Hat 8084 1806 Prussian Fusiliers

At the time of the outbreak of wars with revolutionary France (1792-1799), the Prussian army was still radiant with the fame of great successes during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), and the memory of such victories as the Battle of Rossbach (1757) or Lutynia (1757) was still alive. It was also widely regarded as probably the best in Europe. However, already in the 1770s, it began to undergo a kind of erosion and ossification. Its combat value was becoming more and more debatable. The Prussian army was still able to wage a campaign against France with some success in 1792-1795, but already in the course of the 1806 campaign it suffered a devastating defeat. It is not surprising that the battles of Jena and Auerstädt became synonymous with defeat in the Prussian army, and at the same time launched a process of far-reaching changes. These reforms also affected - not surprisingly - the Prussian infantry. First of all, a lot of emphasis was put on the development of light infantry (including fusiliers or jegrs), which was the result of the experience gained during the 1806 campaign. She was also trained to fight in the lineage and to use the terrain, and at the head of her units were usually young, intelligent and in good physical condition officers. Also, discipline in the units of fusiliers or jeers was far from the one known from the Friderite times - for example, corporal punishment became only a memory. Before 1806, the fusilier battalion numbered 690 people, including 19 officers and 48 non-commissioned officers. Over time, this position changed, and from 1808 a battalion of fusiliers was assigned to each regiment of line infantry. His main task was to fight in the lineage during the battle, but also to conduct reconnaissance and insure the marches of his own troops. It is worth adding that after 1806, significant changes took place in the uniforms of Prussian fusiliers, who began to wear shaka, and instead of green uniform jackets, they received dark navy blue.