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97-444: Fusilier is a name given to various kinds of soldiers ; its meaning depends on the historical context. While fusilier is derived from the 17th-century French word fusil – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has been used in contrasting ways in different countries and at different times, including soldiers guarding artillery , various elite units , ordinary line infantry and other uses. The word fusil , which

194-427: A sealskin cap for other ranks, this was replaced by a black raccoon skin cap of 9 inches (23 cm) in height, according to the 1874 Dress Regulations. However, fusilier officers wore a taller bearskin like their counterparts in the foot guards . The badge for each regiment was placed at the front of the bear or raccoon skin headdress, and consisted of a stylized flaming grenade , with different emblems placed on

291-408: A sword bayonet ( Füsilier-Seitengewehr ) rather than the standard socket bayonet . Although still theoretically skirmishers, in practice they differed little from their compatriots, as all Prussian infantry fought in a style that formed a dense 'firing' or 'skirmish' line. By the 1880s, the title was honorific and, while implying 'specialist' or 'elite', did not have any tactical significance. In

388-686: A "draft". Currently, many countries require registration for some form of mandatory service, although that requirement may be selectively enforced or exist only in law and not in practice. Usually the requirement applies to younger male citizens, though it may extend to women and non-citizen residents as well. In times of war, the requirements, such as age, may be broadened when additional troops are thought to be needed. At different times and places, some individuals have been able to avoid conscription by having another person take their place. Modern draft laws may provide temporary or permanent exemptions from service or allow some other non-combatant service, as in

485-457: A distinct and honourable activity." In modern times, soldiers have volunteered for armed service, especially in time of war, out of a sense of patriotic duty to their homeland or to advance a social, political, or ideological cause, while improved levels of remuneration or training might be more of an incentive in times of economic hardship. Soldiers might also enlist for personal reasons, such as following family or social expectations, or for

582-452: A grenadier is a specially trained soldier operating as part of a fireteam , proficient in the use of limited high-angle indirect fire over " dead zones ". This soldier is armed with a grenade launcher , a shoulder-fired, indirect-fire large-caliber weapon. The concept of troops being equipped with grenades dates back to the military of the Ming dynasty , when Chinese soldiers stationed on

679-538: A length of slow-match, and roughly the size of a tennis ball . The grenadiers had to be tall and strong enough to hurl these heavy objects far enough so as not to harm themselves or their comrades, and disciplined enough to stand at the forefront of the fight, light the fuse and throw at the appropriate moment to minimize the ability of an enemy to throw the grenade back. Understandably, such requirements led to grenadiers being regarded as an elite fighting force. The wide hats with broad brims characteristic of infantry during

776-415: A new sort of soldier called Grenadiers, who were dexterous in flinging hand grenadoes, every one having a pouch full; they had furred caps with coped crowns like Janizaries , which made them look very fierce, and some had long hoods hanging down behind, as we picture fools . Their clothing being likewise piebald , yellow and red. The first grenades were small iron spheres filled with gunpowder fused with

873-661: A piece of flint . By the time of the English Civil War (1642–1652), one flintlock musket, the snaphance , was in common use in Britain. The term fusiliers was first used officially by the French Army in 1670, when four fusiliers were distributed among each company of infantry. The following year the Fusiliers du Roi ("King's Fusiliers"), the first regiment composed primarily of soldiers with flintlocks,

970-523: A popular and familiar choice in the grenadier role and is still issued by other U.S. military branches. The Argentine Army still maintains a prestigious unit known as the Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers ( Regimiento de Granaderos a Caballo )--actually a squadron-strength formation—which serves as the Presidential ceremonial escort and guard unit. The regiment was founded in 1903 as a recreation of

1067-527: A regiment of marine infantry composed of marine fusiliers in charge of the protection of the naval bases. However this unit was disbanded in the 1990s reforms. Adopting a number of practices from the Portuguese military in the 19th century, the Brazilian Army uses the term fuzileiros (fusiliers) to designate the regular line infantry, as opposed to the grenadiers ( granadeiros ) and

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1164-472: A sense, all infantry were becoming fusiliers, as weapons, tactics and equipment took on the fusilier characteristics – that is: skirmish line, shorter rifles, sword bayonets, black leather equipment, and the use of bugles (rather than drums) to relay commands. Nonetheless, these titular units remained in existence until the end of the German Imperial Army in 1918, as follows: In addition, there

1261-699: A series of disbandments and mergers: In addition, the Scots Guards were known as the Scots Fusilier Guards from 1831 to 1877. Soldier A soldier is a person who serves as part of an army . A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person , a non-commissioned officer , a warrant officer , or an officer . Soldiers may be involved directly in armed hostilities, such as members of infantry , artillery , or armored units, or as personnel serving in support roles that rarely see actual combat. The word soldier derives from

