Osprey Men-at-Arms 308 : Louis XV's Army (4) : Light Troops and Specialists

This fourth instalment of Rene Chartrand's review of Louis XV's army reveals an extraordinary variety of units, most now long forgotten, who had a dazzling assortment of uniforms, equipment and weapons. Light troops, bourgeois militia and even the guard companies of senior generals all cultivated their own distinct dress and appearance. The emergence of light troops at the time of Louis XV's reign is a sign of the search for better intelligence of the enemy and rapid tactical moves on battlefields, which at that time were dominated by ponderous and predictable movements of battalions marching in line in open fields. Light troops were meant to act primarily as skirmishers and raiders to support the main army. Since their tactical role was to be different than that of the bulk of the nation's troops, they were regarded as somewhat exotic. As a result, light troop recruits were often foreigners who, it was believed, brought with them novel ways in the art of war. However, Frenchmen with strong local identities and peculiar fighting methods also qualified - among the latter were various mountain units and the Basque and Breton volunteers. The dress and weaponry of these troops was very distinctive, some of it most unusual, as is revealed by the text and its numerous accompanying illustrations, which include eight full page colour plates by Eugène Lelièpvre.

Contents

• Introduction
• Hussars
• Hussar Regiments
• Light Troops
• Generals, Staff and Specialist Officers
• Constabulary Corps
• Bourgeois Militia
• Select Bibliography
• The Plates