Devastated by crop failures in the 1780s and suffering heavy casualties in the Turkish Wars of 1788-90, on the outbreak of war with Revolutionary France, the Grenz was not a happy place - even as late as 1798, General De Vins reported widespread destitution along the entire Frontier. [19]

Officially, in 1792 each Regiment was to provide a total of about 2,900 men for field service, (about 1,300 men per battalion plus auxiliaries), plus artillery, with about 400 men per Landes-Defension Division. The reality was somewhat, different - the numbers were so low that at first, only two composite battalions could be raised with six more in 1794-5. [20]

In total, only about 13,000 men fought in the Wars up to 1797. The Grenzer fought well at Arcole and Rivoli in November 1796, but the losses of that Italian campaign were so heavy across the whole army that most battalions were down to around 100 men. The shortage of weapons and equipment was so bad that instead of muskets, only 6,000 pikes could be provided for the Grenzer units. Discipline likewise broke down during the retreat - especially amongst Vlach Grenzer, who instead of staying with the army in April 1797, turned to pillaging the townsfolk of Judenberg and had to be rounded up by Austrian cavalry detachments. [21]

Seressaner Scout

The War of the First Coalition ended at the Peace of Campo Formio in 1797, where the ethnic cocktail was given another stir. In return for the Austrian Netherlands, (Belgium), the French handed over the occupied Venetian Republic to Imperial administration, together with its possessions in Istria and Dalmatia. The latter lay south of the Licca area, between the coastal mountain range and the Adriatic as far as Cattaro, (Kotor), but not including the city state of Ragusa, (Dubrovnik). [22]

Reference to the map will show that the modern border of Croatia was thus essentially established - albeit these new territories were administered separately by Austria until 1918 and the Grenz system was not extended into them.

The coastal areas added a few thousand Italians, 200,000 Croats and 50,000 Serbs to the Empire's population. The Dalmatian Serbs were mainly concentrated around Krun, just over the border from the Licca Regiment, with its own large Serb majority. Now known as Knin, the town is the centre of the Serb self proclaimed 'Republic of Krajina', scene of recent heavy fighting, most prominently, the neardestruction of a large dam in January 1993.

Pre 1798 sharpshooter in Feldmontur (left) and infantry in Hausmontur

The extension of the Habsburg Empire as far as Cattaro also led to a flood of Montenegrins joining the various Frei- Korps - many seeking to gain Grenzer status - and they were usually accepted on presenting themselves at the border. [23]

The steady flow of Balkan refugees threatened more problems as the pressure on the available agricultural land grew, with no means for the Austrians to gain more other than a further clash with Turkey.

War broke out with France again in 1799, and with Turkey on their side, the Austrians were able to raise nearly 30,000 men from the Grenz area - 36 battalions, (Slavonia 10, Banat 5, Transylvania 5, the western Districts 16), plus some FreiKorps.

Twenty four Grenz battalions served in Italy, the rest in Germany. Peace again came at Luneville in early 1801 and as the less- bellicose party at Court gained the upper hand, it was time to take stock of the Empire's forces. More than 100,000 Grenzer had fought in the ten-year period of the wars, suffering 38,000 casualties. Despite fighting bravely in Germany, Switzerland and Italy, often in the difficult rear-guard role, the military leadership felt they had performed unevenly throughout. Some Generals went so far as to call them "shiftless, false and totally undisciplined". [24]

Reinforcements had become an increasing problem such that by early 1800, replacements for casualties had to be found in other non-German parts of the Empire. Deteriorating conditions in the Grenz were the main cause of a mutiny among two Peterwardein battalions and the 12th Hussars in July 1800.