ACADEMIA Letters

Württemberg Regiments serving in the Army of the State of

Milan 1690-1698
Giancarlo Boeri

During the War of the Nine Years (1688-1697), on the Italian front war raged across the Duchy
of Piedmont-Savoy and Monferrat between a French army led by Marshall Catinat and an
Allied Army composed with troops from the Duke of Savoy, the King of Spain (the army of
the State of Milan), and those of the Austrian Empire.
In order to augment the fighting potential of the Spanish army in Lombardy (and to meet
the obligations stated in the Alliance treaty with Duke Victor Amedeus of Savoy), the Gov-
ernor of the State of Milan, Count Fuensalida[1], concluded in May 1690 (upon approval of
the Court in Madrid) a treaty with the governing duke of Württemberg, Friedrich Carl, who
contracted the formation of three regiments of Württemberg troops, one of infantry[2], one of
cavalry (cuirassiers)[3], and one of dragoons[4], for service in the Milanese army during the
war against France[5].
The three Württ. regiments, quickly raised, arrived by companies in Lombardy (through
the Swiss territory) in the second half of the year 1690 and were promptly engaged in the
conflict in Piedmont. These regiments, reduced after the second year of service to two only,
by merging the two mounted units into a single one of Cuirassiers with 12 companies (June
1693) which was later converted to a Dragoons unit (which had a lower pay), remained in the
Milanese state well after the conclusion of the hostilities in Italy at the end of 1696, and were
sent back to their homeland only in the Spring of 1698, to be employed again in the operations
against the Turks and Rebels in Hungary in the ranks of the Imperial Army.
In 1693-1694 a new agreement was capitulated between the new Governor, Marquis of
Leganes[6], and the Duke Friedrich Carl, by which it was recognised the reduction in the
number of the regiments and it was convened a regular yearly recruiting for the troops in Milan
(besides re-arranging the wages and the payments regularity of the troops and for the Duke).

Academia Letters, July 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Giancarlo Boeri, gcboeri@gmail.com

Citation: Boeri, G. (2021). Württemberg Regiments serving in the Army of the State of Milan 1690-1698.
Academia Letters, Article 1942. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1942.

1
It should also be noted that during the war in Northern Italy another infantry regiment from
Württemberg, was fighting on the same front, in the Imperial contingent. These regiments
took part to all the field operations of the Allied army in Piedmont during the war opposing
the French expeditionary force led by Nicolas Catinat. They generally behaved as a solid corps
of troops and the Spanish Governors of the Duchy highly estimated their presence[7].
The precence and strength of these units is well documented in the review list that were
periodically produced to determine the money they were to receive from the Spanish-Milanese
Treasury[8].
As an example we supply in the following the report of the last review they received before
leaving for Germany (in Italian with misspelling of the names as it was typical of the time,
when the clerk who compiled the list wrote the names as he heard them pronounced)
1698 Febbraio Valutazione, e Riparto Generale di tutto quello importano le Paghe, Soc-
corsi, e Foraggi, che per ordine dell’Officio si somministrano dallo Stato all’Esercito, Officiali
Maggiori delle Piazze, e Soccorsi de Castelli, &tc, del giorno 15 Febbraro 1698 in confor-
mità dello Stato dell’Esercito del medemo giorno 15 Febbraro, regolato sopra li piè di lista
delli Officij del Soldo della mostra de’ 15 Novembre 1697 con l’accrescimento delle alte, e la
deduzione delle Basse sopravenute fino al detto giorno 15 Febbraro.
Regimento d’Infanteria del Prencipe di VVirtembergh
Cpia Colonnella: Capitano, Tenente, Alfiere, due Sargenti, Abanderale, 4 Caporali, Foriere,
Barbiere, Scrivano, 2 Attambori, 2 Pifari, Soldati 64
Tenente Colonnello : li 17 Officiali meno un Piffaro, e 73 Soldati
Sargente Maggiore : li 17 Officiali, meno un Piffaro come sopra, e 70 Soldati
Ioachim Sculz : li 17 Officiali meno un Piffaro, e 68 Soldati
Sebastiano Teicheler : li 17 Officiali meno un Piffaro, e 70 Soldati
Teodoro Vanaus : li 17 Officiali meno li due Piffari, e 70 Soldati
Zaccaria Biel : li 17 Officiali e 65 Soldati
Volfang Brand : li 17 Officiali e 63 Soldati
Enrico Ernesto Berner : li 17 Officiali e 67 Soldati
Il Stato Colonnello consiste in Colonnello, Tenente Colonnello, Sargente Maggiore, un
Agiutante, Capellano Maggiore, Quartier Mastro, Cirugico Maggiore, Prevosto, Auditore,
Attambore Maggiore & Mastro de Carri.
Cavalleria Dragona del Prencipe di VVirtembergh
Cpia del Colonnello: Capitano, Tenente, Alfiere, Sargente, 2 Caporali, Foriere & Attam-
bore, soldati à cavallo 52, e 5 à piedi.
Tenente Colonnello : li 11 Officiali Maggiori, e 49 soldati a cavallo, e 5 à piedi
Sargente Maggiore : li 11 Officiali Maggiori, e 46 soldati a cavallo, e 6 à piedi

Academia Letters, July 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Giancarlo Boeri, gcboeri@gmail.com

Citation: Boeri, G. (2021). Württemberg Regiments serving in the Army of the State of Milan 1690-1698.
Academia Letters, Article 1942. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1942.

