Notes

19: The Post Confederation German Army
During the Campaign of 1814

by Martin Stepney


The following information on the composition of the German Army raised from the former members of the Confederation of the Rhine (or Rheinbund), upon the latter's collapse after Leipzig, is taken from the near contemporary history by Fane (2), and, it should be noted, is presented here verbatim.

"Statement shewing (sic) the organization of the Army of Germany, November 28,1813"

First Corps.
Bavaria 36,000 Wrede with the Austrians

Second Corps.
Hanover 20,000
Brunswick 6,000
Oldenburg 1,500
Hanseatic Towns 3,500
Mecklenburg - Schwerin 1,900 32,900
Walmoden in the North

Third Corps.
Kingdom of Saxony 20,000
Saxe - Weimar 800
Saxe - Gotha 1,100
Schwartzburg 650
Anhalt 800 23,350
Duke of Weimar ditto

Fourth Corps.
Hesse - Cassel 12,000
Price Elector of Hesse with Blucher

Fifth Corps.
Berg 5,000
Waldeck 400
Lippe 650
Nassau 16,680
Cobourg 400
Meningen 300
Hidburghausen 600
Mecklenburg - Strelitz 600 9,230
Duke of Cobourg ditto

Sixth Corps.
Wurtzburg 2,000
Darmstadt 4,000
Franfort and Ysenburg 2,800
The Reuss 450 9,250
Prince Philip of Hesse - Homburg with the Austrians

Seventh Corps.
Wurtemburg 12,000
Prince Royal of Wartemburg ditto

Eighth Corps.
Baden 10,000
Hohenzollern 290
Lichtenstein 40 10,380

Prince Eugene of Wurtemburg with the Russians of the Great Army
Total 145,560
Landwehr 145,560
Grand Total 291,560

As can be seen, some indication of the deployment of these formations is included above. Not all entered Northern France, which was, after all, the major theatre of operations (the claims of the Peninsular War enthusiasts notwithstanding!). The Wurtemburgers and Bavarians both crossed the Rhine in January, being designated IV and V corps of the Army of Bohemia respectively. Sixth corps, though entering at the same time, was detached to form the Army of the South to oppose Augereau, whilst eighth corps entered France in February.

Those forces which did not enter France (second, third, fourth and fifth corps) were engaged in masking the still considerable French garrisons in Germany, as well as operations on secondary fronts, such as the Low Countries.

References

'Napoleon and the campaign of 1814' Houssaye (1991 reprint)
'Memoir of the operations of the allied armies' Fane (1822)


Notes


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