Russian army during the reign of Empress Elisabeth
(1709-1761).
Empress of all Russia 25.11.1741 - 25.12.1761
by Vlad
Gromoboy
Empress Elisabeth seized Russian Throne
on November 25, 1741. She inherited Russian army consisted
of:
Guard
… Horse Guard (5
squadrons)
… Preobrazenskiy Lieb-Guard (4
bat.)
… Semenovskiy Leib-Guard (3
bat.)
… Izmailovskiy Leib-Guard (3
bat.)
… Leib-company
Empress Elisabeth seized Russian Throne
after military overturn. It was done by Grenadier company of
Preobrazenskiy Leib-Guard regiment. After its efforts this
company was named Leib-company & formed a separate elite
unit of the Guard.
Field military
… 38 Infantry regiments
… 3 Cuirassier regiments
… 29 Dragoon regiments
… 4 Hussar regiments.
Garrison troops
… 20 Ostzeiskiy garrison
infantry regiments
… 35 regiments & 3 separate
battalions of the inner garrison infantry
… 7 regiments & 1 separate
squadron (in Moscow) of the garrison dragoons
Landmilitia
… 20 horse regiments of the
Ukrainian Landmilitia
… 3 horse & 1 foot regiments of
the Zakamskaia Landmilitia
Nizovoi Corps - 12
regiments
Malorussian Cossacks - 10
regiments
Enlisted Ukranian Cossacks, called
"companeiskiy" - 3 regiments
Slobodian Cossacks - 5
regiments
Artillery regiment (1 bombardier &
6 gunners companies)
Siege Corps (1 bombardier & 3
gunners companies)
Mecklenburg Corps
Changes in Russian
infantry:
Nizovoi
corps
4 regiments of Nizovoi corps:
… Derbent
… Dagestan
… Salian
… Baku
were disbanded on February 5, 1743 &
their personnel were converted to the Gallery
Fleet.
Other 8 regiments of this
Corps:
… Apsheron
… Shirvan
… Kabarda
… Nasheburg
… Nizovsk
… Kurinsk
… Tengin
… Navaginsk
were transformed to the regular infantry
on November 29, 1745.
On November 27, 1747
the staff of infantry regiments was increased. All regiments
received the third battalion of 4 Musketeer companies.
Regiment became of 12 Musketeer & 1 Grenadier companies,
& Artillery detachment.
On June 1753 2
Grenadier companies were added to infantry regiments.
Regimental staff became of 3 battalions, each of 5
companies, & Artillery detachment.
This staff again was
changed on March 20, 1756. The third Grenadier companies
from each Musketeer regiment were gathered in 4 constant
Grenadier regiments. They consisted of 8 companies in 2
battalions. Other infantry regiments stayed in 12 Musketeer
& 2 Grenadier companies till ascendancy of Peter the
Third. Each infantry regiment also included an Artillery
detachment.
On September 30, 1756
the separate Observation Corps was formed. It consisted of 1
Grenadier & 5 Musketeer regiments. Each was of 4
battalions & Artillery detachment. The battalion of the
"Grenadier regiment of Observation Corps" consisted of 4
Grenadier companies, & Musketeer regiment (numbered 1
till 5) of Observation Corps was of 1 Grenadier & 3
Musketeer companies.
Changes in heavy
cavalry:
On December 31, 1743
Cuirassier regiment Prince Braunshveig was renamed to His
Majesty Duke Golstein-Gottopr (later Russian Emperor Peter
III). Cuirassier regiment Field Marshal Minih was renamed to
the 3-rd Cuirassier regiment on March 30,1756.
On the same day 6
Dragoon regiments:
… Kargopol
… Narva
… Sankt-Peterburg
… Riga
… Riazan
… Astrakhan
were converted to Horse Grenadiers. And 3
Dragoon regiments:
… Kiev
… Novotroitsk
… Kazan
were converted to Cuirassiers.
The staff of Dragoon
regiment was 2 Grenadier & 10 Fusilier companies &
Artillery detachment, but two regiments, stayed in
Siberia:
… Olonets
… Lutsk
were of 1 Grenadier & 9 Fusilier
companies & Artillery detachment.
Cuirassier regiment
was of 5 squadrons, 2 companies each.
Horse Grenadiers were
of 10 companies & Artillery detachment.
Light cavalry & settled Serbian
military
On Dec.24 1751 ex-colonel of Austrian
service Horvat was allowed to establish a separate Serbian
settlement in the South of Ukraine. He received lands near
river Dnepr, between rivers Kavarlyk & Amelnik. This
territory was called Novaia Serbia (New Serbia), with
administrative centre in Novomirgorod. From Serbs settled
this colony, colonel Horvat recruited 2 regiments, one
infantry (Pandurs) & one horse (Hussars), each of 20
companies.
On Jan.11 1752 Horvat raised one more
Pandur & one more Hussar regiments, each of 20
companies.
Following Horvat were other Serbian
leaders. On May 17 1753 lieutenant colonels (ex-Austrian)
Shevich & Preradovich founded an other Serbian
settlement on the South of Ukraine between rivers Bahmut
& Lagunia. This territory was called Slaviano-Serbia
(Slavonic Serbia). On Mar.31 1754 they raised 2 settled
Hussar regiments, called after colonels (Shevich &
Preradovich).
All this Serbian units (4 Hussar & 2
Pandur regiments) were settled military.
Sept.26 1756 Slobod Cossacks were
transformed to Slobod Hussar regiment.
May 10 1759 Horvat was allowed to raise 2
more hussar regiments (not settled): Macedonian &
Bulgarian.
On June 13 1759 Novomirgorod garrison was
formed as separate constant unit. It consisted of 1
Grenadier & 3 Pandur companies.
On Dec. 11 1760 one more field Hussar
regiment, called Zeltiy (Yellow), was raised from Serbs.
So, by the end of 1760 following Slavs
(not Russian) units were formed on the South of
Russia:
Field Hussar regiments - 8,
each of 10 companies:
… Serbian,
… Georgian,
… Moldavian,
… Hungarian,
… Slobodian,
… Macedonian,
… Bulgarian,
… Yellow.
Settled Hussar regiments - 4, each of
20 companies:
… Horvat,
… Novoserbian (New
Serbian),
… Shevich,
… Preradovich.
Settled Pandur regiments - 2, each of 5
Grenadier & 15 Pandur (Musketeer) companies. I have not
found reference to any names for the infantry Pandur
regiments. Probably they were just called the 1st and the
2nd.
Novomirgorod garrison. It consisted of 1
Grenadier and 3 Pandur (Musketeer) companies. Sometimes it
is referred to as the Third Pandur regiment, but I think
this is incorrect. It had the staff organization similar to
that of a battalion of the Russian garrison infantry, and it
is better to call it garrison battalion.
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