Forces of the Confederation of the Five Duchies - The Burgoyne Hussars

 The Burgoyne Hussars

 Commanding officer: Count Gui Leblanc

Motto: "We get knocked down, but we get up again"

Garrison/HQ: Lynn de la Duchesse.

Nick name: The Ragged Brigade

Origin

The regiment was raised in Lynn de la Duchesse by James R. Montague as James Montague's Regiment of Dragoons in 1715, in response to a Volgan invasion. During the invasion, it took part in the Battle of Capel-le-Ferne in October 1715, after which it escorted the captured Volgan soldiers to the waiting prison ships.

The Peasants' Revolt of 1745

During the Peasants' Revolt of 1745, a major uprising across large parts of the Confederation of the Five Duchies, the regiment was largely made up of recruits and commanded by an inexperienced officer, Francois Baskerville. On 13th September, the regiment was confronted by a small party of disgruntled oast workers and was routed in the so-called 'Kiln Canter'. Francois Baskerville was almost stripped of his command for his poor handling of the situation, but he blamed the defeat on his soldiers' sympathies with the workers and their lack of battlefield experience.

The regiment, however, was demoralised both by its conduct and by the way its commanding officer had been treated. At the Battle of Maison Dieu on 21st September, which lasted only 15 minutes, a large group of peasants once again routed the regiment and killed Francois Baskerville as he tried to rally his men. Command of the regiment was handed over to Jacques Hiver, but the equally disastrous Battle of Colline Militaire in January 1746 saw the regiment routed from the field once more.

Shortly afterwards, Baskerville's replacement, Jacques Hiver, died of malaria and was succeeded by David Marais. Under Marais' guiding hand, the regiment underwent many changes. It was renamed the Burgoyne Hussars, and its recruiting process was reorganised. No longer would it take in former prisoners of war, murderers, debtors and rejects from other regiments. Instead, it would seek to attract the yeomanry. Marais, who became known as the 'Old Drill Sergeant', put the troops through relentless drills and imposed rigid discipline, introducing some of the harshest punishments in the army.

Forces of the Confederation of the Five Duchies - The Mont du Château Chasseurs

The Mont du Château Chasseurs

Commanding officer: Colonel Adas Van Beorg

"Motto: "Bold and Swift

Garrison/HQ: Mont du Château 

Nickname: The Wheat

Origin

The Mont du Château Chasseurs were originally raised in 1650 by the Honourable Volgan Trading Company as a marine force to protect the company's overseas interests.

The War of Independence

The regiment returned in secret from its colonial duties under cover of darkness in 1668. This redeployment was organised by Wilhelm Lützow, chairman of the Honourable Volgan Trading Company. Lützow, a proud Mont du Châteauian and staunch believer in the wisdom of the independence movement, had been siphoning off funds from the company to transport, train and arm as many troops as he could for the fight.

This move allowed him not only to bring back the regiment but also to raise two additional battalions. The sudden appearance of three battalions of well-trained sharpshooters among the rebel forces, combined with the embezzlement of company funds by its most senior member, caught the loyalist members of the board completely by surprise. The misappropriation of capital and the resulting loss of confidence in the company led to its bankruptcy and eventual dissolution by the Volgan Monarch.

The value of Lützow's investment was soon realised as the Mont du Château Chasseurs were quickly deployed in the Volgan campaign. The three battalions took part in skirmishes around Feweszem in December 1669, the Battle of Hen-Bei in July 1670, the Siege of Sytynbon in October 1670, where elements of the 2nd Battalion captured the colours of the 2nd Sytnbon Regiment, and the Battle of Iytstelbel in 1671.

At the conclusion of the War of Independence, Wilhelm Lützow made the shrewd decision to amalgamate the three battalions into a single, compact elite force. This allowed him not only to select the best men from the three battalions but also, through the financial savings this consolidation generated, to equip them with the best arms available. A tradition the regiment would continue to the present day.

Forces of the Confederation of the Five Duchies - The Duchess du Burgoyne`s Own Fusiliers

 

The Duchess du Burgoyne`s Own Fusiliers

Commanding officer: Brevet Colonel Christophe de la Côte D'or

Motto: "I serve"

Garrison/HQ: Cerisier

Nickname: The Cherry Blossoms

Origin

The Duchess du Burgoyne's Own Fusiliers were raised in 1668, during the War of Independence, by Duke Henri du Burgoyne to serve as his personal bodyguard. They were originally known as the Duke's Own Bodyguard.

The War of Independence

The regiment served under Duke Henri du Burgoyne throughout the 1669–1671 campaign in Volgar, including the Battle of Hen-Bei in July 1670 and the Battle of Iytstelbel in 1671, which brought the campaign in Volgar to an end. The Burgoyne forces joined those of the other Duchies in fighting in the Nine-Month Campaign at Saufend in August 1672 and took part in the storming of the earthworks there.

