, image= Kaiserliches Kürassierregiment K 2 1734 Gudenushandschrift.jpg , image_size = 150 , caption=The Imperial Cuirassier Regiment, the Young Savoys
(Eugene John, Prince of Savoy) (K 2)
in the

War of the Polish Succession The War of the Polish Succession ( pl, Wojna o sukcesję polską; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II of Poland, which the other regional power, European powers widened in p ...

in 1734 , dates= 1619 or 1683 to 1918 , country= Habsburg States , type=

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

, garrison=see

article Article often refers to: * Article (grammar), a grammatical element used to indicate definiteness or indefiniteness * Article (publishing), a piece of nonfictional prose that is an independent part of a publication Article may also refer to: G ...

, command_structure = Liste der Kavallerieregimenter der kaiserlich-habsburgischen Armee der Frühen Neuzeit , identification_symbol =Tessin: 1683/1 , identification_symbol_label =First designation , identification_symbol_2 = Bleckwenn: Kaiser Regiment K 2 , identification_symbol_2_label =Second designation , identification_symbol_3 =1769: 4th Cavalry Regiment , identification_symbol_3_label =Third designation , identification_symbol_4 =1798: 6th Cuirassier Regiment , identification_symbol_4_label =Fourth designation , identification_symbol_5 =1888: 8th Bohemian Dragoons (Count Montecuccoli's) , identification_symbol_5_label =Final designation , battles=

Austrian War of Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, battle_honours= Raimondo-montecuccoli

The regiment was a cavalry unit raised in the 17th century for the Imperial Habsburg Army. Over the course of time, this unit became the 8th Bohemian Dragoons (Count Montecuccoli's) (''Böhmischen Dragoner-Regiment „Graf Montecuccoli“ Nr. 8'') within the "Common Army" that formed part of the Austro-Hungarian Army. From 1888 the unit was to bear this new title "in perpetuity". In 1769 the regiment was placed in the order of precedence as the 4th Cavalry Regiment (''Cavallerie-Regiment Nr. 4'') and in 1798 it became the 6th Cuirassier Regiment (''Cürassier-Regiment Nr. 6''). By way of classification the unit was also subsequently given the following numbers: 1683/1 (by Tessin), Kürassierregiment K 2 (by Bleckwenn). Until 1798 the regiment was named after its various '' Inhabers'' or colonels of the regiment, who were not necessarily its commanders. There was no authoritative naming system (e.g. ''Regiment Graf Serbelloni'' or ''Regiment Serbelloni''). Regiments changed their names with each change of colonel. After 1798, the number of the unit took precedence, but could in certain circumstances be combined with the name of the regimental colonel. Because of this constant renaming of units, the regimental histories of Austro-Hungarian cavalry are very difficult to trace. In addition, there was a constant, and apparently arbitrary, sometimes repeated, redesignation of units (e.g. the 14th Regiment of Bohemian Dragoons (Prince of Windisch-Grätz, ''Böhmisches Dragoner-Regiment „Fürst zu Windisch-Graetz“ Nr. 14'').

History

The 8th Bohemian Dragoons is the oldest, regular regiment of horse in the Imperial-Royal, later Imperial and Royal (''k. k. and k.u.k.''), Cavalry. According to the traditional decree (''Traditionserlass'') of the 19th century, it existed for a total of 299 years. Other historic records consider the regiment's history to begin with its reformation in 1683 because the unit had been first disbanded in 1679. In 1619, the Lower Austrian Protestant estates tried to obtain concessions from Emperor Ferdinand II at Hofburg Palace through the so-called storm petition (''Sturmpetition''). On that occasion, three squadrons (''

Fähnlein The ''Fähnlein'' (in Swedish: fänika) was an infantry unit approximately equivalent to the company or battalion which was used in parts of Europe during the Middle Ages. The size of the unit varied; originally a Fähnlein could consist of as many ...

'') of Dampierre's Regiment of Arquebusiers stationed in Krems and a squadron of "Dampierre's Regiment of Cuirassiers" under the commander of the arsenal, Colonel Gilbert of St. Hilaire, deployed to Vienna. Embarked on boats (so-called ''Tschaiken'') on the River Danube, they arrived on 5 June 1619 at Vienna, entered the ''

Residenz Residenz () is a German word for "place of living", now obsolete except in the formal sense of an official residence. A related term, Residenzstadt, denotes a city where a sovereign ruler resided, therefore carrying a similar meaning as the modern ...