1358-616: A study of 18th century soldiers' written records about their time in service, historian Ilya Berkovich suggests "three primary 'levers' of motivation ... 'coercive', 'remunerative', and 'normative' incentives." Berkovich argues that historians' assumptions that fear of coercive force kept unwilling conscripts in check and controlled rates of desertion have been overstated and that any pay or other remuneration for service as provided then would have been an insufficient incentive. Instead, " old-regime common soldiers should be viewed primarily as willing participants who saw themselves as engaged in

1455-578: A unit that existed from 1813 to 1826 under the leadership of national hero General José de San Martín . Unlike most other units that carried the title of "grenadiers", the Argentine Grenadiers are a cavalry unit, and continue to mount horses for ceremonial purposes, as well as carrying lances and cavalry sabers. The Belgian Land Component retains two regiments of grenadiers based in Brussels. First raised in 1837 from companies drawn from

1552-403: A whole or to any rank." The length of time that an individual is required to serve as a soldier has varied with country and historical period, whether that individual has been drafted or has voluntarily enlisted. Such service, depending on the army's need for staffing or the individual's fitness and eligibility, may involve fulfillment of a contractual obligation. That obligation might extend for

1649-636: Is one of the longest serving units in the Canadian Army 's Primary Reserve . It still continues today, both in its reserve role and as a ceremonial guard at the National War Memorial , Rideau Hall , and other places of symbolic importance. The 10th Royal Grenadiers (later The Royal Grenadiers ) of Toronto later became the Royal Regiment of Canada with tradition surviving in a grenadier company. The Winnipeg Grenadiers

1746-681: Is still used in the navy and air force. They provide protection detachments, performing security and policing duties on land bases and installations as well as on ships. The commandos are selected from their ranks. The commandos are special forces units. They are: Prussia made early use of the title Füsilier for various types of infantry. In 1705, the Foot Guards ( Leibgarde zu Fuß ) were designated as Fusilier Guards. By 1837, low-quality infantry raised from garrison companies also were named fusiliers. These latter units were dressed in blue with low mitre caps. Between 1740 and 1743 Frederick

1843-652: Is the term "red caps" to refer to military policemen personnel in the British Army because of the colour of their headgear. Infantry are sometimes called "grunts" in the United States Army (as the well as in the U.S. Marine Corps ) or "squaddies" (in the British Army). U.S. Army artillery crews, or "gunners," are sometimes referred to as "redlegs", from the service branch colour for artillery . U.S. soldiers are often called " G.I.s " (short for

1940-675: The Granatieri di Sardegna (Grenadiers of Sardinia) in Italy; France's Foot Grenadiers, Fusilier-Grenadiers, Tirailleur-Grenadiers and Grenadiers à Cheval de la Garde Impériale ; the Russian Empire 's Imperial Guard ; Britain's Grenadier Guards and the 101st Grenadiers . The latter was part of the British Indian Army and claimed to be the first and oldest grenadier regiment (as opposed to grenadier companies) in

2037-678: The British Empire . In 1747 the grenadier companies of a number of disbanded French infantry regiments were brought together to form a single permanent unit - the Grenadiers de France . During the American Revolution of 1775–1783, the Connecticut 1st Company Governor's Guards and the 11th Regiment of Connecticut Militia had grenadier companies. New York City also had a Grenadier unit, as did South Carolina –

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2134-890: The Byzantine Empire . In most armies, the word "soldier" has a general meaning that refers to all members of any army, distinct from more specialized military occupations that require different areas of knowledge and skill sets. "Soldiers" may be referred to by titles, names, nicknames , or acronyms that reflect an individual's military occupation specialty arm, service, or branch of military employment, their type of unit, or operational employment or technical use such as: trooper , tanker (a member of tank crew), commando , dragoon , infantryman , guardsman , artilleryman , paratrooper , grenadier , ranger , sniper , engineer , sapper , craftsman , signaller , medic , rifleman , or gunner , among other terms. Some of these designations or their etymological origins have existed in

2231-527: The Duke of Cumberland ordered that grenadier companies were "to be completed out of the best men of their respective Regiments, and to be constantly kept so". By contrast, French grenadier companies of the 18th century appear to have selected their new recruits according to the classic criteria of height. However with the outbreak of the Revolutionary Wars the urgency of mass mobilisation meant that

