Royal Saxon Army
| Royal Saxon Army | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 January 1682 – 11 November 1918 |
| Country |
 Electorate of Saxony Kingdom of Saxony
|
| Allegiance | House of Wettin |
| Branch | Army |
| Headquarters |
Dresden Königstein Chemnitz Krakow Leipzig Großenhain Bautzen Plauen |
| Patron | The Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, & Saint George |
| Colours | Black, Green, Yellow, White |
| Engagements |
Great Northern War Silesian Wars Seven Years' War War of the Bavarian Succession Napoleonic Wars Austro-Prussian War Franco-Prussian War World War I |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Frederick Augustus I Johann von Thielmann Albert of Saxony Max von Hausen |
The Royal Saxon Army (German: Königlich Sächsische Armee) was the military force of the Electorate (1682—1807) and later the Kingdom of Saxony (1807—1918). A regular Saxon army was first established in 1682 and it continued to exist until the abolition of the German monarchies in 1918. With the formation of the Confederation of the Rhine by Napoleon the Royal Saxon Army joined the French "Grande Armée" along with 37 other German states.
The founder of the standing army in Saxony was Elector Johann Georg III. He convinced the Saxon Estates in 1681 that the established practice of in case of war hiring mercenaries and dismissing them in peace, was as costly as the formation of a standing army. In 1682 the hitherto existing home troops and Guard and other small units were consolidated in line regiments. The army consisted of six infantry regiments of eight companies and five cavalry regiments. The field artillery consisted out of 24 guns.
The Northern War proved the combat power of the Saxon army to be very low, so that after the war a military reform was enacted which aimed to increase their military efficiency. As part of this reform, the Saxon army was brought to a strength of 30,000, which consisted almost exclusively of Saxons. Thus it differed from the armies of other European states, which supplemented their staff frequently with foreigners.
Following the reform, the army consisted of Guard Infantry, line infantry, and cavalry regiments (Chevau-légers, Dragoons and cuirassiers) together. The artillery as a third independent branch of service and was made up of field artillery and in-house. Also belonging to the artillery, were Mineurs and pontoniers established companies. The army was divided into four General Houses and classified according to the state of Saxony into four military divisions. For the first time for the accommodation of the troops barracks were built.
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