Hussards de Saxe



The Régiment des Hussards de Saxe (Saxon Hussar Regiment) was a cavalry unit set up in France under the Ancien Régime in 1741 as the Chasseurs de Fischer. In 1761 it was renamed the Dragons-Chasseurs de Conflans, in 1763 the Légion de Conflans and in 1776 it finally became a hussar regiment, being renamed the Conflans-Hussards. It was renamed the Saxe-Hussards on 1 March 1789.

On 1 January 1791 all the regiments of the French Army were renamed after their function and given a precedence number according to their age. The Saxe-Hussards thus became the 4th Hussar Regiment. It distinguished itself in the War of the First Coalition before following the advice of General Charles-François Dumouriez and going over to the enemy with its arms and baggage. More than 400 of the Hussards de Saxe joined the emigre forces in May 1793 and before joining the Austrian army it had to fight its own depot unit (which had remained in France and become the 7th Hussar Regiment)! In 1793 the Hussards de Saxe fought at the battles of Neerwinden, Namur, Condé, and Valenciennes.

In the meantime, on 4 May 1793, it was removed from the French regimental list, with the other regiments promoted by one number and the former 5th Hussar Regiment (also known as the Colonel Général des Hussards) replacing it as the 4th Hussar Regiment. In May to September 1793 the Hussards de Saxe joined the Army of the Princes and in November that year, after the Army of the Princes was disbanded, switched to serving the Austrians.

On 25 April 1798 the Hussards de Saxe and the Hussards de Bercheny merged to form the Austrian Light Dragoon Regiment # 13. In 1802 that new unit became the Chevauxlegers Regiment # 6 under Feldmarschallleutnant Prince Franz Seraph of Rosenberg-Orsini.