2328-625: The French Royal Army . According to René Chartrand, Jean Martinet formed a grenadier company in the Régiment du Roi in 1667. By 1670 27 French infantry regiments were authorised to include elite companies trained to carry and hurl grenades The infantry of the Dutch States Army , influenced by their French invaders, adopted grenadiers in 1672. By 1678 six men in each company were trained to throw hand grenades, developed by

2425-752: The Great Wall used thunder crash bombs . The earliest references to soldiers using grenades in European armies dates back to the early modern era in the Austrian and Spanish armies. References to grenade-throwing troops also appear in England during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms , and it was during the reign of King Louis XIV that companies of soldiers serving as grenadiers were first introduced into

2522-766: The Mexican Army created the Parachute Fusilier Brigade ( Brigada de Fusileros Paracaidistas ) with two infantry battalions and a training battalion. The brigade's role is that of a strategic reserve , based in Mexico City. In the Royal Netherlands Army , one of the two foot guards regiments, the Garderegiment Fuseliers Prinses Irene , is a regiment of fusiliers. From the 18th to

2619-618: The Middle English word soudeour , from Old French soudeer or soudeour , meaning mercenary, from soudee , meaning shilling 's worth or wage, from sou or soud , shilling. The word is also related to the Medieval Latin soldarius , meaning soldier (literally, "one having pay"). These words ultimately derive from the Late Latin word solidus , referring to an ancient Roman coin used in

2716-656: The Napoleonic Wars , both mitres and fur caps fell out of use in favour of the shako . Two notable exceptions were the grenadier companies and Imperial Guard regiments of the French Grande Armée , plus those of the Austrian Army. After the Battle of Friedland in 1807, because of their distinguished performance, Russia's Pavlovsk Regiment were allowed to keep their mitre caps and were admitted to

2813-852: The Oudinot Grenadier Division and the Russian army had grenadier divisions such as the Caucasus Grenadier Division . During World War II, the Polish army had the 1st Grenadier Division , and the German military had several grenadier and panzergrenadier divisions. In 1914, the Imperial German and Russian Armies still included a number of grenadier regiments. In the Russian Army, these comprised

2910-636: The Prussian Army of 1870, Infantry Regiments 33 to 40 plus Regiments 73 ( Hanover ), 80 ( Hesse-Kassel ) and 86 ( Schleswig-Holstein ) were all designated as fusiliers, as was the Guard Fusilier Regiment . In addition, the third battalions of all guard, grenadier and line infantry regiments retained the designation 'Fusilier Battalion'. They were armed with a slightly shorter version of the Dreyse rifle ( Füsiliergewehr ), that took

3007-532: The Prussian Army , they had been formed in 1787 as independent battalions, with many of the officers having had experience in the American Revolutionary War. The Prussian reforms of 1808 absorbed the fusiliers into the third battalion of each line infantry regiment. Now wearing the same Prussian blue uniforms as standard musketeers, they were distinguished by black leather belts, and a slightly different arrangement of cartridge pouches. In

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3104-532: The pickelhaube , for fusiliers it was always black. This included the third (Fusilier) Battalion of those regiments normally distinguished by a white horse-hair plume. In World War II, the elite German Division Großdeutschland contained a regiment titled Panzerfüsiliere ( 'Armoured Fusiliers' ), to maintain the old German traditions. This was again titular, as in organisation, appearance and tactical use they were essentially Panzergrenadiere . The modern German Army has no fusiliers. On 1 January 1969,

3201-450: The 18th century, a fact that can be attributed to the improved effectiveness of infantry line tactics and flintlock technology. The need for elite assault troops remained, however, and the existing grenadier companies were used for this purpose. As noted, above average physical size had been considered important for the original grenadiers and, in principle, height and strength remained the basis of selection for these picked companies. In

3298-541: The 19th centuries, the term fuzileiros (fusiliers) was used in the Portuguese Army , to designate the regular line infantry, as opposed to the grenadiers ( granadeiros ) and the light infantry ( caçadores and atiradores ). The Portuguese Army discontinued the use of the term in the 1860s. The term fuzileiros marinheiros (fusilier sailors) has been used in the Portuguese Navy , since

3395-736: The 19th century and since 1840 and 1907 has served as the Escort Regiment to the President of Chile on important national occasions. This regiment is named after General Manuel Bulnes Prieto, the founding patron of the regiment, who led the Chilean Army and the anti-confederation North Peruvian dissidents to victory in the War of the Peru-Bolivia Confederation in the crucial Battle of Yungay in 1839, which signaled

3492-455: The Army for family, institutional, and occupational reasons, and many value the opportunity to become a military professional. They value their relationships with other soldiers, enjoy their social lives, and are satisfied with Army life." However, the authors cautioned that the survey sample consisted of only 81 soldiers and that "the findings of this study cannot be generalized to the U.S. Army as

