Organization of the Savoy-Piedmont-Sardinian Armies 1792-1815

Part IV: 1802-1814 The Exile in Sardinia

By Ludovic Isnard

Troops in 1806: (at the arrival of Victor Emmanuel 1^rst in Sardinia) :

A light marine company was formed (classified as national troops) 130 men

The existing regiments on the island were reinforced:

The Sardinia infantry regiment now had 1200 men
The foreign chasseurs counted now one battalion of 600 men and are named Chasseurs de Savoie
The cavalry regiment is renamed Chevau Léger de Sardaigne et has 560 men.

In 1807,  provincial  regiments were created: 12 infantry regiments and 6 cavalry regiments, each of them having around 450 men.

To that extent in 1809 the national troops (ordonnance) had around 3500 men in addition with the provincial regiments. But the severe financial situation met by the king in his small island forced him to reduce these numbers:

The marine battalion was transformed into a single Marine century (2 companies, 165 men)
The Sardinia regiment has now 1160 men and the cavalry regiment was reduced to 360 men.

During the period, the troops saw no noticeable actions, the King on his island being diplomatically constrained to passive neutrality by the French and the British. Both parties saw the island as an important naval base in Mediterranean and envisaged to send troops to garrison the strategic ports, actions that  never took place.

Placed on the Napoleon Series: October 2006

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