Army of the Holy Roman Empire: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Paderbornischer Soldat Gudenushandschrift 1734 Karlsruhe.jpg|thumb|A Grenadier of the Imperial Army (Paderborn Regiment of Foot, [[Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle]]) at [[Siege of Philippsburg|Philippsburg]], 1734, during the [[War of the Polish Succession]] ]] |
[[File:Paderbornischer Soldat Gudenushandschrift 1734 Karlsruhe.jpg|thumb|A Grenadier of the Imperial Army (Paderborn Regiment of Foot, [[Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle]]) at [[Siege of Philippsburg|Philippsburg]], 1734, during the [[War of the Polish Succession]] ]] |
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The '''Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire''' ([[German language|German]] ''Reichsarmee'', ''Reichsheer'' or ''Reichsarmatur''; [[Latin]] ''exercitus imperii'') was the army of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. Created in 1422, it was divided between the various [[successor state]]s when the Empire was wound up in 1806. |
The '''Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire''' ([[German language|German]] ''Reichsarmee'', ''Reichsheer'' or ''Reichsarmatur''; [[Latin]] ''exercitus imperii'') was the army of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. Created in 1422, it was divided between the various [[successor state]]s when the Empire was wound up in 1806.{{Fact}} |
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Despite appearances to the contrary, the Imperial Army did not constitute a permanent [[standing army]] which was always at the ready to fight for the Emperor. When there was some danger, an Imperial Army was mustered from among the elements constituting it.<ref>André Corvisier, John Childs, ''A dictionary of military history and the art of war'' (1994), p. 306</ref> In practice, the imperial troops often had stronger local allegiances than their loyalty to the Emperor. |
Despite appearances to the contrary, the Imperial Army did not constitute a permanent [[standing army]] which was always at the ready to fight for the Emperor. When there was some danger, an Imperial Army was mustered from among the elements constituting it.<ref>André Corvisier, John Childs, ''A dictionary of military history and the art of war'' (1994), p. 306</ref> In practice, the imperial troops often had stronger local allegiances than their loyalty to the Emperor. |
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Revision as of 20:13, 12 July 2011
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. |
The Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire (German Reichsarmee, Reichsheer or Reichsarmatur; Latin exercitus imperii) was the army of the Holy Roman Empire. Created in 1422, it was divided between the various successor states when the Empire was wound up in 1806.[citation needed]
Despite appearances to the contrary, the Imperial Army did not constitute a permanent standing army which was always at the ready to fight for the Emperor. When there was some danger, an Imperial Army was mustered from among the elements constituting it.[1] In practice, the imperial troops often had stronger local allegiances than their loyalty to the Emperor.
History
The Imperial Diet of 1422 in Nuremberg created the Imperial Army. Over the next hundred years, the size of the Army was controlled, either by the numbers of men being strictly regulated or by the money to pay for it being limited. At the Diet of Worms in 1521 a commitment was made to the strength of 20,063 infantrymen and 4,202 cavalry, later simplified to 4,000 and 20,000.
The Imperial Register determined the contributions of the individual states making up the Empire, the first being the Register of 1422.
The Imperial Army Constitution (Reichsdefensionalordnung) of 1681 finally determined the composition of the army, fixing the contingents to be provided by the various "Imperial Circles" of the Empire. The simple total strength (called in Latin the Simplum) was now fixed at 40,000 men, consisting of 28,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry. These figures were little altered until the demise of the Empire in 1806.
| Imperial Circle | Cavalry | Infantry |
|---|---|---|
| Austrian Circle | 2,522 | 5,507 |
| Burgundian Circle | 1,321 | 2,708 |
| Electoral Rhenish Circle | 600 | 2,707 |
| Franconian Circle | 980 | 1,902 |
| Bavarian Circle | 800 | 1,494 |
| Swabian Circle | 1,321 | 2,707 |
| Upper Rhenish Circle | 491 | 2,853 |
| Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle | 1,321 | 2,708 |
| Upper Saxon Circle | 1,322 | 2,707 |
| Lower Saxon Circle | 1,322 | 2,707 |
| Total | 12,000 | 28,000 |
In practice, the contingents supplied by each Imperial Circle were organized into a number of separate regiments. In some cases money was provided instead of men to fulfil these military obligations to the Emperor.
Further reading
- Vladimir Brnardic, Darko Pavlovic, Imperial Armies of the Thirty Years' War (2009)
- Winfried Dotzauer, Die deutschen Reichskreise (1383–1806) (Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 978-3-515-07146-8)
- Max Jähns, 'Zur Geschichte der Kriegsverfassung des deutschen Reiches' in Preußische Jahrbücher 39 (1877)
- Karl Linnebach, 'Reichskriegsverfassung und Reichsarmee von 1648 bis 1806' in Karl Linnebach, Deutsche Heeresgeschichte (Hamburg 1943, 2nd ed.)
- Helmut Neuhaus, 'Das Reich im Kampf gegen Friedrich den Großen - Reichsarmee und Reichskriegführung im Siebenjährigen Krieg' in Bernhard Kröner, Europa im Zeitalter Friedrichs des Großen - Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft, Kriege (Munich, 1989), pp. 213–243
- Martin Rink, Harald Potempa, 'Der Zusammenbruch des Alten Reichs (962-1806) und des alten Preußen im Jahre 1806' in Militärgeschichte March 2006
- Hanns Weigl, Die Kriegsverfassung des alten deutschen Reiches von der Wormser Matrikel bis zur Auflösung (Bamberg, 1912)