The 1st Royal Saxon Guards Heavy Cavalry (Garde-Reiter-Regiment (1. Schweres Regiment)) was a heavy cavalry of the Royal Saxon Army. Established in 1680 as a cuirassiers unit, the regiment fought in the Battle of Vienna (1683), the Nine Years' War, the War of the Spanish Succession, the Silesian Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. The regiment was disbanded in 1919.
The Battle of Lobositz or Lovosice also Lowositz on 1 October 1756 was the opening land battle of the Third Silesian War and the wider Seven Years' War. Frederick the Great's 28,000 Prussians were prevented by 33,000 Austrians under Maximilian Ulysses Count von Browne from continuing their invasion into the rich Bohemian plain, forcing Frederick to ultimately fall back north into Saxony for the winter.
Cuirassiers were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adopting the use of pistols as their primary weapon. In the later part of the 17th century the cuirassier lost his limb armour and subsequently wore only the cuirass, and sometimes a helmet. By this time, the sword or sabre had become his primary weapon, with pistols relegated to a secondary function.
The Battle of Saalfeld took place on 10 October 1806, at which a French force of 12,800 men commanded by Marshal Jean Lannes defeated a Prussian-Saxon force of 8,300 men under Prince Louis Ferdinand. The battle took place in Thuringia in what was the Ernestine duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. The battle was the second clash in the Prussian Campaign of the War of the Fourth Coalition.
The Cuirassier Regiment "Queen" (Pomeranian) No. 2 was a Prussian cavalry regiment. Formed in 1717 as Dragoner-Regiment Nr.5 Bayreuth Dragoner it was originally a dragoon regiment and was part of the Prussian order of battle until 1918. The Bayreuth Dragoons achieved fame for their role in winning the Battle of Hohenfriedberg in 1745. In 1819 it was transformed into a cuirassier regiment.
The 1st Royal Bavarian Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army that served alongside the Prussian Army as part of the Imperial German Army. The division was formed on November 27, 1815, as the Infantry Division of the Munich General Command. It was called the 1st Army Division between 1822 and 1848, again between 1851 and 1859, and again from 1869 to 1872. It was called the 1st Infantry Division from 1848 to 1851 and was named the Munich General Command from 1859 to 1869. From April 1, 1872, until mobilization for World War I, it was the 1st Division. Within Bavaria, it was not generally referred to as a "Royal Bavarian" division, but outside Bavaria, this designation was used for it, and other Bavarian units, to distinguish them from similarly numbered Prussian units. The division was headquartered in Munich from 1815 to 1919. The division was part of the 1st Royal Bavarian Army Corps.
The XII Army Corps / XII AK was a Saxon corps level command of the Saxon and German Armies before and during World War I.
The Royal Saxon Army was the military force of the Electorate (1682–1807) and later the Kingdom of Saxony (1807–1918). A regular Saxon army was first established in 1682 and it continued to exist until the abolition of the German monarchies in 1918. With the formation of the Confederation of the Rhine by Napoleon the Royal Saxon Army joined the French "Grande Armée" along with 37 other German states.
The 20th Uhlans "King William I" was a cavalry regiment of the Army of Württemberg. The regiment was formed as dragoons in 1809, and was reorganized as uhlans in 1871. The regiment took part in Napoleon's Russian campaign, the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian war. In World War I it served as divisional cavalry for the 26th Division. Formally disbanded on May 1, 1919, the regiment existed until September 1920 as Abwicklungsstelle. The 1st Squadron/18th Horse bore the regiment's tradition in the new Reichsheer.
Established in 1819 as Garde-Landwehr Kavallerie Regiment, they were a light cavalry regiment of Uhlans of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was later reorganised as heavy cavalry Uhlans and renamed into 1. Garde Ulanen Regiment (1826) and fought in the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian war. In World War I the regiment was part of the Guards Cavalry Division fighting on the Western and Eastern Front.
The Guards Cuirassiers were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. Formed in 1815 as an Uhlans regiment, it was reorganized as a cuirassiers unit in 1821. The regiment was part of the Guards Cavalry Division and fought in the Second Schleswig War, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. The regiment was disbanded in September 1919.
The 1st (Silesian) Life Cuirassiers were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was originally formed as Dragoon Guards in 1674 and reorganized as a cuirassiers unit in 1718. The regiment fought in the Silesian Wars and the War of the Sixth Coalition 1813-15, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. The regiment was disbanded in 1919.
The 3rd Cuirassiers “Count Wrangel” were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. Formed in 1717 as a dragoons unit, the regiment was reorganized as cuirassiers in 1818. The regiment fought in the Silesian Wars, the War of the Sixth Coalition, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I.
The 4th (Westphalian) Cuirassiers “von Driesen” was a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed in 1717. The regiment fought in the Silesian Wars, the War of the Sixth Coalition, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. The regiment was disbanded in 1919.
The 5th Cuirassiers “Duke Frederick Eugene of Württemberg” were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed in 1717. The regiment fought in the Silesian Wars, the War of the Sixth Coalition, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. It was disbanded in 1919.
The 6th (Brandenburg) Cuirassiers “Emperor Nicholas I of Russia” were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed in 1807. The regiment fought in the War of the Sixth Coalition, the Second Schleswig War, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. The regiment was disbanded in 1919.
The 7th (Magdeburg) Cuirassiers “von Seydlitz” were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed in 1815. The regiment fought in the War of the Sixth Coalition, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. The regiment was disbanded in 1919.
The 8th (Rhenish) Cuirassiers “Count Geßler” were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was formed in 1815. The regiment fought in the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. The regiment was disbanded in 1919.
The 1st Royal Bavarian Heavy Cavalry “Prince Charles of Bavaria” were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Bavarian Army. The regiment was formed in 1814 as Garde du Corps to the King of Bavaria. The normal peacetime location of the regiment was Munich. The regiment fought in the War of the Sixth Coalition, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. The regiment was disbanded in 1919.
The 2nd Royal Bavarian Heavy Cavalry "Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria" were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Bavarian Army. The normal peacetime location of the regiment was Landshut. The regiment was formed in 1815 as a cuirassiers unit and fought in the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. The regiment was disbanded in 1919.
The XI Army Corps / XI AK was a corps level command of the Prussian and German Armies before and during World War I.