In the Napoleonic Era, Germany was still a patchwork of small comic opera principalities left over from the Holy Roman Empire. One of these was the Duchy of Brunswick, closely connected to Prussia and Great Britain. Duke Karl Wilhelm of Brunswick-Bevern, appointed to a senior command in the Prussian army, was killed in 1806 at Auerstadt. Exiled ithat year after Napoleon incorporated Brunswick into the Kingdom of Westphalia, Duke Freidrich Wilhelm, enlisted his emigrant "Black Legion" in Austrian service.

After the defeat of 1809, they made an epic march across Germany to join the British at the mouth of the Weser, and continued to serve on the Peninsula.

Restored in 1813, the Duke led his army in 1815, where he was killed at Quatre Bras!

The Napoleon hating grim men in black uniform wore the skull and crossbones "Death's Head" as their device, and were known to the British as the 'death or glory men.' Others wore the green of riflemen. After the death of the Duke, some Brunswicker Peninsula veterans remained to fight with the British 51st Foot around Hougoumont when their younger comrades retired.