Lauzun’s Legion.

This is coolbert:

Before there was a French Foreign Legion there was Lauzun's Legions!

Armand-Louis de Gontaut Biron, duc de Lauzun [Duke].

Never heard of this before. Thanks to the Mad Monarchist Internet web site and as extracted from same.

"The Duc de Lauzun, a Life Lesson"

"In the aftermath of the disastrous French and Indian War (Seven Years’ War for Europeans), the French military was reformed in a major way."

To include units comprised of foreign nationals not Frenchmen. Military forces their mission what would be termed overseas duty!!

"A group of eight new units were created, known as legions, of Volontaires étranger de la Marine for overseas service. These units were made up of Poles, Germans, Hungarians and exiles from Ireland and were combined arms formations with each having two fusilier, one grenadier and one chasseur companies as well as artillery and cavalry (hussars) in their own independent companies. The idea was to have units that could move quickly, pack a punch and be able to respond to any given situation with their own infantry, cavalry and artillery components"

Units and troops described their battlefield function depending on the historical context but generally defined as:

* fusilier =  line infantry,  * grenadier =  elite assault troops, * chasseur =  light infantry, *  hussars =  light cavalry.

The Duc his fate most terrible. A valiant military commander and a supporter of the French Revolution himself sent eventually to the guillotine.

coolbert.