"Italian troops in 1805?" Topic

I note that the Italian royal guard were present at Austerlitz in their green version of the French Guard uniform. But these seem to have been the only Italians there apart from the odd unit like the Tirailleurs du Po. Where were the line forces of Italy? Am I right in thinking they wore French line uniform but in green?

Yes, the Italians wore the same coat cut as France but in green. Facing colors were a combination of green, red and white depending on the regiment.

The Italians mostly served in Italy under Massena in 1805. They were still following up the victory of Caldiero over Archduke Charles at the time of Austerlitz.

link

The Otto Manuscripts book by Guy Dempsey, Jr, shows the Grande Armee in 1807, with 3 Italian regiments in the VIII corps under Marshal Mortier.

Gen'l Dupas: 4th French light; 15th and 58th French line; Paris Guard!; and Wurzburg regiment.

Gen'l Loison: 1st and 2nd Italian light; 1st Italian line; Poles; Saxons; Wurttembergers.

Gen'l Dombrowski: 2 Polish infantry regiments; 2 Polish cavalry regiments.

Gen'l Zajoncek: 2 Polish infantry, 2 Polish Cavalry.

Cavalry under Gen'l Dury: 2nd Dutch Cuirassiers; 2nd Dutch Hussars.

Very colorful bunch!

A grenadier of the 1st Italian line wears a bearskin with brass plate; scarlet side plume; scarlet cords "drooping" down across the plates; and side scarlet "flounders."

Read green for the coat, otherwise like French line – long habit with white turnbacks; white lapels edged scarlet; Red collar and cuffs edged white, cuff flap not shown. white vest and breeches with long black gaiters.

Voltigeur shown with shako with white metal "diamond" or lozenge on front. Dark green cords and flounders; odd dark green (not quite) ball pompom.

Green brush epaulettes with yellow crescent. cuff flaps scarlet edged white.

There is no illustration of a fusilier. A second Voltigeur I shown with bicorn, but otherwise same as above.

I do not believe the line varied from regiment to regiment until the went to the white uniform. At that time reds and greens helped identify them "on sight."

GdeP

link Uniforms of Kingdom of Italy – this is currently the ultimate site about Italians in the Napoleonic period.

For link to Italian line uniforms – see link and click the yellow boxes to see the planches.

Also go to link and you can look by the various troop types and regiments.

Thanks all. I'm a bit confused though – looking at Price of Essling's second link it shows plates such as this one

link

i.e. they're in green all over in 1801, including breeches?

While others seem to show the voltigeurs staying in green while the fusiliers switched to white?

White is actually not a lot of use to me, I'm looking for a break from painting Austrians!

Figurines magazine no 19 shows Italian line infantry with white trousers and black gaiters, green jackets, red cuffs and collars (voltigeurs with yellow collars & green epaulettes).

Although the white uniform may have been authorized in July 1805, it would have taken a while for it to have been adopted.
Drawing of 1st line grenadiers from 1806-1807 by Wagner link
Also see link

Thanks Prince, that's just the pretext I need for painting some French infantry in green :-)