Did Swiss units serve in the Austrian Army?

[ordoprinceps]

Its obvious that CA has not achieved historical accuracy to our expectations so as I play NTW I often wonder which units were fantasy and which reality. To those of you who have greater historical knowledge than I I ask the question; did Swiss units serve in the Austro-Hungarian army of the Napoleonic era? The very popular AUM mod by Swiss Halberdier seems to make the Swiss available to everyone. I truly love the AUM as many do but is this realistic?

[Steph]

Swiss "mercenaries" were used by France (4 regiments) and Spain (6 regiments). I don't think there were large Swiss units used by any other faction (well, Papal States as some).

[ordoprinceps]

Steph, do you know if they cavalry squadrons with each Swiss Regiment?

[Steph]

No cavalry for Swiss "mercenary regiment", only infantry (but they had grenadier, fusilier, voltigeur).
The cantonal Swiss army had cavalry.

[Hazzard]

For Swiss soldiers serving in Austria, we have no evidence that they did, but we've got no evidence they didn't either. They certainly could have, the Swiss were known for being good soldiers across Europe and a colonel would be unlikely to turn up the chance of gaining a swissman* to close the files.

*Please correct me if this is the wrong term for someone from Switzerland.

[Steph]

There probably were Swiss enlisted in other armies, for any faction. But it's not the same as a full Swiss regiment such as for France or Spain

[ordoprinceps]

No cavalry for Swiss "mercenary regiment", only infantry (but they had grenadier, fusilier, voltigeur).
The cantonal Swiss army had cavalry.

Thanks once again Steph,
To bad CA didn't voltigeurs and Grenadiers with CA unity cards. You probably have some in your massive MOE mod. I know Swiss Halbredier made a Swiss grenadier for his AUM.

[ordoprinceps]

Hazzard,
You and Steph can both be right. The Papal Guard is not huge (I think) and the Swiss noted as excellent soldiers. Many were keen for a fight in anyone's army, true warriors.

[Prince of Essling]

Swiss "mercenaries" were used by France (4 regiments) and Spain (6 regiments). I don't think there were large Swiss units used by any other faction (well, Papal States as some).

Allowing the Napoleonic term to cover the revolutionary war period I will add the Dutch, Sardinian & Bourbon army of the Two Sicilies to those having Swiss infantry regiments, but most definitely a no to Austria.

[Steph]

Thanks once again Steph,
To bad CA didn't voltigeurs and Grenadiers with CA unity cards. You probably have some in your massive MOE mod. I know Swiss Halbredier made a Swiss grenadier for his AUM.

Yes, I do, with different periods. And l'Aigle did some chasseurs à cheval alhough they were not really historical

Swiss troops (1805, 1807, 1812)


- Chasseur à Cheval
- Grenadiers
- Fusiliers
- Voltigeurs
- Fusiliers du bataillon de Neuchâtel (mid period only)

I also did Swiss for Spain (one unit, two periods)

Swiss guards of the Papal States (uniform was fun to do!)


And Swiss cantonal army (only some of them, they were quite varied).

[Hazzard]

Do we know why Swiss didn't serve as cavalry or artillery in foriegn armies?

[Prince of Essling]

I suspect no tradition - e.g. Switzerland is a rather mountainous country so relatively little flat ground for horse breeding & to practice cavalry manouevres. As to artillery there were only a relative few units in the cantonal army.

[ordoprinceps]

Allowing the Napoleonic term to cover the revolutionary war period I will add the Dutch, Sardinian & Bourbon army of the Two Sicilies to those having Swiss infantry regiments, but most definitely a no to Austria.

Thanks POE!

[St Vincent]

There was certainly one Swiss-born General: the Freiherr von Hotze. It is likely that Swiss individuals, like men from southern Germany generally, enlisted with the Austrian army. If they had a fair education they could look forward to rising to NCO frank as literacy tended to be higher in southern Germany than in Bohemia and Moravia. Was literacy good in Switzerland too?

StV