.09.1736 to Colonel von Geßler: "I have received your letter of 29 August and from it I see what contract you have concluded with Busemann regarding horse delivery; you will therefore ensure that you buy good horses and no scrubs, for when they pass through here or through Berlin I will inspect them, and if I find scrubs among them I will have their ears slit"³².

The king also influenced the composition of the remount detachments"³³. These were — especially to Poland or Russia — risky even in peacetime.

From 10.06.1735 a specific measure was prescribed for horses, which — similar to the soldiers — was to be strictly observed. The order read: "Since I find it necessary to introduce among the cavalry regiments a certain measure to gauge the height of the horses, to establish such a norm how high henceforth the horses in each unit of the regiments should be, I hereby send sub A the drawing of a horse measure, according to which you shall make one the same, and measure the horses of your regiment with it, namely over the withers, and you shall have a list made of them. Hereafter you receive herewith sub B a norm how high the horses at your regiment shall be, and henceforth no smaller horses shall be procured, nor shall the outgoing ones be replaced otherwise than as this norm shows"³⁴.

In 1727 the cavalry received a new regulation; the previous rule set was already seven years old.

The regulation took into account the previous tactical changes and also specified the order when a regiment passed by, e.g. at a review, in detail.

The interval of the ranks was increased to fourteen work shoes or three and a half rods of the Rhineland measure.

The previous grips on horseback, evolutions, turns, doubling and wheelings remained in principle as before.

Drilling on foot was simplified.

Ranking was done according to body size.

The 30 surplus of a regiment stood behind the formed regiment and, during inspection, wore green oak leaves.

The fire fight belonged to the training program of both the Reuter and the dragoons, but it no longer took place by units.

The training of cavalrymen (by the officers) was to be intensified.

The chivalric mounted warrior had receded into the background with the appearance of disciplined foot soldiers in the wars of the 14th and 15th centuries; for a long time the massive pike-and-shot masses of the Swiss, the Landsknechte and later the Spanish were to dominate the course of battle. Only in the Thirty Years’ War did cavalry experience a renaissance, which had already been foreshadowed in the Huguenot wars. Beginning with the Swedes under King Gustavus Adolphus mounted troops were again used offensively and successfully rivaled the foot soldiers as the previously dominant arm. Nevertheless, cavalry remained numerically small relative to infantry for cost reasons; in the course of the 17th century one also sought the decision in combat by shooting from horseback rather than by an attack in closed formation with the cold steel. Therefore the cavalry of that time was a cumbersome instrument, a trait it would not lose under King Frederick William I. Although he expanded the cavalry, he favored the infantry and relied on its repelling firepower. As early as 1718 the conviction existed: "I desire now to break the best cavalry if they attack us on the open field, I believe one could confuse the devil himself in hell with those rapid shots, let alone men"³⁵. The preferred role of the infantry was also clearly expressed by the fact that the cavalry now ranked behind the infantry in the general lists. In the Soldier King’s era the cavalry had long become modern cavalry, but it was to experience its true heyday only under his son. The latter was aware of the qualitative leap of the cavalry and thus remarked on 21.05.1758, not without pride, to his reader Henri de Catt: "My father wanted me to become a soldier, but he could not have dreamed that one day I would be so much a soldier as I am now. How he would marvel, my dear, if he could see me here in Schmirsitz amid an army that is worth something, and especially a cavalry, of which he could not have the slightest notion! He would not believe his eyes!"³⁶.