Osprey [Men at Arms 044] Napoleon's.Germkan.Allies.(1).Westfalia.and.Kleve-Berg

mmD MILITARY MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES 44 NAPOLEON'S GERMAN ALLIES 1 WESTFALIA A D KLEVE-BERG • • ~ OTTO YON PI\'KA RICK SCOLLI:\'S :lYi!/;0ll'oll.i· qmllflll Jfllil'.1 (;): "U1'.lf!iJlifl fllIIl 1(/n'I'-"Bng :J\&}o/eoll:' (.fen/If/II ru'1//ies THE KINGDO~I OF WESTFALl A AND THE GRAND DUCHY OF KLEVE·BERG The emergence of revolutionary France as an a,gll:rcssi,'c and capable milit:lI)' power <1\ the end of the eighteenth century. caused the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire (:I loose coalition of German states, US1l3 II)' under Ausl ria's leadership). .\u:.tria's dcfc:.tt at the Battle ofl-lohClllindcn. on 3 December 1800. created a power vacuuIn in the ar~a now known as Germany, and Napoleon lost lillie lime in transforming this neutralized zone inlo a pro. French 'cordo" sa"ila;rt" bel ween France and her traditional eastern enemies Austria, Prussia, and Russia. In 1803 France occupit-d Hano\'cr; in 1805 France and Bavaria defeated Austria and Russia at 1m ('7 OctOber (805) and .\uslcrlitz (2 December 1805). As a rinal step in tht creation of the 'cordOIl sDnitnirt', Napoleon formed a Confederalion of the Rhinc (Ocr Rheinbund) which was cvcntually to include the following sta les: Fra nce: the kingdoms of Ba varia> Saxon)'. Wcstfalia and Wtiruembcrg; the duchies ofKle\·c.Berg, Warsaw, Baden, Hessen-Darmstadt Oldenburg: and lhe principalities of Sachscn- "'dmar, Sachsen-Coburg Saalfcld, Sachscn- GOlha-.\Itcnburg. Sachsen-H ildburghauscn, Sachsen·i\ teiningen, Schwan.burg-R udolstadt, Sch\\an.burg-Sondershauscn. the five Houses of Reuss, ~lecklenburg-Schwerin. Mecklcnburg- Strelitz, Waldeck, Anhah-Bcrnburg, Anhalt- Ocssau. Allhalt-KOlhen. Hohellzollern- Hechingen, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringcll, Lippe- DCllllold. Schaumburg-Lippe, Iscnburg, Leycn. Lichtenstein, Wi.irL.burg: and the city statl-OS of Frankfurt and Erfurt. Confusing as lhis list may appear, it greatly simplified the situation which had existL-d prior to ,Boo, when there had been an cven greater number of tilly. independent statl'S wililin Germany, Grand Duchy of Kleve-Berg Napoleon decreed the formation of lhe Grand Duchy of Berg on 14 November 1808. This was a rearra ngelllent of lcrri tory su bscq llem 10 the dona- lion of Hanover to I'rllssia by France on 15 December lBo5. III exchangc. Prussia ga\'c up Klc\'e and the fortrcss of \Vesel. Furthcrmorc, Bavaria released Ansbach and the HerL.oglulll Ikrg to Napolcon. who rewarded the Bavarian Princc Elector "'ith Austrian lands and thc lith: of King. Napoleon united Klc\'eand Bcrg, nominated Dusseldorf to be the capital, and gave the throne G......d Ih>chy or 8<."1;' Bas: duip 1807. Thc cotoun! ..... n:d and whjl~, with sold ~....bro;dery 3 2 The Dep;utmelll of the Sieg II consists of \ \'indeck and part of Blankenberg; of the Baronies ofHolllburg. Cimborn~Neustadtand Wildenburg; of Ihe Principalities of Siegen and Dillenburg, in Iht' laller case with the exception of Burbach which will go to Nassau: of tile barony of Ikilstein and the Principality of Hadalllar: of thOSt· parts of till: Herrschaft('n of Schadcck and Runkel which lie on tht right bank of the Lahn: and of the Hcm:chaft of Wcsterbllrg. Popu la tion: 133.0;0 souls C"pital: Dillenburg It will bl' di\·id('d into two districts: Siegcn. Dillenburg. Ihe lands vac:.lted by the Duke of~assau Vilich: \\'olkenburg: Delltz; of the BaroniL"S of Broich. St~rllm and H:trelenberg of the Herrlichkeiten: Ehen: Essen: and Werden: and of those parIS of the Duchy ofKlc\'e which lie on the right bank of the Rhine with the exception of the French-ruled lown of \Vesel and the arc;t belonging to it, and the Districts of H uisscn, Sevenacr and Malburgcn which will go to Holland. Population: 322.28+ souls Ca pi ta I: Dlisscldorf It will be divided inlO four dist ricts: Dllsseldorf. Elberfeld. ~llilheim. Essen . I I I I , E .. ~... '- -----1-+ , I --- , HET Pl{EFET, .