'' through the Fishermen's Gate (''Fischertor'') and intimidated the Protestants into abandoning their undertaking. For this action, Emperor Ferdinand II bestowed on the regiment the following privileges, which were confirmed by Emperor

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...

during the secular celebrations of 1810: :'' The regiment may march when on duty to the sound of trumpets and with standards flying through the Imperial and Royal Hofburg Palace and the Imperial capital and ''Residenz'' city of Vienna, and may also set up on the imperial palace forecourt (the ''Franzensplatze'') and recruit there for three days. The guard is then to be drawn from the regiment in front of the apartment granted ''pro forma'' to the regimental commander in the Hofburg Palace, to where the regimental standards are to be brought, and the respective regimental commander is permitted on such an occasion to appear, unannounced, in full dress before His Majesty the Emperor.'' ''The regiment also has the assurance that it will ''never be disbanded or reduced'', as long as it continues to maintain its current glory, and finally the distinction that no man of the regiment, for a crime punishable by death, shall be executed for the same, but in such cases, the culprit will be transferred to another regiment where such penalty may be carried out at any time.'' In 1619, under the Imperial Commission of 16 March, 500 men were recruited by

Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. In status, a grand duke traditionally ranks in order of precedence below an emperor, as an approxi ...

Cosmos II of

Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...

at his own expense (300 men as arquebusiers in the Netherlands and 200 men as cuirassiers in the imperial dominions). In 1621, this regiment was in imperial service under the name of the "Florentine Horse" (''Florentinische Reiter''). '' Generalfeldwachtmeister'' Henri de Dampierre, who had already been the proprietary colonel (''Inhaber'') and commander of a musketeer regiment since 1616, was appointed colonel of this new regiment. * In 1683, five companies of Mercy's Regiment (''Regiments Mercy'') were handed over to form the cadre for training a new regiment for Colonel (''Obrist'') Dupigny. The unit was expanded to 10 companies through recruitment and continued the tradition of Bournenville's Regiment (''Regiments Bournenville'') and the old Dampierre's Cavalry * In 1721, the Regiment took over a company of the disbanded Battée's Dragoons (''Dragoner-Regiments Battée'') * In 1731, elements of the Auction companies, formed in 1727, were transferred to Pignatelli's and Kokorowa's Regiments (''Regimenter Pignatelli'' und ''Kokorowa'') (both disbanded in 1734) * In 1768, the carabinier company was transferred to the recently formed 1st Regiment of Carabiniers ( later 3rd Dragoons) and a squadron of the disbanded Modena's Cuirassiers (''Kürassier-Regiment Modena'') joined the Regiment * In 1769 the Regiment was ranked as the 4th Cavalry in the order of precedence. * In 1775 the Colonel's Division, then the Lieutenant Colonel's 1st Squadron of the disbanded ''Jacquemin'' Cuirassiers was added * In 1780 Graf Friedrich Anton zu Hohenzollern-Hechingen became the Proprietor (Inhaber) (''Kürassier-Regiment Hohenzollern-Hechingen'') * In 1798 the name was changed to the 8th Regiment of Cuirassiers * In 1802, it took over the Lieutenant Colonel's Division of the disbanded Czartoryski's 4th Regiment (''Kürassier-Regiment Czartoryski'') * In 1867, it was given the new name of 8th Dragoons Jaroslau Kavallerie Kaserne

Main and supplementary recruiting districts

* From 1781:

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

* 1853 from the supplementary districts of 35th Regiment of Infantry ( Pilsen) * 1857-60 from the districts of 14th, 28th and 42nd Regiments of Infantry ( Neuhaus, Prague,

Theresienstadt Theresienstadt Ghetto was established by the Schutzstaffel, SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (German occupation of Czechoslovakia, German-occupied Czechoslovakia). Theresienstad ...

) * 1860-68 from the districts of 11th, 28th and 35th Regiments of Infantry (

Písek Písek (; german: Pisek) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 30,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Písek is colloquially called "''South ...

, Prague, Pilsen) * 1868-77 from the districts of 28th and 75th Regiments of Infantry (Prague, Neuhaus) * 1877-83 from the districts of 28th and 42nd Regiments of Infantry (

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

, Theresienstadt) * 1883-89 from the districts of 42nd, 92nd and 94th Regiments of Infantry heresienstadt, Komotau, Turnov">Turnau). * 1889 it was allocated to the Military Territorial District of IX Corps (Josefov (Jaroměř)">Josephstadt Josefstadt (; Central Bavarian: ''Josefstod'') is the eighth district of Vienna (german: 8. Bezirk, Josefstadt). It is near the center of Vienna and was established as a district in 1850, but borders changed later. Josefstadt is a heavily po ...

History

Main and supplementary recruiting districts

Peacetime garrisons

Colonels of the Regiment

Regimental commanders

Operations

Parent formation and status in July 1914

Fate

Uniforms of the Regiment

Structure

Literature

References