#8335 Napoleonic Hungarian Infantry Action

The Hungarian infantry of the Habsburg army
During the Napoleonic Wars, the Kingdom of Hungary was not merely a province of Austria but one of the principal constituent kingdoms of the Habsburg monarchy. It retained its own Diet, laws and system of recruitment, while supplying large numbers of men to the emperor's army. In Austrian military terminology, line infantry regiments were classed as either "German" or 'Hungarian" according to their recruiting establishment. This distinction referred to their organisation and uniform rather than simply to the language or ethnicity of every soldier. Hungarian regiments recruited throughout the lands of the Hungarian Crown, whose population included Magyars, Slovaks, Romanians, Croats and several other peoples.

Box art

The Hungarian infantry enjoyed a strong reputation for steadiness and fighting quality. Recruitment in Hungary continued to depend heavily upon quotas administered through the Hungarian authorities and upon voluntary enlistment, rather than following exactly the same conscription system used in the hereditary Austrian lands. In March 1809, the imperial army contained 15 Hungarian line infantry regiments, compared with 46 classed as German. Hungary also supplied most of Austria's famous hussars, as well as grenadiers, artillerymen and other troops.

Test shot

After Archduke Charles's reforms, Austrian line infantry regiments were organised on broadly similar lines. A Hungarian regiment contained three fusilier battalions and two grenadier companies, with the grenadiers normally detached and combined with companies from other regiments to form separate elite battalions. Each fusilier battalion was divided into three divisions, each division comprising two companies. This gave a full regiment eighteen fusilier companies, although the third battalion had only four companies until the reorganisation of 1809. Actual battlefield strengths were usually considerably lower than the official establishment.

Hungarian line infantry regiment, c.1809 organisation:
Three fusilier battalions
Six companies in each full battalion
Two grenadier companies
Regimental staff and depot elements
Grenadiers generally combined into separate battalions

The cylindrical shako began replacing the earlier crested helmet from 1806, although issue was gradual and the two forms of headgear overlapped for several years. The figures in set 8334 wear the shako and later-war uniform, making them particularly suitable for the campaigns from 1809 through 1815. Their full marching equipment includes knapsack, rolled greatcoat, cartridge pouch, canteen, bayonet and musket.

Shako.

This set provides the Hungarian infantry in action, complementing the formed ranks of set 8334. It contains 40 figures in five poses: two advancing, two firing and one loading his musket. The poses cover the principal movements needed to show a battalion engaging the enemy, whether advancing in formation, delivering a volley or continuing the cycle of loading and firing. Although described as an action set, the figures retain the disciplined, close-order appearance appropriate to Napoleonic line infantry rather than adopting exaggerated individual poses.

The men wear the distinctive Hungarian uniform with pointed cuffs, tight decorated pantaloons, short boots and the Austrian shako introduced from 1806. Each figure carries full campaign equipment, supplied as a separate knapsack and greatcoat assembly. A slotted fitting allows the pack to be positioned naturally on the back and helps preserve the detail of both the figure and equipment. Together with the marching set, these figures allow the modeller to portray Hungarian battalions both on the move and deployed for battle.

Slot in backpack to allow positioning.

Some figures painted by JJ Birault.

Some figures painted by Mr. Borodino.

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