2nd Dragoon Regiment (France)

2nd Dragoon Regiment
2e régiment de dragons
A detail of painting of a Napoleonic-era dragoon of the 2nd Dragoon Regiment by Édouard Detaille
Active	1556–1815 1815–1942 1943–
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Type	Armoured cavalry
Role	CBRN defence
Size	7 squadrons, 849 personnel (2013)
Part of	Commandement des Forces Terrestres
Garrison/HQ	Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
Nickname(s)	"Condé-Dragons"
Patron	Louis, Grand Condé
Motto(s)	Da materiam splendescam "Give me a chance to shine"
March	"Marche de Condé-Dragons"
Current equipment	VAB NBC reconnaissance VLRA NBC
Conflicts	Thirty Years' War Franco-Spanish War Reapers' War Fronde Anglo-Spanish War War of Devolution Franco-Dutch War War of the Reunions War of the League of Augsburg War of the Spanish Succession War of the Polish Succession War of the Austrian Succession Seven Years' War War of the First Coalition War in the Vendée War of the Second Coalition War of the Third Coalition War of the Fourth Coalition Peninsular War War of the Fifth Coalition War of the Sixth Coalition Hundred Days Spanish Expedition Franco-Prussian War World War I World War II Algerian War
Decorations	Croix de guerre 1914–1918 with two palmes and two vermeil stars Croix de guerre 1939–1945 with two palmes Médaille des évadés
Battle honours	Valmy 1792 Zurich 1799 Hohenlinden 1800 Austerlitz 1805 Iena 1806 La Mortagne 1914 Ypres 1914 Flandres 1918 Champagne 1918 Autun 1944 Forêt-Noire 1945 AFN 1952–1962
Website	www.defense.gouv.fr/terre
Commanders
Current commander	Lieutenant-Colonel Olivier Lion
Notable commanders	Noël Bouton de Chamilly Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon Emmanuel de Grouchy François Macquart Arnail François de Jaucourt André Demetz

Da materiam splendescam

The 2nd Dragoon Regiment (French: 2^e régiment de dragons, 2^e RD) is an armoured cavalry unit of the French Army, stationed at Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, by Saumur in Maine-et-Loire. The current regiment is an amalgamation of the old 2nd Dragoon Regiment and the groupe de défense NBC, which took effect in July 2005. It incorporates the capabilities of the previous 2nd Dragoons, which was specialised as a reconnaissance unit, in a new mission as the sole French Army unit dedicated to combatting chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons.

Despite the recent formation of the regiment in its current configuration, it is the oldest French cavalry regiment, dating back to 1556. The regiment found fame as the personal regiment of Louis, Duke of Enghien and later Prince of Condé, from 1635 to 1686; in honour of the "Grand Condé," it is still called the "Condé-Dragons". The French Revolution gave it the designation of the second regiment of dragoons in the French Army, and with brief interruptions it has served under this name in successive French armies ever since.

The 2nd Dragoons trace their lineage to the formation of a compagnie d'ordonnance by Louis de Bourbon, head of the House of Condé, in 1556. At the time it numbered 50 lances fournies—50 knights, plus about 5 supporting men-at-arms each, for a total of about 300 men. In 1635, this company became the Régiment d'Anguien-Cavalerie, after its proprietor Louis, Duke of Enghien (the future Grand Condé), one of twelve regiments formed by a royal order of 16 May to fight in the war against the Holy Roman Empire. Enghien appointed the Chevalier de Tavannes as the commander (mestre de camp) of the regiment. It immediately was sent to serve in the Italian peninsula, where it probably operated as a collection of independent light cavalry companies. In 1636, it was sent to join the French campaign against Franche-Comté, and it participated in the unsuccessful siege of Dôle that spring. It was reduced to independent companies in July 1636, and restored to a full regiment in January 1638.