Free Downloads
The Swiss In French Service: 1785-1815 (Officers And Soldiers)

That association of mountainous territories shut in among the European powers, Switzerland solved part of its financial problems as early as the Renaissance by developing a truly mercenary industry. Each canton could sign a contract (a capitulation) to recruit military units with their own officers and regulations in exchange for pay and equipment for a neighboring state. On the eve of the Revolution there were therefore Swiss units in the government guards or the troops of the Line in France, the Italian States, Spain and the United Provinces.The revolutionary process in France ran up against their loyalty to their employer: the King, and the sad events of the massacre of the Swiss Guard on 10 August 1792 whereas the Swiss regiments of the Line were disbanded.During the vast European reorganization led by France between 1793 and 1813, Switzerland was politically and geographically transformed and furnished its big neighbor whether it liked it or not with troops of great worth who upheld their favorite motto “Honneur et Fidélité”.A lot has already been written on the Swiss regiments. The book skims over the Swiss troops in service with the King on the eve of the Revolution to concentrate on those who served the Republic, the Consulate and then the Empire, focusing on less well-known aspects.

Series: Officers and Soldiers (Book 19)

Paperback: 80 pages

Publisher: Histoire and Collections (December 19, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 2352502357

ISBN-13: 978-2352502357

Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 0.2 x 9.3 inches

Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #1,249,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #158 in Books > History > Military > Uniforms #246 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Military #429 in Books > History > Military > Life & Institutions

"Allied Swiss Troops in French Service 1785-1815" by Didier Davin and Andre Jouineau is Book Number 19 of the "Officers and Soldiers of" series published by Histoire & Collections. As in the earlier books of the same series, this one is also translated by Alan McKay. Again, the numbering of the pagination starts from the cover page and ends on the back cover page as page 68. Page 2 shows the cover illustrations of the other books in this series. Pages 66 and 67 shows the cover illustrations of books in the "Men and Battles" series. Actual content is about 61 pages in total. This book includes the following subjects: Chapter 1: The Allied Swiss Troops in French Service (1789-1815); Chapter 2: The Allied Swiss Troops in the Service of the Republic, which includes The Helvetian Half-Brigades 1798-1805 (why not just state demi-brigades?); Chapter 3: The Swiss in the Service of the Empire, which covers the 1st Swiss Regiment, the 2nd Swiss Regiment; the 3rd Swiss Regiment; and the 4th Swiss Regiment; Chapter 4: The Battalion Valaisan 1805-11; Chapter 5: The Neuchatel Battalion 1806-1814; Chapter 6: The Swiss in the Service of Spain. The uniforms of these soliders are illustrated by computer generated graphics and they are as usual beautifully done, and they are accompained by brief notes, e.g.,Grenadier after the plates of A. Martinet. The translations in this book is done better than some of the earlier ones in the series, but still there is room for improvement. Nevertheless, most people buy this kind of books mainly for the beautiful uniform illustrations. Wargamers, modelers and amateur uniformologists will find this book a useful introduction and quick guide to the Swiss troops during the Napoleonic period.

Excellent book with clear full colour illustrations of uniforms. 60 pages that put the meagre OSprey Men At Arms offerings to shame. Original price for these books was under $20, so they were a steal.

Excellent illustrated plates with enough side and back illustrations to give the viewer complete idea of what these uniforms looked like. Just enough historical background on the different periods and units to wet my appetite for more in depth research.

Quite comprehensive and very visual description of 30 years' of SWISS Mercenary Service..... It is a pity it did not cover all of the 18th Century and the post Napoleonic era.-This booklet complements handsomely MEN-at-ARMS's Napoleon's Swiss Troops.

I wanted to learn more about Swiss uniforms during the Napoleonic wars - to paint some 15mm troops. This was perfect. Not much history or discussion of morale, recruiting, etc. - just uniform details, and super plates to illustrate their text. The Osprey counter-product has more overall detail, but does not allow you to learn as much about Swiss uniforms. This one does that very well.

The Swiss in French Service: 1785-1815 (Officers and Soldiers) French Artillery and the Gribeauval System: Volume 1: 1786-1815 (Officers and Soldiers of) Soldiers of the King: The Upper Canadian Militia 1812-1815 Daily Military Quotes: 365 Days of the Best Quotes on War, Leadership, Courage and Discipline From History's Greatest Generals, Soldiers, and Heroes. (Quotes for Soldiers, Daily Quotes, Motivation) Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan Hard As Steel (The Soldiers of Wrath, 3) (The Soldiers of Wrath MC Series) Next Generation SOA: A Concise Introduction to Service Technology & Service-Orientation (The Prentice Hall Service Technology Series from Thomas Erl) Watch the Swiss: Insights and outlooks from abroad Black Athena: The Afroasiatic Roots of Classical Civilization (The Fabrication of Ancient Greece 1785-1985, Volume 1) Larousse Pocket French-English/English-French Dictionary (English and French Edition) Larousse Pocket Student Dictionary French-English/English-French (French and English Edition) Training Your Own Service Dog Book 2: Training Psychiatric Service Dogs - PTSD, Anxiety Disorders, and Depression The Complete Works of Stephen Crane (12 Complete Works of Stephen Crane Including The Red Badge of Courage, Maggie - A Girl of the Streets, Active Service, The O'Ruddy, Active Service, And More) SOA with Java: Realizing Service-Orientation with Java Technologies (The Prentice Hall Service Technology Series from Thomas Erl) Practical Handbook on Fair Lending for Bank Directors and Executive Officers Emotional survival for law enforcement: A guide for officers and their families How Iran Fuels Syria War: Details of the Irgc Command HQ and Key Officers in Syria Imperial German Military Officers' Helmets and Headdress 1871-1918 The Condominium Concept: A Practical Guide for Officers, Owners, Realtors, Attorneys, and Directors of Florida Condominiums (Condominium Concepts) Police Officers at Work (Meet Your Community Workers)