3589-510: The British Army were the 7th Foot, Royal Regiment of Fuzileers raised in 1685. This subsequently became The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). The original purpose of this unit was to act as escort to artillery guns, as well as keeping discipline amongst the civilian drivers. Both Scots (21st Foot) and Welsh (23rd Foot) regiments also became fusiliers in the period up to and including 1702 and all three regiments were distinguished by

3686-458: The British regiments of foot during the 18th century the preference was, however, to draw on steady veterans for appointment to individual vacancies in a grenadier company (one of the ten companies comprising each regiment). The traditional criterion of size was only resorted to when newly raised regiments required a quick sorting of a mass of new recruits. Prior to the Battle of Culloden in 1745

3783-614: The Danish Army Museum, however, definitely states that grenades were thrown underhand and that it was the slinging of firearms that required the special headdresses typical of early grenadiers. The grenadiers of the French infantry were by the 1690s distinguished from their musketeer colleagues by special issues of equipment. These included slings for their flintlocks, curved sabres instead of straight swords, large leather pouches for grenades and hatchets. By 1700, grenadiers in

3880-590: The Dutch master fireworker Johan van Haren. In May 1677, the English Army ordered that two soldiers of every Guards Regiment were to be trained as grenadiers; in April 1678 it was ordered that a company of grenadiers be added to the senior eight regiments of foot of the army. On 29 June of that year the diarist John Evelyn saw them drilling at an encampment at Hounslow, near London: Now were brought into service

3977-480: The English and other armies had adopted a cap in the shape of a bishop's mitre , usually decorated with the regimental insignia in embroidered cloth. In addition to grenades, they were equipped with Flintlock muskets . Attached to the shoulder belt was a brass 'match case' that housed the slow match used to ignite the grenade fuse, a feature that was retained in later grenadier uniforms. Grenade usage declined in

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4074-471: The English language for centuries, while others are relatively recent, reflecting changes in technology, increased division of labor , or other factors. In the United States Army, a soldier's military job is designated as a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) , which includes a very wide array of MOS Branches and sub-specialties. One example of a nickname for a soldier in a specific occupation

4171-693: The Fifth (Northumberland) Regiment's emblem, they were authorised to wear a white plume with a red tip, allegedly to indicate a distinction won in battle. The Fifth were designated fusiliers in 1836. Following the Second Boer War , plumes were added to the headgear of all fusilier regiments in recognition of their service in South Africa. The following fusilier regiments existed prior to the outbreak of World War I : The nine regiments of fusiliers that existed in 1914 have since been reduced to one by

4268-510: The French to clear opposing trenches of troops. The more effective of the two was the so-called "potato masher" Stielhandgranate , which were stick grenades. The term Panzergrenadier was adopted in the German Wehrmacht to describe mechanized heavy infantry elements whose greater protection and mobility allowed them to keep pace with (and provide intimate protection to) armoured units and formations. This designation reflects

4365-463: The Great raised 14 separate Fusilier Regiments (numbers 33–40, 41–43 and 45–48). Except for the mitre caps, these new regiments were identical in appearance, training and role to the existing line infantry ( musketeers ). Subsequently, Prussia and several other German states used the designation Füsilier to denote a type of light infantry , usually dressed in green and acting as skirmishers . In

4462-731: The Grenadier Guards Regiment ( L-G Grenadierski Polk ) as well as the Grenadier Corps of sixteen regiments (plus an independent reinforced company of Palace Grenadiers, guarding the St. Petersburg Imperial residences). Five regiments of the Prussian Guard were designated as Garde-Grenadiers and there were an additional fourteen regiment of grenadiers amongst the line infantry of the German Empire. In both

4559-618: The Imperial Guard. During the Napoleonic Wars, British grenadiers had usually worn the bearskin cap only for full dress when on home service, since the fur was found to deteriorate rapidly during campaigning overseas. Following their role in the defeat of the French Imperial Guard at the Battle of Waterloo , the 1st Foot Guards was renamed the 1st (or Grenadier) Regiment of Foot Guards and all companies of

4656-682: The Presidential Escort Squadron for the President of Ecuador . The unit stands guard at Quito 's Carondelet Palace and retains the uniform worn during the Battle of Tarqui of 1829, reporting as part of the Ecuadorian Army . While the French army has not included any grenadiers since 1870, the grenade badge is still a distinctive mark of the Foreign Legion , the National Gendarmerie and

