David Hollins Livres

Austria's Balkan frontier – the disputed borderland between Europe and the Ottoman Turks – was defended in the 18th century by a unique organization of hardy communities who were granted farmland in return for armed service. These Grenzers, masters of guerrilla warfare, were later incorporated into Austria's regular forces, and earned a wider reputation fighting against the army of Frederik the Great's Prussia. By the start of the wars against Revolutionary and Napoleonic France they provided a significant part of the Austrian Line. This book unravels their complex history, and illustrates the development of their colourful folk costumes into striking uniforms.

To support her regular troops, Austria made extensive use of auxiliary forces during the Revolutionary (1792-1802) and Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). The Balkan Grenzers performed a mix of Military Frontier guard, field army and light roles, and were separated into the National Grenz regiments in 1798. French émigrés, Belgian and Polish volunteers, German Jäger and Balkan refugees formed volunteer units in the 1790s, which were mostly regularised into Light Battalions (1798-1801).The militia garrison troops of 1800 were developed into the conscript Landwehr of 1808, although volunteers (Freiwillige) joined the field army in 1809. Hungary and Croatia provided traditional Insurrection militias that fought at Raab in 1809. This title examines the different histories, organisation and colourful uniforms of these multi-national troops.

Kniha poskytuje velice zajímavý pohled na osudy vojevůdců, kteří se v čele rakouských vojsk významně zapsali do dějin napoleonského období. Právě armády habsburské monarchie se staly od 90. let 18. století až k Napoleonově porážce v letech 1813-1815 základem řady protifrancouzských koalic. Generálové, kteří těmto armádám veleli, nepocházeli zdaleka všichni z aristokratických kruhů, jak to tvrdí dosud přežívající smyšlenky. Lišili se od sebe stejně jako jejich pluky geografickým či sociálním původem nebo jinými rysy. Text doplňují podobizny vojevůdců a barevné ilustrace.