2
 Verber Artman Amsleben : li 11 Officiali Maggiori, e 47 soldati a cavallo, e 9 à piedi
Baron Giorgio Martini : li 11 Officiali Maggiori, e 53 soldati a cavallo, e 8 à piedi
Giacomo Kun : li 11 Officiali Maggiori, e 48 soldati a cavallo, e 3 à piedi
Federico Hac : li 11 Officiali Maggiori, e 48 soldati a cavallo, e 7 à piedi
Matteo Valter : li 11 Officiali Maggiori, e 45 soldati a cavallo, e 2 à piedi
Stato Colonnello consiste in Colonnello, Tenente Colonnello, Sargente Maggiore, un Ag-
iutante, Quartier Mastro, Capellano maggiore, Auditore, Cirugico Maggiore, Attavalero &
Prevosto
The dismission of the German regiments was recorded by various Gazettes of the time.
25/12/1697 Milano. (Gazzetta di Bologna) Vi sono quà reiterati ordini di Spagna di
riformare li due Reggimenti di Cavalleria e Fanteria Vitemberghese, com anche gli Spagnuoli
che sono in questo Real Castello, in vece de’ quali vi si introduca altro Terzo de Spagnuoli, e
se ne faccia ogni trè mesi la muta.
05/02/1698 Milano (Gazzetta di Bologna) Con Corriero Straordinario capitato Lunedì
da Vienna, e spedito da S.M. Cesarea s’è penetrato esser ordine di licenziare li due Reggimenti
di Fanteria e Cavalleria VVittemberghesi. …
19/03/1698 Milano (Gazzetta di Bologna) Essendovi triplicato ordine di Spagna di licen-
ziare li VVittemberghesi da questo Stato, finalmente il Sig. Marchese Governatore hà espresso
che per li 25 del cadente, debban ambidue questi perniciosi e dispendiosi Reggimenti essere
nella Città di Como, ove se gli daranno le loro paghe, e s’imbarcheranno per ritornare in
Germania. …
05/04/1698 Venezia. (Nunzio Pontificio a Venezia) Ad istanza di questo Sr Ambascia-
tore di Spagna, la Serenissima Rep.ca ha accordato il passaggio per lo Stato Veneto a i due
Reggimenti Vittemburghesi, che dallo Stato di Milano passaranno al servizio dell’Imperatore.
…
16 Aprile 1698 Milano. (Avvisi italiani di Vienna) … Datasi la rassegna in Como ai
Reggimenti Wurtemberghesi, attendono solo che si aggiustino le strade per passare in Ger-
mania.
16/04/1698 Milano (Gazzetta di Bologna) Si diede hoggi a otto nella città di Como la
rassegna alli Reggimenti VVittemburghesi per dargli le paghe, mà ritarderanno la marchia
per Germania a causa delle cattive strade. …
16/04/1698 Colonia (Gazzetta di Bologna) Il Duca di VVittembergh cede gratis all’Imperatore
li suoi due Reggimenti che ha nello Stato di Milano, l’uno di 1.800 Fanti e l’altro de Dragoni,
à conditione, che quest’ultimo sia comandato da un Principe della Casa.

Academia Letters, July 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Giancarlo Boeri, gcboeri@gmail.com

Citation: Boeri, G. (2021). Württemberg Regiments serving in the Army of the State of Milan 1690-1698.
Academia Letters, Article 1942. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1942.

3
References
[1] D. Antonio Lopez de Ayala, Velasco y Cardenas, Conde de Fuensalida y Colmenar

[2] Regimiento de infanteria Prinz Karl Alexander v. Württemberg. [Capitulation in Archivo

General Simancas] The regiment, nominally 1,500 men strong, was formed with the
remains of the troops that had been hired by Venice in 1685-1687 and sent in Greece
against the Turks, and withdrawn in 1689.

[3] Regimiento Cavalleria Corazas[Capitulation in Archivo General Simancas] The regi-

ment should have had 10 companies of 70 horsemen each.

[4] Regimiento Dragones Herz. Friedrich Karlvon Württemberg [Capitulation in Archivo

General Simancas] The regiment should have had 12 companies of 71 dragoons each.

[5] All three regiments had Friedrich Carl’s young son Carl Alexander as their nominal
colonel. Actual command was exercised by a lieutenant colonel, though the officers seem
to have been given titular colonel’s rank. The colonel for the Dragoon regiment was a
certain von der Meden who was previously a lieutenant colonel and came from West-
phalia. The chief officers associated with the cavalry regiment were Count Solms and
Count Nassau-Weilburg. Unfortunately, I don’t have their first names to identify them fur-
ther. Commander of the Infantry Regiment was Hans Adam Baron von Ramstett (also
Rahmstett, Ramstätt) who had been colonel and commander of Infantry Regiment Bils
replacing Bils who died in late 1688. This was one of the units hired to Venice for Morea
which returned and was disbanded in April 1690. Ramstett transferred almost immedi-
ately as commander of the new regiment sent to Milan. He remained commander until 18
March 1696 when he became commander of another infantry regiment nominally under
Carl Alexander which had been raised for Venice. I don’t know who his replacement was
for the Milanese unit. Communication Peter Wilson

[6] D. Diego Felipe de Guzman Duque de S. Lucar la mayor, Marques de Leganes

[7] The last of them, the Prince of Lorraine was reluctant to let them leave and tried to the
last minute to keep them in Lombardy, but at the end economical reasons imposed their
dismission.

[8] Archivio di Stato di Alessandria. Soministranze Militari. Riparto Esercito di Milano

(various years)

Academia Letters, July 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Giancarlo Boeri, gcboeri@gmail.com

Citation: Boeri, G. (2021). Württemberg Regiments serving in the Army of the State of Milan 1690-1698.
Academia Letters, Article 1942. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1942.