4753-767: The Red Army within the 4th Army during the Tikhvin defensive operation in October 1941. It was a measure taken because of lack of firearms, and the commander of the brigade was appropriately General Major G.T. Timofeyev who had served in one of the Russian Imperial Army's grenadier regiments during the First World War. In the Vietnam War , U.S. squads usually had at least one soldier whose role

4850-578: The Russian and German armies, the grenadier regiments were considered as a historic elite; distinguished by features such as plumed helmets in full dress, distinctive facings (yellow for all Russian grenadiers) or special braiding. Their role and training, however, no longer differed from that of the rest of the infantry. Today, regiments using the name grenadiers are effectively indistinguishable from other infantry, especially when hand grenades , RPGs , and other types of explosive arms have become standard-issue weaponry; however, such regiments retain at least

4947-409: The Soviet Union " for their actions in the army or as partisan fighters. In the United Kingdom, women served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) and later in the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC). Soon after its entry into the war, the U.S. formed the Women's Army Corps , whose female soldiers were often referred to as "WACs." These sex-segregated branches were disbanded in the last decades of

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5044-574: The U.S. Army, career soldiers who have served for at least 20 years are eligible to draw on a retirement pension . The size of the pension as a percentage of the soldier's salary usually increases with the length of time served on active duty. Since the earliest recorded history, soldiers and warfare have been depicted in countless works, including songs, folk tales, stories, memoirs, biographies, novels and other narrative fiction, drama, films, and more recently television and video, comic books, graphic novels, and games. Often these portrayals have emphasized

5141-441: The apparent height and impressive appearance of these troops both on the parade ground and the battlefield. The mitre cap, whether in stiffened cloth or metal, had become the distinguishing feature of the grenadier in the armies of Britain, Russia, Prussia and most German states during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Spanish and Austrian grenadiers favoured high fur hats with long coloured cloth 'hoods' (" bags "). The mitre

5238-448: The artillery when on the march and in camp. During the 18th century, as flintlocks became the main weapon used by infantry, the term fusilier gradually ceased to have this meaning and was applied to various units. The Belgian Army has no specific regiment called fusiliers, but the general denomination for infantry soldiers is storm fusilier ( Dutch : stormfuselier ; French : fusilier d'assaut ). The Belgian Navy used to have

5335-399: The ball of the grenade. These continue to be worn to the present day by the band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers , and also by colour parties, pioneers and drum majors in the Royal Welsh . Attached to the various types of fusilier headdress, including the modern beret , is the hackle . This is a short cut feather plume, the colours of which vary according to the regiment. Initially,

5432-459: The case of conscientious objectors . In the United States, males aged 18-25 are required to register with the Selective Service System , which has responsibility for overseeing the draft. However, no draft has occurred since 1973, and the U.S. military has been able to maintain staffing through voluntary enlistment. Soldiers in war may have various motivations for voluntarily enlisting and remaining in an army or other armed forces branch. In

5529-400: The case of Spain and Austria sometimes contained elements from both mitres and bearskins. Until the mid-18th century, French grenadiers wore tricorne hats, rather than either the mitre or fur cap. Grenadier caps gradually increased in size and decoration, with added devices such as pompoms, cords, badges, front-plates, plumes, and braiding, as well as various national heraldic emblems. During

5626-538: The celebrated Guards' headdress was worn in action. From the 17th Century to the mid 19th centuries the "Foot" or infantry regiments of the British and several other armies comprised ten companies; eight of them "Battalion" or "Centre" companies, and two " Flank Companies " consisting of one Grenadier and one Light or Light Infantry Company. In the United States, an Act of Congress made on 8 May 1792 directed that for every infantry battalion there should be one company of grenadiers, riflemen, or light infantry. On occasion

5723-467: The confederation's demise. The Chilean Grenadiers' uniforms, until 2011, were similar to the full Feldgrau uniforms of the Chilean Army, but adapted for the cavalry and like their Argentine counterparts, carry lances but not cavalry sabers, which are reserved for officers and the mounted colors guard escort. Starting in 2011, the regiment now wears a cavalry light blue full dress uniform with Pickelhaubes for all ranks. The "Tarqui Grenadiers" serve as

5820-411: The dark blue full dress. Some of these features were maintained on the field grey dress of the trenches right up to 1918. As examples in full dress, the Guard Fusiliers had nickel buttons and yellow shoulder straps, and the 80th Fusiliers special braiding on collars and cuffs (deriving from their origin as the Elector of Hesse's Guards). When a regiment was permitted the distinction of a horse-hair plume on