On the renewal of hostilities in 1673, the Cherry Blossoms were assigned to protect the artillery of the Duchy of Burgoyne. They were consequently equipped with lightweight muskets, or 'fusils', and became known as the Duke du Burgoyne's Own Fusiliers. The regiment served throughout the various campaigns of the War of Independence, including the battles of Sainte Marguerite, Falaise de l'Abbé and Vallée des Ormes.

In 1688, the Five Duchies finally secured their independence from the Kingdom of Volgar. However, in the final hours of the war, Duke Henri du Burgoyne was killed by a stray shot. The loss of their beloved leader caused consternation throughout the Duchy of Burgoyne, and from that point onwards, the Duchess du Burgoyne's Own Fusiliers would no longer be led into combat by their liege. Instead, command of the regiment in the field was entrusted to a brevet colonel.

Forces of the Confederation of the Five Duchies - The Maison Dieu Regiment

 

The Maison Dieu Regiment

                                                    

Commanding officer: Colonel Petros Bricourt

Motto: "Where duty and glory lead"

Garrison/HQ: Maison Dieu

Nickname: The Resurrectionists

Origin

The Maison Dieu Regiment started out its life as the 2nd Battalion of the Ouestbourg Regiment. As such, it can trace its origins to the Maison Dieu Trained Bands that served in Boleslaus Závětří's Company. The 2nd Battalion of the Ouestbourg Regiment was formed in 1668 during the War of Independence as the war escalated and each side needed to commit more forces to the fight.

The War of Independence

The fight for freedom from the Kingdom of Volgar was a particularly bloody one for the Resurrectionists, as the commander of the young battalion, one Frederick Bricourt, wanted to show that the newly raised unit could hold its own alongside more senior units in the army and threw them in at the bloody end of each fight. This eagerness to show their mettle at the point of a bayonet led to countless displays of glory but horrendous levels of casualties, and the battalion was constantly being rebuilt. The decimation of the battalion did not deter recruits from enlisting, and Frederick Bricourt was always able to field a fighting force. This ability to quickly replenish its losses led to the battalion gaining its nickname of the Resurrectionists.

At the end of the War of Independence, in 1688, the 2nd Battalion of the Ouestbourg Regiment was split from its parent regiment and formed into the Maison Dieu Regiment. In recognition of his sterling leadership and bravery, Frederick Bricourt was awarded the colonelcy of the new regiment, and the Resurrectionists have always been led by a Bricourt since that day.

Commander and Chief of the Five Duchies

 Lord Warden Philippe Le Duff, Duke of Montfort

The Duchy of Montfort long languished as the least influential of the five Duchies until Philippe Le Duff came into his inheritance.  Some of the lesser nobility questioned the sudden death of his four older siblings, but their voices were soon  silenced.  The driving ambition of Le Duff coupled with his willingness to do anything to rise to the top and his utter mercilessness pulled the struggling duchy from out of obscurity into its pre-eminent position, so when the election for the Lord Warden occurred the electors had little choice but to choose Le Duff.  On the field of battle, Le Duff`s bravery is sometimes in questions, but he has dependable tactical knowledge.

A portrait of Philippe Le Duff

Forces of the Confederation of the Five Duchies - The Ouestbourg Regiment

 The Ouestbourg Regiment

Commanding officer: Colonel Jacques Wadoux

Motto: "Unconquered we Serve"

Garrison/HQ: Douvres

Nickname: The Nutcrackers

Origin

In 1572, rebels led by Prince Otto in Grunewald called on Wenceslaus III of Volgar for military help. Three hundred men from the Trained Bands of the City of Maison Dieu were selected to serve in Boleslaus Závětří's Company.

By 1665, still fighting in Grunewald, this unit had become one of three Volgan regiments in a seven-strong international brigade. That year, the brigade was required to choose between allegiance to the Prince of Grunewald or disbandment. The three Volgan regiments chose to disband.

Their veterans returned home and were formed into the Ouestbourg Regiment. This marked the regiment's formal entry into the Volgan Army.

The War of Independence

Its first engagement against the Kingdom of Volgar was in 1667. The regiment contributed a company to the force sent to the King of Volgar to formally declare the independence of the Duchies. The following year, the regiment raised a second battalion, which fought alongside the first battalion in Feweszem for a year.

In 1688, the Five Duchies were able to secure their secession from the Kingdom of Volgar. At this point, the first and second battalions were split into two separate regiments, and, to avoid confusion, the first battalion retained the original name, while the second battalion became the Maison Dieu Regiment.