Dutch Army
Hierarchical Path: War of the Spanish Succession (Main Page) >> Armies >> Dutch Army
Dutch Army
Gardes
Gardes du Corps
Gardes te Paard van Zijne Hoogheid (Majesteit), incorporated into Hendrik Graaf van Nassau-Ouwerkerk Infantry in 1705
Garde te Paard, aka Blaue Garde aka Portland's Horse
Garde Dragonders
Regiment te Voet van Zijne Majesteit, 1702 Hollandsche Gardes
Compagnie Gardes Friesland, aka Johan Willem Friso
Compagnie Gardes Groningen
Line Infantry
Organisation
Generalities about uniforms
Generalities about the colours
Dutch Line Infantry Regiments
| Welderen Beynheym, 1704 Deelen |
Arents, 1701 Vassy, 1703 Steenhuysen Nassau Heer van Woudenberg aka Ouwerkerk, 1712 Jonckheere |
Huguenot Line Infantry Regiments
These regiments were raised as new formations in 1701 as part of the Dutch Army. The regiment of Belcastel was, in part, formed from Huguenot pensioners in England and Ireland.
Lislemarais
Viçouse
Belcastel, 1711 La Trémouille de Montese
Cavalier, raised in 1706, annihilated at Almansa in 1707
Prussian Regiments
Kroonprins van Pruissen aka Kronprinz von Preussen aka Prince Royal de Prusse
Scot Regiments
The first three regiments are the old regiments of the Scots Brigade in Dutch service. They were temporarily placed on the English Establishment during the Nine Years' War (1688–97), but returned into Dutch service in 1697. The other three regiments were transferred to the Dutch service in 1701.
George Lauder, raised in 1689 in Scotland
Robery Murray of Melgum, raised in 1595
Walter Philip Colyear, raised in 1674
John Gordon Lord of Strathnaver Earl of Sutherland, raised in 1693 in Scotland, 1702 Lorne Duke of Argyll, 1706 Tullibardine, 1709 Campbell, 1710 Wood
George Hamilton, raised in Scotland in 1693
Sir David Colyear Earl of Portmore, raised in Scotland in 1688, 1703 Dalrymple, 1706 Borthwick, 1706 Hepburn, 1709 Douglas
Swedish Regiments
Graaf van Oxenstierna, 1709 Baron van Cronstrom
Swiss Line Infantry Regiments
The conflicts of Louis XIV against German Protestant princes or the Protestant Dutch Republic regularly created tense situations and even desertions within the Swiss Protestant regiments in the French service, whose soldiers perceived these conflicts as a fight against their religion. In 1685, the revocation of the Edict of Nantes exasperated opinions in the Swiss Protestant cantons, and Zurich and Schaffhausen limited the engagements of their subjects in regiments destined to the King of France. The religious question was still a real problem in these days. France mainly used Swiss regiments of Catholic origins, but also maintained Swiss regiments or companies originating from Protestant cantons.
In fact, a large proportion of the officers (including Wermüller, Saconnay, May, Goumoëns, De Cappol, etc.) serving in the Swiss regiments in the Dutch service had begun their military career with Swiss troops in the French service. In the face of the persecutions suffered by Protestants, they massively left the French service in the years following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes.
As early as 1693, the Dutch Republic took advantage of this situation to raise Swiss Protestant regiments. However, up to the War of the Spanish Succession, Swiss Protestant cantons, fearing the threat of France, which had just conquered Franche-Comté and Montbéliard at the gates of the confederation, remained cautious, tolerating the unofficial levy of Swiss troops for the Dutch service.
Before 1701, Swiss regiments raised to serve the Dutch Republic had not yet the official approbation of the cantons where they were recruited, an approbation subjected to a formal agreement with the canton. However, the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession and the occupation by France of the so-called barrier-fortresses lifted the last reluctance of the Protestant Swiss cantons, which concluded agreements with emissaries of the Dutch Republic.
In 1701, William III, King of Great Britain and Stadhouder of the Dutch Republic, appointed Arnold Joost van Keppel, Earl of Albemarle as colonel-general of the Swiss and Grisons regiments in the Dutch service.
Note: Swiss regiments were not ranked before a resolution of the State General dated 26 January 1718.
Lochmann, 1704 Hirtzel, 1708 Graaf van Dohna-Ferrassières, 1712 Tscharner
Capol, 1706 Grüneck
Tscharner, 1707 May von Hünigen
Montmollin, 1702 Sturler
Sacconay-Bursinel, 1706 Mestral
Muralt, 1702 Chambrier
Albemarle
Diesbach, raised in 1711
Walloon (Liège) Line Infantry Regiments
Caris, raised in 1702
Jamart, raised in 1702 aka Jaymaert, 1712 Linden
Trognée, raised in 1702, 1705 Delsuperché, 1710 Spaen
Marines
Swansbel, 1704 Palm, 1707 Baron van Leefdael
Sparre, 1710 Mauregnault
Heavy Cavalry
Organisation
Generalities about uniforms and weapons
Generalities about standards
| Karabinier aka Albermarle Rhoo, 1704 Drymborn |
Lubbert van Eck, 1706 Oyen Nassau-Friesland, 1702 Oranje-Friesland |
Dragoons
Organisation
Generalities about uniforms
Dopf
Mattha, 1711 Wassenaer
Schlippenbach, 1712 der Duyn
Artillery
Equipment
Dutch Artillery
Free Companies
Organisation
Colin Lambert. 1702-1713
de Maestricht. 1702
Van Guethem. 1702, 1709 Savary
Van Westkercken. 1702-1705
Binon (Gilles). 1702-1708
Petit Mayeur
Subsidy Regiments
N.B.: Units hired from Hanover, Hessen-Kassel and Palatinate are not yet listed in this section. They are rather listed in the articles depicting these armies.