5917-512: The duration of an armed conflict or may be limited to a set number of years in active duty and/or inactive duty. As of 2023, service in the U.S. Army is for a Military Service Obligation of 2 to 6 years of active duty with a remaining term in the Individual Ready Reserve . Individuals may also enlist for part-time duty in the Army Reserve or National Guard . Depending on need or fitness to serve, soldiers usually may reenlist for another term, possibly receiving monetary or other incentives. In

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6014-420: The elite 1st South Carolina Regiment, raised and commanded by Charles Cotesworth Pinckney . In Mexico Antonio López de Santa Anna created the Grenadier Guards of the Supreme Power on 7 December 1841. The formation remained in service until 1847. A Toronto militia unit was renamed the 10th Royal Grenadiers in 1881, then later became the Royal Regiment of Canada . In the nineteenth century, France had

6111-412: The following: By the mid-18th century, the French Army used the term fusiliers to designate ordinary line infantry , as opposed to specialist or élite infantry, such as grenadiers , voltigeurs , carabiniers or chasseurs . The modern French Army no longer uses the term fusiliers , although a number of its infantry regiments descend from fusilier regiments. The term fusiliers

6208-411: The grenadier and light companies could be "brigaded" together into separate grenadier and light infantry battalions for assaults or skirmishing respectively. Each of the line infantry regiments of the Austrian Army of this period included a grenadier division of two companies, separate from the fusilier companies that made up the bulk of the unit. The grenadier companies were frequently detached from

6305-407: The headquarters and residences of senior officers. When a regiment was in line formation the grenadier company always formed on the right flank. In the British Army, when Trooping the Colour , " The British Grenadiers " march is played no matter which regiment is on the parade ground, as the colour party stands at the right-hand end of the line, as every regiment formerly had a company of grenadiers at

6402-575: The heroic qualities of soldiers in war, but at times have emphasized war's inherent dangers, confusions, and trauma and their effect on individual soldiers and others. Grenadier Certain countries such as France ( Grenadiers à Cheval de la Garde Impériale ) and Argentina ( Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers ) established units of Horse Grenadiers , and for a time the British Army had Horse Grenadier Guards . Like their infantry grenadier counterparts, these horse-mounted soldiers were chosen for their size and strength ( heavy cavalry ). In modern warfare ,

6499-475: The infantry regiments and all regiments were ordered to consist of a 3-battalion structure, with 3 grenadier companies of 200 grenadiers in each. In 1756 each of the grenadier companies was brought together in four permanent grenadier regiments. This policy of maintaining a separate corps of grenadiers continued until the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Palace Grenadiers was a ceremonial company selected from distinguished veterans, in existence from 1827 to 1917 with

6596-405: The late 17th century were in some armies discarded and replaced with caps. This was originally to allow the grenadier to sling his musket over his back with greater ease while throwing grenades (initially, only these troops were provided with slings). It has been suggested that a brimless hat also permitted the grenadier greater ease in throwing the grenade overhand. Preben Kannik, former Curator of

6693-437: The late 18th century, to designate the naval infantry. The modern Portuguese Marine Corps is called Fuzileiros Navais (Naval Fusiliers). Line infantry soldiers of the lowest rank in the Swiss Army have historically been designated as fusiliers. Because the modern Swiss infantry soldier is trained in a much broader variety of tasks than his earlier counterpart, and because of some supposedly negative connotations attached to

6790-511: The light infantry ( caçadores and atiradores ). In addition, the Brazilian Marine Corps is called Fuzileiros Navais (Naval Fusiliers). There are five fusilier regiments, patterned on the British tradition, in the Canadian Army . The Royal 22nd Regiment , although not fusiliers, wears fusilier ceremonial uniform with scarlet plumes, because of its alliance with the Royal Welch Fusiliers. The five current Canadian fusilier regiments are: Former Canadian Army fusilier regiments include

6887-418: The line infantry of the newly independent kingdom, these troops served with distinction in both World Wars. In peacetime they had a ceremonial role that corresponded to that of royal guards in other armies. In 1960 the historic blue and red full dress worn prior to World War I was reintroduced for limited wear, although the tall bearskin headdress is now made of synthetic material. The Canadian Grenadier Guards

6984-550: The mitre cap, southern countries such as France, Spain, Austria, Portugal, and various Italian states preferred the bearskin. By 1768, Britain had adopted the bearskin. The shape and appearance of fur caps differed according to period and country. While France used smaller bearskins, Spain preferred towering caps with long flowing bags. Britain initially favoured tall cloth mitres with lacing and braiding, while Russia would sport equally tall leather helmets with brass front-plates. The first grenadier headdresses were fairly low, and in

