""National" character of "Austrian" Army" Topic

I am gaming in the era 1740 to 1763. My first Imagination army is ready, the troops wear french uniform, but they have no special characteristics.
My third army will be prussian, it will have more firepower in its infantry and the battalion guns are a little more powerfull than the light french guns.
The unit size of the prussian cavalry will be unhistorical small.
What characteristics can I give to my second army, it is from Osterlitsch, so should represent the austrian army, it will get new colours with the Imperial eagle and will fight in the austrian netherlands.
I thought about lots of cuirassiers, lots of Hussars, superiour light troops, an infantry not as good as the prussians, but equal to the "French"; but I am not sure about the artillery. Lots of small guns, ability to form batteries? Any ideas?

Btw I am not interested in better moral or something like that, all infantry has to earn veteran status or something similar. Calling "austrian" and "french" infantry equal means they both have the same number of miniatures in their battailons.
cheers!

Sounds like fun – I keep meaning to do something similar with my old Napoleonic armies.

DBDD

Well, if you want an Austrian flair – good idea on the cavalry, lots of cuirassiers and high grade hussars; solid infantry in big battalions, also some regional types (Hungarian infantry in blue trousers for example), lot of Grenzers and very good quality artillery – not sure they had more small guns but they had very good gunners

Hapsburg Empire would have a large number of distinctive units. Hungarian Hussars, light troops, Croat mountain lights, irregulars from the borderlands. Austrian are German and wanted to be identified as such. Superior disciplined infantry, good artillery. Well funded and dressed.

The following is all personal prejudice and a massive generalisation.
Things changed a lot over the period you're playing, by the SYW (1756-63) the Austrian artillery had been reformed and was second to none. Both Prussian and Austrian cavalry were large compared to the French but the latter would just brigade more regiments so not sure unit size is a worthwhile determinant. In the first half of your period Austrian light troops would be far more numerous than in the Prussian army but the Prussians were catching up by the SYW and their hussars had become equally useful as battle cavalry while the Austrians hussars tended to be less effective in this role.

Umm, 75% the 'Austrian' soldiers don't understand what their officers are saying? The Hapsburg armies were terribly multi-national, right until the empire collapsed at the end of WW1.

75% of my opponents donīt know what they are doing, that is fitting…

Not sure about understanding officers language is key to orders. All troops in every army, enlisted and even some NCOs, had no level of education. Not even first grade.
Follow me, shoot and basic terms used. Despite language.

While I do believe that what Martin Rapier wrote would influence unit cohesion, this is beyoond the scope of this thread, as right now I will not make a distinction between the quality of "French" and "Austrian" infantry. I plan to add some lower quality infantry in the future to the austrian/osterlitsch side, cause I like the idea of "Landwehr". But right now, that is quite impossible for political reasons.
On the other hand:
In the case of a large scale defeat Osterlitsch might reform its infantry. Ludwig Leopold von Boing and his friends are already pushing for that…

Fazit: The number of Osterlitsch guns will be the same as French/Langeland, therefore there will be a higher infantry/gun ratio, but so far no quality difference.

thanks for the input

ps the idea that austrians wanted to be germans baffled me

Who is talking about National characteristics for the Prussians – Prussians, East Prussians, West Prussians, from Brandenburg, from Pommeria, and so on, organisation, recruitment, training manoeuvres, remember Frederick had built a village to inc operate it for training – a Prussian army early in the War would be different to a late one.

The Pruzzian army uses the regulation from January 30, 2013, written by William B. protz, Jr. Pruzzian units are able to move obliquely.
One fusilier regiment levied its troops in the Upper Silesian districts of Beuthen, Gross-Srehlitz and Pless, the other is from East Prussia.
Most other units will come from Baerlin.

Who is Frederick?

The changes from fighting a war is exactly why these wars are fought in the first place: units are supposed to gain glory and honours, so that little paper streamer can be fastened to the flags

If it's an imaginations army you do what you want, surely that's the point. It also means that the research into historical differences you use can't be shown later to be based on false stereotypes.

It also means that I can build up an army according to my understanding of "The Giant of the Siecle" from Mr John A.Lynn facing an Prussian Army from the SYW with troops from my hometown which is fitting to the playing style of my main opponent. I just needed some input to make the Osterlitsch Army different from my first. Thanks for all the input!

The period you're covering is one of rapid improvement for the Austrian Army at nearly every level as it faces up to an initially much superior foe that by the 1760's it could match blow for blow.
It also got far better at keeping its armies supplied so less tied to nearby cities/arsenals than previously.
So maybe the most obvious characteristic is it comes back better after every beating…

You could have some fun with units each being stereotypes of some Habsburg nationalities – Precise but dull Germans, volatile and crazy Hungarians, dark slavic souled Slavs of various stripes, Italians, balkan bandits etc etc