\.. H. DU ... . . ....,. L.,__ __,,_, .._ ~ ...._ -_..._- --_ _.. ' ..... _.... ~ ...-.--- -- J _. --. •• ... .- • • • • - • ... \. •UN~Tfrl , I • -- '- \ I ..~_ ..__.. ._---_._-_.. -_.._.,.--- , .. _.._--~-­ -..... --_. .__..,..- --;:. -- - O.,cr~ concern;nA ,h., "um.ber OfcfI ..scriplS 10 be "';1I~ in Ihe Rhineland when the area w ... under Fr"'nc:h con'rol 10 his brothn·in-law,Joachim l\lurat.I:Hl'r King of Naples. Alia the Pe:lce of Tilsit the grand duchy received the duchies of ~tark and Don· Inllnd from Prussia. The decree of 14 November 1808 fe.ads Lhus: AT TilE IMPERIAL IlEADQ.UARTERS IS nCRGOS, 14 NOVEMBER 1808 Napoleoll, 1:':III/mQr of Ihe Frel/ch, King if IllIb" Pro- (trfQr of tht Rheillbu1Ir1. Grand-Dlike oj Klett alit! IJrf,!!. tic. 0" til, submission ofour miniSI" ofInt Grand Due/I)' oj fltrg and Ill, Slate unat" U't nal'( dtriJtd asJOIJOlL'S .- First Artidt The Gr:lIld Duchy of lkrg will be di"idt.'d mto four departments. I The Departmenl of the Rhine It will consist of Ihe old Duchy of Ikrg with th(' ('xcqJtion of Windeck and part ofBlankenb('rg; of 3 The l)ep;lrIment oflh{' Ruhr It consists of I he Coullties of ~ 1:.1 rL:. Dortm und and Limburg. part of the Principality of ~hinstcr: the Herrschaft Rheda and of the town ofLippstadt and its area. Population: '2 I '2,602 souls Capital: Dortmund It will bcdividcd into threcdistricls: Dortmund. Hagcn, Hamill. 4 The DepartmcllI of the Ems 1t consists of the grealer part of the Principality of ~Hinstcr: of the Counties of Horstmar and Rlwina-Wolbeck: of the Counties ofSteinfurt and Ikntheim: and of the COUlllit:s of Lingcll and ·recklenburg. Population: 210,'201 souls Capital: 1\·1 i.inster It will bl' divided illlo thl'('(' districlS: ~liil1ster. Cocsfcld. Li ngen. 4 Arlidr :1 The call10ns and parishes of which the districts will consist, and the bordns of the Departll1ents. are drawn on the attached map. Ar/ide .1 Our 1ll111lSter.i III the Grand Duchy of Berg are charged with the execution of this decree. Si.~ned: Napoleon By this time the grand duchy had a nc\V ruler. .\apolcon himself. Murat had left llerg under a decree of 15 Jlily 1808 lO become King of Naples. :\ decree of3 jI, la rch I 80g gave Berg '0 Ihe young nephew of the Emperor, Louis. the eldest san of the King of Holland. Napoleon became Regellt until the boy should become of age. Bya Senate decree of 13 December t81 0, the grand duchy lost the north-cast part of the Principali t)' of i\ I linster. and all parts of the Department of the Ems. Thl'se lost provinces became French Dcpanmt·nts. III 1811, however, it was increased again by the addition of the Duchy of Rccklinghauscll and part of the Amt of Dli1men. Berg remained so until its dissolution in t813. Kingdom of Westfalia The process of fonnaliOIl of the kingdom of West- fodia \Vilssoillcwhal simpler. This state \\'as born at Ihe Peace ofTilsit, and was a gift by Napoleon to .Jerome, his favourite brolher. An imperi Card, ,'u Cor/Is. G:tla uniform: white tunic. royal blue collar. lapels and cuffs .111 edg<.