7081-496: The only regiment authorised to wear a plume or hackle were the 5th of Foot (Northumberland Fusiliers). The regiment had originally worn a white feather distinction, authorised in 1824 to commemorate the victory of St Lucia in 1778 when men of the Fifth Regiment were supposed to have taken white feathers from the hats of dead French soldiers. When, in 1829, a white plume was ordered for all line infantry regiments, to preserve

7178-607: The order and discipline provided by military training, as well as for the friendship and connection with their fellow soldiers afforded by close contact in a common enterprise. In 2018, the RAND Corporation published the results of a study of contemporary American soldiers in Life as a Private: A Study of the Motivations and Experiences of Junior Enlisted Personnel in the U.S. Army . The study found that "soldiers join

7275-498: The parent regiment and grouped into composite grenadier battalions for a particular campaign or purpose. The Russian Imperial Army of the 18th century followed a different line of development. Prior to 1731 grenadiers made up five separate regiments. These were disbanded prior to the outbreak of war with Turkey and picked infantrymen were transferred to one of two grenadier companies incorporated in each (two-battalion) line infantry regiment. In 1753, 2 grenadier companies were added to

7372-442: The period when slinging their firearms while throwing grenades. The cloth caps worn by the original grenadiers in European armies during the 17th century were frequently trimmed with fur. This fell out of fashion in many armies until the mid-18th century when grenadiers in the British, Spanish and French armies began wearing high fur-trimmed caps with crowns of coloured cloth and, in some cases, ornamental front plates. This added to

7469-559: The possible effects of such service on the institution of legal slavery . Some Black soldiers, both freemen and men who had escaped from slavery, served in Union forces, until 1863, when the Emancipation Proclamation opened the door for the formation of Black units. After the war, Black soldiers continued to serve, but in segregated units, often subjected to physical and verbal racist abuse. The term " Buffalo Soldiers "

7566-559: The primary role of guarding the Winter Palace . With the standardisation of training and tactics, the need for separate grenadier companies at regimental level had passed by the mid-19th century and the British, French and Austrian armies phased out these sub-units between 1850 and 1862. The term grenadier was retained or adopted by various elite infantry units, including the Prussian Potsdam Grenadiers ;

7663-528: The regiment adopted the bearskin. In 1831, it was ordered that all three Foot Guards should wear the bearskin cap, by then resembling the modern headdress in shape and size. The grenadier companies of line infantry regiments meanwhile retained the bearskin cap for parade dress until it was abolished in 1842. During the Crimean War , the Foot Guard regiments wore their bearskins in the field, the only time

7760-431: The right of their formation. As noted above, grenadiers were distinguished by their headgear from the ordinary musketeers (or Hatmen ) in each regiment of foot. While there were some exceptions, the most typical grenadier headdress was either the mitre cap or the bearskin . Both began to appear in various armies during the second half of the 17th century because grenadiers were impeded by the wide brimmed infantry hats of

7857-571: The selection of grenadier and other special sub-units was done according to the preferences of individual officers. Transferral to a grenadier company generally meant both enhanced status and an increase in pay. Whether for reasons of appearance or reputation, grenadiers tended to be the showpiece troops of their respective armies. In the Spanish Army of the early 19th century, for example, grenadier companies were excused routine duties such as town patrols but were expected to provide guards at

7954-518: The status or changes in status of soldiers for reasons of gender , race , or other social factors. With certain exceptions, service as a soldier, especially in the infantry, had generally been restricted to males throughout world history. By World War II, women were actively deployed in Allied forces in different ways. Some notable female soldiers in the Soviet Union were honored as " Heroes of

8051-452: The term Füsiliere , modern infantry battalions of the Swiss army have been renamed Infanteriebataillone or "Inf Bat". The individual soldiers are officially called Infanteristen , not Füsiliere , but colloquially they are still referred to as Füsiliere or Füsle . This meaning is retained in the name of the 1938 Swiss film Fusilier Wipf . The original fusiliers in

8148-486: The term "Government Issue"). Such terms may be associated with particular wars or historical eras. "G.I." came into common use during World War II and after, but prior to and during World War I especially, American soldiers were called " Doughboys ," while British infantry troops were often referred to as "Tommies " (short for the archetypal soldier "Tommy Atkins") and French infantry were called "Poilus " ("hairy ones"). Some formal or informal designations may reflect

8245-548: The term fusilier became strongly associated with the role of guarding artillery in Britain and the English-speaking world, especially after the formation of the first official "Fusilier" units, during the 1680s. As late as the Seven Years' War of 1756–1763, the Austrian Army maintained an Artillery Fusilier Regiment for the exclusive roles of providing support for field batteries on the battlefield and of protecting

