Osprey Men-at-Arms 122 : Napoleon's German Allies (5) : Hessen-Darmstadt and Hessen-Kassel

The process of dividing inherited lands between all surviving male beneficiaries, which steadily reduced Germany to a trivial conglomeration of petty principalities over a period of centuries, was responsible for the splitting of Hessen-Kassel and Hessen-Darmstadt in 1567. Both states fought against France in the Revolutionary Wars, but in 1795 Hessen-Kassel made peace with France at Basle, and Hess-Darmstadt, under the Landgraf Ludwig X, made peace at Luneville in 1801. In 1803 both states were enlarged by a sharing-out of previously Imperial free towns and church-states to compensate them for lands lost to France. In addition, Landgraf Wilhelm of Hessen-Kassel secured the coveted title of 'Kurfürst', Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1806 Hassen-Darmstadt grew even larger under the patronage of Napoleon. Joining the Rheinbund in that year, she received all remaining Imperial possessions within her borders, and Landgraf Ludwig became Grossherzog Ludwig when his state was elevated to a Grand Duchy by Napoleon. Otto von Pivka examines the history, organisation and uniforms of the armies of these two states, accompanied by numerous illustrations including eight full page colour plates by Bryan Fosten.

Contents

• The Hessian Lands
• Hessen-Darmstadt - Organization and Uniforms - 1792
• Campaign History Extracts
• Colours and Standards
• Hessen-Kassel Uniforms - 1792
• Hessen-Kessel Uniforms - From 1813
• Colours and Standards
• The Plates