War, Religion and Service Huguenot Soldiering, 1685–1713 Politics and Culture in Europe, 1650-1750 Series

During the Glorious Revolution of 1688 Huguenot soldiers were at the forefront of William of Orange's army. Their role was an important one and they are, with justification, best remembered for this act among British historians and the public alike. Yet Huguenot soldiering existed long before this event, and French Protestants and their descendants featured prominently in European armies long afterwards. This volume is the first attempt to bring together in a scholarly study essays treating the Huguenots as soldiers in Europe and globally. Their story is often fascinating and sometimes poignant as they aided international Protestantism against Catholic foes across Europe and in the New World, while remaining 'under the cross' in their homeland of France. The book is divided into three sections, the first analysing the period prior to the 1685 Revocation of the Edict of Nantes which sealed their fate in France. Their role as mercenaries and freedom fighters receives attention, as does the complex political motivation that underscored their involvements abroad in the pre-Revocation era. Chapters examine the Huguenot rationale for foreign service and the dynamics of the Protestant international of which they were such a prominent part. Their role in European armies after that date is covered in the second section of the volume with a number of expert studies of Huguenot refugees in the armies of Britain, the Netherlands and Russia. A third section treats the Huguenot legacy, focusing on the aging generation of refugees and their descendants' contributions to the countries of their adoption. This book contains studies of the Huguenots serving in armies in various countries, and examines the lives and actions of a number of individual French refugee commanders who led armies consisting of their compatriots. By combining biographical studies of eminent figures with broader considerations of group experience, the volume presents a wide-ranging and thought provoking collection of material, making this the first study of its kind to consistently treat the military contribution made by the Huguenots to Europe at the high point of their importance as a historical group.

Contents: Introduction, Matthew Glozier and David Onnekink; Huguenot soldiering c1560-1685: the origins of a tradition, D.J.B. Trim; Huguenots and Huguenot regiments in the British army, 1660-1702: 'Cometh the moment, cometh the men', John Childs; A study in misplaced loyalty: Louis de Durfort-Duras, Earl of Feversham (1640-1709), Philip Rambaut; 'The good Lord Galway': the English and Irish careers of a Huguenot leader, Randolph Vigne; 'Janisaries and spahees and pretorian band': perceptions of Huguenot soldiers in Williamite England, David Onnekink; Schomberg, Ruvigny and the Huguenots in Ireland: William III's Irish wars, 1689-91, Harman Murtagh; Huguenot soldiers in Dutch service: 'a good captain to disperse the royal troops', Matthew Glozier and David Onnekink; Au réfugié: Huguenot officers in the Hague, 1687, Dianne W. Ressinger; The refugees in the army of Brandenburg-Prussia: 'those unfortunate banished people from France', Helmut Schnitter; Integration and social ascent of Huguenot soldiers in Brandenburg-Prussia: the impact of the Edict of Potsdam, Detlef Harms; Huguenot soldiers in Brandenburg-Prussia under Friedrich Wilhelm and Friedrich III (1640-1713): the state of research in German military, migration and confessional history, Matthias Asche; 'The court at Celle...is completely French': Huguenot soldiers in the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Andreas Flick; Huguenots in the army of Savoy-Piedmont: Protestant soldiers and civilians in the Savoyard state in the 17th and 18th century, Paola Bianchi; Huguenot soldiers in Russia: a study in military competence, Matthew Glozier; Bibliography; Index.

Matthew Glozier is Honorary Associate at the Centre for Medieval Studies, The University of Sydney, Australia. David Onnekink is Lecturer at the Universiteit Utrecht and the Universiteit Leiden, The Netherlands.