8342-681: The tradition of their elite past. Grenadier can also refer to soldiers using grenade launchers , including those mounted on rifles. During World War I a proposal to designate specialist grenade launching units in the British Army as grenadiers was vetoed by the Grenadier Guards , who considered that they now had exclusive rights to the ancient distinction, and the term "bomber" was substituted. During World War I, German troops referred to as assault pioneers , who were early combat engineers or sappers and stormtroopers began using two types of hand grenades in trench warfare operations against

8439-467: The traditional role of grenadiers as shock troops. The term in today's Bundeswehr refer to mechanized infantry. When parachute units were first created in the United States Army, the Air Corps desired them to be under their control and to be designated "air grenadiers". The last known unit to serve as grenadiers, and employing grenades as their weapons, was a special "Grenadier brigade" formed by

8536-517: The twentieth century and women soldiers were integrated into the standing branches of the military, although their ability to serve in armed combat was often restricted. Race has historically been an issue restricting the ability of some people to serve in the U.S. Army. Until the American Civil War , Black soldiers fought in integrated and sometimes separate units, but at other times were not allowed to serve, largely due to fears about

8633-427: The wearing of a slightly shorter version of the mitred cap worn by grenadier companies of all other infantry regiments. A number of additional infantry regiments were subsequently designated as fusiliers during the 19th century, but this was simply a historic distinction without any relationship to special weapons or roles. In 1865, a distinctive head-dress was authorised for British Army fusilier regiments. Originally

8730-742: Was applied to some units fighting in the 19th century Indian Wars in the American West. Eventually, the phrase was applied more generally to segregated Black units, who often distinguished themselves in armed conflict and other service. In 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued an executive order for the end of segregation in the United States Armed Forces . Throughout history, individuals have often been compelled by force or law to serve in armies and other armed forces in times of war or other times. Modern forms of such compulsion are generally referred to as " conscription " or

8827-596: Was beset by problems: the cocking mechanism was difficult to squeeze, the sight was hard to use, and the complicated trigger design required constant maintenance. By May 1967, it was deemed unsuitable for use in the field, and was eventually replaced by the M203 grenade launcher . Though the M203 was later replaced by the M320 Grenade Launcher Module in U.S. Army service starting in 2009, the M203 remains

8924-446: Was formed by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban . Guarding and escorting artillery pieces was the first task assigned to the Fusiliers du Roi : flintlocks were especially useful around field artillery , as they were less likely than matchlocks to accidentally ignite open barrels of gunpowder , required at the time to load cannon . At the time, artillery units also required guards to maintain discipline amongst civilian draymen . Hence

9021-818: Was gradually replaced by bearskin caps in other armies, and by 1914 it only survived in the 1st Foot Guards and the 1st (Emperor Alexander) Guards Grenadiers of the Prussian Imperial Guard, plus the Russian Pavlovsky Guard . Russian grenadiers had worn their brass fronted mitre hats on active service until 1807 and some of these preserved for parade wear by the Pavlovsky Guards until 1914 still had dents or holes from musket balls. Some have survived for display in museums and collections. While Northern European armies such as Britain, Russia, Sweden, and various German states wore

9118-586: Was one of the 2 Canadian infantry regiments of C Force that took part in the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941. The regiment is currently on the Supplementary Order of Battle . The Presidential Horse Guards Cavalry Regiment "Grenadiers" ( Regimiento Escolta Presidencial n.1 "Granaderos" ) of the Chilean Army is active since 1827, has fought in every major battle of the Chilean Army in

9215-515: Was that of a grenadier, armed with just an M79 grenade launcher and an M1911 pistol , though in some cases grenadiers were not even issued this sidearm. The M79 was designed to bridge the gap between the maximum throwing range of a grenade and the minimum distance of mortar fire. The XM148 grenade launcher , the M79's replacement designed to be mounted to the M16 rifle , was first issued in December 1966, but

9312-568: Was the following regiment: This was a special case, as it was also classed as Schützen ( sharpshooter ): this designation originally signified a type of Jäger ( rifleman , literally 'hunter'), and thus the regiment wore the Jäger -style dark green uniform. The various Fusilier regiments and battalions in the German Imperial Army of 1914 did not have any single distinctions of dress or equipment to distinguish them as fusiliers. Individual regiments did, however, have special features worn with

9409-505: Was the name of the type of musket carried by a fusilier, is itself derived from the Old French and Latin foisil , meaning a piece of flint. Flintlock small arms were first used militarily during the early 17th century. Flintlocks, at the time, were more reliable and safer to use than matchlock muskets, which required a match to be lit near the breech before the weapon could be triggered. By contrast, flintlocks were fired using

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