Cuirasses of the Great captains

Turenne

Prince Eugene

Thanks to Boris for the Prince Eugene one.

Jean Lord Cutts, Baron de Gowran

Peter Schenk the Elder  (1660–1718) 
Lord Cutts wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cutts,_1st_Baron_Cutts

Green Croat by Velimir Vuksic

Execution of Charles I

Today's anniversary. Wiki

Brandenburg-Prussian officer c1700

Peter Schenk

Brandenburg-Prussia in the WSS

Wishing there was a decent detailed book on this subject. There is this one but my German is poor.
https://www.zinnfigur.com/Buecher-Medien/Buecher/17-18-Jahrhundert/Preussen/Fuerst-Manfred-Brandenburgisch-Preussische-Uniformen-1630-1713.html

I have this one which is good but not very detailed, well it's only cheap.

WSS Bavarians blog

A newish blog dedicated to this subject.
http://wssbavarians.blogspot.com
Check it out. It's good.

Another Military modelling picture of Louis XIV's army

Couldn't find this one when I did a post on this subject.

New 15mms from Khurasan

 Khurasan Miniatures have just released a big wave of additional codes for our 15mm late 17th century range:
http://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/late-seventeeth-century.html

It’s three new sets of generic grenadiers — with tall pointed caps, rounded caps, and bearskins; unarmoured Horse and command for same; French marshals and Louis XIV himself; French grenadiers marching; and French dragoons mounted. Swedes next!

Days of King Louis and Queen Anne event

April 4-5, 2020Locust Lawn Estate  436 Route 32 South • New Paltz, NY 12561 • (845) 901-0935
Webpage here

Danish troops in the WSS

Another picture from Military Modelling magazine many years ago. 

Royal Regiment of Dragoons 1685

This is a reconstruction by Alan Larsen of the Troop. It was used in the book The Army of James II by Stephen Ede-Borrett for Helion in 2017. It's an excellent book and covers the early British army in great detail. 

Horse grenadier by Pierre Turner

John Evelyn 
On Horse Grenadiers 5 December 1683 The King had now augmented his guards with a new sort of dragoons, who carried also granados, and were habited after the Polish manner, with long peaked caps, very fierce and fantastical

The Sun King's Wars and Armies 1643-1715 Volume 2: The Infantry of Louis XIV (Century of the Soldier)

 

by Rene Chartrand                           

I can happily unreservedly recommend this book. It's very good and essential if you have an interest in 17th and 18th century armies. The reason for this is the fact that the army of Louis XIV was highly influential to the armies of western Europe - where Louis' army led other armies followed.

   This is a comprehensive study, ranging from the infantryman's diet to the shoes on his feet, this book covers it. All the campaigns are covered even down to the more obscure ones.

  There are something like 200 illustrations including some colour ones specially commissioned depicting uniforms and flags.

  This is a very useful book and one that is a must for military historians. I have been interested in Louis XIV's army since the 80s and this study is the best I have read since then. This is volume 2. I will be getting all the volumes of the series as they are so good.

Memmingen 2020

This summer is the event celebrating Wallenstein in Germany. Website here. People come from all over to make a memorable event. Maybe you are going?

A View of the West Front Horse Guards, with the Treasury and Downing Street Beyond by Samuel Wale

Gabriel Bethlen

2020 is the 400th anniversary of the Battle of White Mountain. It happened in November but I think they reenact it in the summer near Prague (19-20 September)  Of course someone involved in these events is Gabriel Bethlen a fascinating leader.

download this English language pdf

Interesting portrait

Unknown Officer of the Austrian Emperor Leopold's regiment.
The Year 1678

Coming soon from Helion

I have the first two in this series and they are very good. This looks promising. Out for Salute.

This War Without an Enemy boardgame kickstarter

Launching on 20th January. Read what boardgame geek have to say. Preorder here

The start of the English Civil War season

It might be cold wet and dark but already the ECW enthusiasts are thinking about their First event of 2020. First mention is for the Sealed Knot as they do their Nantwich reenactment on the 25th January.
The ECWS have their annual Whitehall March commemorating Charles I on the 26th January.

Herald ECW soldier taken from the web.

Grenadiers Royaux

There were a number of these regiments. They were formed from the grenadier companies of Militia battalions.

Forthcoming Osprey campaign

CAM: Malplaquet 1709

In 1709, after eight years of war, France was on her knees. Things were so bad that King Louis XIV offered to end the War of Spanish Succession on humiliating terms. The allied powers refused Louis’ offer, believing that one more successful campaign would utterly destroy French power.

This book will describe the campaign of 1709 which culminated in the battle of Malplaquet. Led by the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy, the allied armies achieved a tactical victory but it was a hollow one. They suffered 23,000 casualties to the French 11,000 in what was the bloodiest battle of the 18th century. The scale of casualties shocked Europe and led to a reversal of fortunes. Marlborough was dismissed and King Louis resolved to fight on. When the war finally ended it did so on terms favourable to France.

Although it is generally accepted that Marlborough was never defeated, this book will show how the battle of Malplaquet was ultimately a French strategic victory.

Rene Chartrand's Military modelling articles in the 80s

 Back in the 80s before the Louis XIV's army Osprey came out (1988) the best place for information on the Sun King's forces was in  a series of articles written by Chartrand in Military modelling magazine. I remember having them safe in a file though I can't find them now. But we still have the accompanying illustrations which were done by the usual M.M. artists.

Another interesting portrait.

Posting this as costume reference. It's from 1680. It's John, 1st Earl Poulett, as a boy, by John Closterman (1660-1711)

Interesting portrait

Antoine II the Count of Montfort. Officer in the Austrian army of Emperor of Austria Leopold 1673. Painter Georg Merius. 

Bavarian Grenadier WSS - thanks to ChrisFritz

'This is a superb reproduction of a Grenadier of the Bavarian Leibregiment shown by a close friend of mine. The uniform, arms and equipment was thoroughly researched by Dr. Markus Junkelmann, one of the great german historians when it comes to military history.
Note the pistol, which was unique for those troops.

The regiment (esp. the Grenadiers) as allies to the French fought at the first Battle of Höchstädt (Sept 20th 1703), at the Schellenberg (July 2nd 1704) and at the second Battle of Höchstädt or Blenheim (Aug 13th 1704), where it suffered a disastrous defeat.
They went on to the spanish Netherlands and fought at Ramillies (May 23rd 1706), where they were defeated again and lost all standards, but one.
Finally at Malplaquet (Sept 11th 1709) they played almost no role and were withdrawn from the theatre of war.'

‘A DESPERAT WEPON’: RE-HAFTED SCYTHES AT SEDGEMOOR, IN WARFARE AND AT THE TOWER OF LONDON

Fascinating article on Monmouth's weapons. By Edward Impey

• Journal: The Antiquaries Journal ,  
• Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 December 2019, pp. 1-46

 Here

Days of King Monmouth

2020 is going to be good for the Monmouth Rebellion. Sedgemoor is going to be reenacted on the 4/5 July in Bridgwater. Read about the Rebellion in my booklet - get it here