History
17th century
Thirty Years' War (1616–1648)
1626
On 1 May 1626, George William, Elector of Brandenburg, granted Oberst (colonel) Hildebrand von Kracht [ de ] the Kapitulation [ de ] of a regiment of foot consisting of 3,000 men in 15 companies.
On May 1, a muster took place for nine companies near Frankfurt (Oder), until June for the other companies (also in Brandenburg towns).
On October 13, the Elector issued patents for 14 new companies due to the Swedish threat to Prussia, 5 of which were to form the Leib Regiment together with 5 of Kracht's regiment, while 9 others joined the Kracht Regiment, which thus had 19 companies. The Leib regiment reached the strength of nine companies. However, the regiment's formation (like that of the Leib Regiment) was hampered when the Elector took most of the troops from the Margraviate of Brandenburg to Duchy of Prussia in December 1626, namely the regimental staff and 12 companies of the Kracht Regiment, among others.
In 1627 Kracht returned to the Marches, and on 26 September (6 October) 1627 he was relieved of command of his regiment in Prussia.
1629
On 16/26 September 1629, the Truce of Altmark was signed, according to which Memel (now Klaipėda), Pillau (now Baltiysk) and other places remained in Swedish hands, in return for which the Elector received Marienburg (now Malbork), Stuhm (now Sztum) and other places previously occupied by this regiment.
On 28 November (8 December) 1629, the regiment's former Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel), Streiff von Lauenstein, became its colonel; after its Kapitulation (19 February 1630), it was to have 8 companies; 3 of these were lost by 1632.
1 June 1635: these 5 remaining companies, of which the regiment currently consisted, came to Memel when the Elector regained its fortress through the Treaty of Stuhmsdorf.
Two companies moved to Pillau on 5/15 January 1636 and three more in 1639.
Late 17th century
After the Thirty Years' War, the regiment was involved in the Second Northern War (1658–1660) and the Great Turkish War (1684–1686; 1693–1698).
On 28 September 1657, the 2 companies in Memel left the regimental association with the 3 companies in Pillau. The two companies joined the four-company Electoral "Leibguardi" under Oberst de la Cave; this association was dissolved on 9 June 1660.
In 1675, the number of companies in Pillau was increased to 4, and in 1687 to 6 companies.
In 1689, the Elector often reorganised the fortress garrisons so that they formed two battalions (a field battalion and a garrison battalion), as a result of which the Pillau companies also became a regiment of two battalions of five companies each; the garrison battalion was later reduced in size. In 1689, the field battalion moves to the Rhine for the campaign against France in the Nine Years' War.
On 1/11 April 1692, this battalion became an independent regiment when the former governor of Pillau and colonel (chief) von Brandt of its garrison relinquished the governing of Pillau, became governor of Magdeburg and received 3 companies of his regiment from his successor in Pillau, Count Alexander Dohna, in return for which the companies still in Pillau (3) became the 5th Regiment [ de ].
18th century
The regiment fought in the War of the Spanish Succession (1702–1713). In early 1713, Frederick William I of Prussia permanently set the strength of most infantry regiments, including this regiment, at two battalions of 5 companies each.
The regiment was involved in the Great Northern War (1715–16) and the War of the Polish Succession (1734).
From 29 March 1735, the grenadiers, who had previously been distributed among the companies, were merged into 2 companies. So, the regiments now consisted of 2 battalions, each of one grenadier and 5 musketeer companies. In the event of mobilisation, the grenadier companies of two regiments each merged into one grenadier battalion.
1780s
There was a reorganization on 27 February 1787, when two musketeer companies were transformed into grenadier companies, so that the regiment now consists of one grenadier and two musketeer battalions, four companies each. On 14 February 1788, it was determined that each infantry regiment should receive a depot battalion on June 1, which would only accept those still able to serve in garrison and would serve as a replacement battalion in war. The garrison regiments that existed previously were disbanded, so the regiment received three companies of von Bose [ de ]'s 1st Garrison Regiment [ de ] as a depot battalion.
1790s
The regiment was involved in fighting against the Polish-Lithuanian Uprising of 1794.
On 1 October 1797, the depot battalions were given a 4th company and (from January 1796) the name 3rd Musketeer Battalion, although their purpose remained essentially the same.
On 28 February 1799, the regiment was restructured by converting two grenadier companies into musketeer ones, meaning the regiment possessed only two grenadier companies and its 1st and 2nd musketeer battalions had 5 companies, while the 3rd musketeer battalion had 4. The grenadiers of two regiments unified to form a grenadier battalion. The regiment's grenadiers formed a battalion with those of the 5th Regiment, which was called von Fabecki in 1806.
19th century
Napoleonic Wars
The regiment fought against France in the War of the Fourth Coalition (1806–1807). On 20 November 1807, the 21st Fusilier Battalion of Stutterheim was assigned as a light battalion to the aforementioned grenadier battalion.
It was part of the Yorck Corps that invaded Russia alongside the French. The regiment then fought in the War of the Sixth Coalition (1813–1814) against France in Bülow's Corps, later the III Army Corps.
In 1813, a 3rd musketeer battalion and three reserve battalions were established and the musketeer battalion, the 1st and 2nd reserve battalions were transferred to another regiment.
On 14 October 1814, the two grenadier companies were transferred to the Alexander Regiment, where they became the 9th and 10th companies. This was followed in 1859 by heavy transfers (including of officers) to the 44th Regiment.
On 17 August 1914, the regiment was mobilised in accordance with the mobilisation plan. It belonged to the 3rd Infantry Brigade, the 2nd Division, the 8th Army and the I Corps. In addition to the regiment moving into the field, it provided a replacement battalion of four companies and two recruit depots.
On 29 August 1918, the regiment received its own mine launcher company, which was formed from parts of 2nd Mine Launcher Company.
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Prussia