-d in rcd and bearing gold lace decoration; steel h<:hnet with brass trim and combe, black cr<-ost and white plume on left-hand side, 'IN' on frollt plate: white brc<.ocht:s. high jacked boolS, "'hite gau ntlelS. gold butlons and gold fringcless epauletlcs. Service dress: same helmet (off dut} a royal blue forage-cap with rcd piping and yellow grenade and lace could be worn); short-tailed. ro)'al blue Coat, red collar, turnbacks. cuffs and piping, gold lace to collar, cuffs and button- holes, gold shoulder-strap on the right shoulder: royal blue waistcoat and trousers, jacked boots. Trumpctcrs worc rcversed colours and red plumes. Black bandolier and waist-belt with gold fittings and cdging. T!l~ CunIllJi,,-Card,. Sec colour plales. Parade dress: black be:lrskins with red cords and plume and rcd tol> patch bearing a )'ello\\' grenade: whitc coat wilh long. red-lined skirts and red collar. lapels. cuffs and piping, yello'\' lace to collar, lapels and cuffs. yellow buttons: \\'hite trousers and \\'hite gaiters (black for \\'inter and c;lInpaign \\'ear), rcd epaulellcs. r Ficici dress: shako \\lith dark blue within whitt· Wcslf~"1lian cockade, red pompon, brass chin· scala and lozenge plate; sing!c.brcastcd white coat with short red tails, red collar, cuffs and piping, n:d cpaulctlcs. on' (hlly a plain bicorn and cockade were worn. Equipment was white crossbdL<;. black pouch \\'ith brass diamond plate and four grenades. French-pallern sabre with br:w hilt and rt.'d knot. Officers wore a silver ~r~c( with gold cagle badge and gold cpaulctlcs. gold corels and white plumes to their bearskins. Drummers had red coats with white collars. ('un!;. lal>C!s and turnbacks, white swallow's nests edged in yello\\' and yellow lace edging \0 collar, cuffs and lapels; brass drum, whit<' cord~. dark blue hoops. Tlte Jiiger-Garde. Shako with while cagle plate and cords. white plume, usual cocbde (green forage.cap wilh yellow cdging and horn hadge); dark green coat with lemon-yellow collar, cufTs. turnbacks alld edging 10 dark gn.'en lapels; white buuons. "'hite lace on ('ollar, cun's. lapels and lurnb~tcks.Green epaulcltes. green hrc{'chcs with "hile Hung:lrian thigh knols and while side- snipes, black short gaiters with white top trim and (;Isseis. White belts. black pouch with white bu~lc badge. sabre with green knot. Tn, Chel'au.l;gers-Garde. See colour plates. Black kather helmet with black crcst and brass trim. red plullle: short-tailed grcen jacket with re.--d collar, cufTs, turnbacks and pi pi ng. ycllow hut tons. ~cllow lace to collar. Cliffs and acro~ th... chest, yrllow scale epaulettes and aiguilelte. Green waistcoat and Irousers, yellow !·Iunbr.ll'ian thigh knots and side trilll, hussar boOts with yello'''' trim and tassel. Trumpeters wore red CoatS, green collars and CliO's, ]'(...d lurnbacks with green piping, yellow lace on collars, cuns and chest, hussar busbies with red cords, white plume and bag with yellow tassel; other items as for the troopers. The Fusilier-Garde. See colour plates. As for the line infantry (while with dark blue facings) but white bUllon and white lacc decoration to collar, lapels and cuffs. Tht Husoren-Garde ('The Lobsters'). S(''C colour plates. Red shakos. while plumes, ycllow shield plates, red dolman ,,'ith yellow lace and buttons. blue some sources say red) pclisses: red breeches with yellow Irim. • • Tht.7iiger-Corobinier-Batoilion. Sh..ko wi th cockade. green plume with red tip, red cords, yellow eagle plate and chin-scak-s; dark green coat with red piping