Lützow Free Corps
Encyclopedia
Lützow Free Corps was a voluntary force of the Prussian army
during the Napoleonic Wars
. It was named after its commander, Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von Lützow
. They were also widely known as "Lützower Jäger
" or "Schwarze Jäger" (Black Jäger).
who had volunteered to fight against Napoleon I of France
. However, in reality they amounted to no more than 12% of the total force, which consisted mostly of craftsmen and labourers.
Because the Kingdom of Prussia
already had problems financing and equipping its regular forces, the volunteers had to equip and supply themselves by their own means, as they were not paid wages. This led to the adoption of black
as the colour of the unit's uniform
s, because this was the only colour that could be used to dye the civilian clothing; with all other colours the final outcome was influenced by the clothing's original tone, resulting in an unacceptable mix of colours for the corps as a whole.
Red trim was chosen for the rank insignia. With the addition of brass
buttons, the unit wore a black-red-gold colour scheme, a combination that became associated with republican ideals.
, 600 cavalry
and 120 artillery
, varying throughout the war. It fought in many battles, operating first independently in the rear of the French troops, later as a regular unit in the allied armies.
After the peace of 1814
the corps was dissolved, the infantry becoming the 25th Regiment, the cavalry the 6th Ulans. After Napoleon's return from Elba, both regiments fought at Ligny
and Waterloo
during the Hundred Days
.
, Friedrich Friesen
, Joseph von Eichendorff and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn
. The educator Friedrich Fröbel, who later developed the concept of the kindergarten
, also belonged to the corps. In addition, two women, Eleonore Prochaska
and Anna Lühring
, had managed to join in disguise.
As many Lützow Free Corps veterans took part in the first Wartburg festival
of 1817, demanding German unity and democratic reforms, their black-red-gold uniform colour scheme became associated with republican ideals. During the Hambacher Fest
of 1832 and Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
, flags with these colours were used. This combination, reminiscent of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation
, was selected as the official national colours of Germany
, as the flag of Germany
in 1919, and again in 1949.
In the aftermath of Germany's defeat in the First World War, one of the paramilitary freikorps
active in Germany took the name "Freikorps Lützow." Its strongly extreme-right inclinations were, however, by no means a continuation of the political inclinations of members in the original 19th-century unit.
Prussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War...
during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. It was named after its commander, Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von Lützow
Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von Lützow
Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm Freiherr von Lützow was a Prussian lieutenant general notable for his organization and command of a Lützow Freikorps of volunteers during the Napoleonic Wars...
. They were also widely known as "Lützower Jäger
Jäger (military)
Jäger is a term that was adopted in the Enlightenment era in German-speaking states and others influenced by German military practice to describe a kind of light infantry, and it has continued in that use since then....
" or "Schwarze Jäger" (Black Jäger).
Origins
The unit was officially founded in February 1813 as Königlich Preußisches Freikorps von Lützow (Royal Prussian Free Corps von Lützow). It was alleged to have consisted mostly of students and academics from all over GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
who had volunteered to fight against Napoleon I of France
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. However, in reality they amounted to no more than 12% of the total force, which consisted mostly of craftsmen and labourers.
Because the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
already had problems financing and equipping its regular forces, the volunteers had to equip and supply themselves by their own means, as they were not paid wages. This led to the adoption of black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
as the colour of the unit's uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
s, because this was the only colour that could be used to dye the civilian clothing; with all other colours the final outcome was influenced by the clothing's original tone, resulting in an unacceptable mix of colours for the corps as a whole.
Red trim was chosen for the rank insignia. With the addition of brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
buttons, the unit wore a black-red-gold colour scheme, a combination that became associated with republican ideals.
Combat
The average size of the corps was 2,900 infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, 600 cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and 120 artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, varying throughout the war. It fought in many battles, operating first independently in the rear of the French troops, later as a regular unit in the allied armies.
After the peace of 1814
Treaty of Paris (1814)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on 30 May 1814, ended the war between France and the Sixth Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars, following an armistice signed on 23 May between Charles, Count of Artois, and the allies...
the corps was dissolved, the infantry becoming the 25th Regiment, the cavalry the 6th Ulans. After Napoleon's return from Elba, both regiments fought at Ligny
Battle of Ligny
The Battle of Ligny was the last victory of the military career of Napoleon I. In this battle, French troops of the Armée du Nord under Napoleon's command, defeated a Prussian army under Field Marshal Blücher, near Ligny in present-day Belgium. The bulk of the Prussian army survived, however, and...
and Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
during the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
.
Legacy
Despite its relatively small size, the corps became famous after the war, as it was the only unit in the army consisting of people from all over Germany. Also, it contained academics, writers and other well known people such as Karl Theodor KörnerTheodor Körner (author)
Karl Theodor Körner was a German poet and soldier. After some time in Vienna, where he wrote some light comedies and other works, he became a soldier and joined the German uprising against Napoleon...
, Friedrich Friesen
Friedrich Friesen
Karl Friedrich Friesen was a German gymnast and soldier, one of the principal promoters of gymnastics in Germany.-Biography:...
, Joseph von Eichendorff and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn was a German gymnastics educator and nationalist. He is commonly known as Turnvater Jahn, roughly meaning "father of gymnastics" Jahn.- Life :...
. The educator Friedrich Fröbel, who later developed the concept of the kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, also belonged to the corps. In addition, two women, Eleonore Prochaska
Eleonore Prochaska
Eleonore Prochaska was a German woman soldier who fought in the Prussian army against Napoleon during the War of the Sixth Coalition.-Life:...
and Anna Lühring
Anna Lühring
Anna Lühring was a soldier in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars.-Life:...
, had managed to join in disguise.
As many Lützow Free Corps veterans took part in the first Wartburg festival
Wartburg festival
The first Wartburg festival on 18 October 1817 was an important event in German history that took place at the Wartburg Castle near Eisenach....
of 1817, demanding German unity and democratic reforms, their black-red-gold uniform colour scheme became associated with republican ideals. During the Hambacher Fest
Hambacher Fest
The Hambacher Fest was a German national democratic festival—disguised as a non-political county fair—that was celebrated from 27 May to 30 May 1832 at Hambach Castle near Neustadt an der Weinstraße ....
of 1832 and Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, also called the March Revolution – part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many countries of Europe – were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire...
, flags with these colours were used. This combination, reminiscent of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, was selected as the official national colours of Germany
National colours of Germany
The national colors of Germany are officially Black, Red and Gold as seen on the flag of Germany of 1849-1852, 1919–1933, and again since 1949. The colors were used by democratic revolutionaries in the early 19th century, and had been used by the Holy Roman Empire since the Middle Ages...
, as the flag of Germany
Flag of Germany
The flag of Germany is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands displaying the national colours of Germany: black, red, and gold....
in 1919, and again in 1949.
In the aftermath of Germany's defeat in the First World War, one of the paramilitary freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
active in Germany took the name "Freikorps Lützow." Its strongly extreme-right inclinations were, however, by no means a continuation of the political inclinations of members in the original 19th-century unit.