Line Infantry
Brandenburg-Ansbach Subsidy Regiments
Janus von Eberstätt, 1703 Heydebrecht, 1705 Seckendorff-Gutend aka Jung-Seckendorff, 1708 Kavanagh (hired from 1701 to 1712)
Seckendorff-Aberdar, 1705 aka Alt-Seckendorff, 1707 Castell-Remlingen (hired from 1701 to 1712)
Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Subsidy Regiments
On 25 February 1709, the Dutch Republic signed a treaty with Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel for two regiments of foot, each consisting of eight companies, for a total of 1,400 men. The troops returned to Brunswick in 1713.
Erbprinz August Wilhelm
Bevern
Denmark Subsidy Regiments
Livgarden til Fods (1 bn hired from 1701 to 1713)
Sjællandske Infantry (2 bns hired from 1701 to 1713)
Fynske Infantry (1 bn hired from 1701 to 1713)
Württemberg-Oels Infantry (jointly hired with Great Britain from 1702 to 1713)
Holstein-Gottorp Subsidy Regiments
Aderkas, 1709 Hercules, 1709 Ruhmor (hired from 1704 to 1712)
Mecklenburg-Schwerin Subsidy Regiments
Dettlof von Schwerin, 1708 Krassow (hired by the Dutch from 1701 to 1712)
Buchwald, 1704 Christian Ludwig von Mecklenburg-Schwerin aka Flohr (hired from 1701 to 1712)
Münster Subsidy Regiments
Nagel (hired from 1701 to 1712)
Schwartz (hired from 1701 to 1712)
Elvervelt (hired from 1701 to 1712)
Landsbergen (hired from 1701 to 1712)
Carnarens (hired from 1701 to 1712)
Oettingen Subsidy Regiments
Baron von Leutrum (hired from 1711 to 1712)
Oost-Friesland Subsidy Regiments
Erbprinz von Oost-Friesland (hired from 1703 to 1712)
Osnabruck Subsidy Regiments
Baron von Spiegel (hired from 1703 to 1712)
Prussia Subsidy Regiments
This contingent was subsidized jointly by the Dutch Republic and Great Britain
Anhalt-Zerbst (1 bn hired from 1701 to 1713)
Schlabrendorff (1 bn hired from 1701 to 1713)
Heiden (1 bn hired from 1703 to 1713)
Varenne (1 bn hired from 1701 to 1713)
Sydow (1 bn hired from 1701 to 1713)
Markgraf Albrecht (1 bn hired from 1702 to 1713)
Sachsen-Gotha Subsidy Regiments
Prinz von Sachsen-Gotha (hired from 1703 to 1712)
Cavalry
Denmark Subsidy Regiments
Livregimentet til Hest (hired from 1701 to 1713)
2nd Sjællandske Cuirassiers (hired from 1701 to 1713)
4th Jyske Cuirassiers (hired from 1701 to 1713)
5th Jyske Cuirassiers (hired from 1701 to 1713)
Prussia Subsidy Regiments
This contingent was subsidized jointly by the Dutch Republic and Great Britain
Schöning Horse (6 troops hired from 1701 to 1713)
Heiden Horse (6 troops hired from 1701 to 1713)
Dragoons
Anspach-Bayreuth Subsidy Regiments
Schmettau Dragoons (hired from 1701 to 1712)
Denmark Subsidy Regiments
Württemberg-Oels Dragoons (jointly hired with Great Britain from 1701 to 1713)
Holstein-Gottorp Subsidy Regiments
Bauditz Dragoons (hired from 1704 to 1712)
Sachsen-Gotha Subsidy Regiments
Prinz von Saxe Gotha Dragoons, aka Hardenburg (hired from 1703 to 1712)
Stubenvelt Dragoons (hired from 1703 to 1712)
Württemberg Subsidy Regiments
Weggelaar Dragoons, aka Kochler (hired from 1704 to 1712)
References
Folkers Maarten: The Composition of the Dutch Infantry on 1 January 1702, The Spanish Succession
Lamberty, Guillaume de: Memoires Pour Servir A L'Histoire Du XVIII Siecle, pp. 678-679
Sapherson, C. A.: The Dutch Army of William III, Raider Books, 1990
Sapherson, C. A.: Malburian Armies 1701-1721, Raider Books, 1991
Vault, François Eugène de: Mémoires militaires relatifs à la Succession d'Espagne sous Louis XIV, Vol. 2 pp. 642-652
Vial, Jean-Louis: Liste des troupes des États Généraux des Provinces Unies en 1701, Nec Pluribus Impar
Acknowledgement
Phil Carrington for his work on the lineage of Dutch regiments
Wienand Drenth for the organisation of the articles of this page
