''For the 8th Dragoons in the British Army, see

8th King's Royal Irish Hussars The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries including the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. ...

.'' The 8th Dragoon Regiment (''8e régiment de dragons'' or ''8e RD'') was a cavalry regiment in the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

created under the ''

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

'' in 1674 by the Marquis of Heudicourt.

History

Under the ''Ancien Régime''

In 1674, a new regiment was created by the Marquis of Heudicourt, named the Heudicourt Regiment. It was renamed multiple times under the command of the Ancien Régime:{{Citation needed, date=September 2024 • Choiseul-Praslin Regiment (1688) • Toulouse Regiment (1693) • Penthièvre Regiment (1737), later also "Penthièvre Regiment Dragoons"(1776) This regiment would initially first serve in the

Dutch Wars Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, ...

, and the Siege of Luxembourg, playing minor roles. They would enter combat at numerous points in the

War of the League of Augsburg The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...

, the Battle of Neerwinden, the early

bombardment of Brussels During the Nine Years' War, the French Royal Army carried out a bombardment of Brussels from August 13–15, 1695. Led by King Louis XIV and the François de Neufville, duc de Villeroi, Duke of Villeroi, French forces bombarded the city in an a ...

, and the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...

, proving effective in most of these encounters. Following more Succession crisis in Europe, with the Penthievre Regiment serving in most of these wars, (

War of the Polish Succession The War of the Polish Succession (; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a civil war in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth over the succession to Augustus II the Strong, which the other European powers widened in pursuit of ...

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...

) the Penthièvre Regiment lost its commander in the Seven Years War, and took no further action in following events.

Revolutionary Wars

In the Revolutionary Wars, the Penthièvre Regiment was renamed, the 8th Dragoon Regiment. Moving from

Army of the Alps The Army of the Alps (''Armée des Alpes'') was one of the French Revolutionary armies. It existed from 1792–1797 and from July to August 1799, and the name was also used on and off until 1939 for France's army on its border with Italy. 1792� ...

Army of the Rhine An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

, they took part in multiple probing attacks on Coalition Forces at

Mainz Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...

, and

Wissembourg Wissembourg (; South Franconian: ''Weisseburch'' ; German: ''Weißenburg'' ) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Wissembourg was a sub-prefecture of the department until 2015. The name ''Wissembourg'' ...

. Then, moved to the

Army of the Moselle The Army of the Moselle (''Armée de la Moselle'') was a French Revolutionary Army from 1791 through 1795. It was first known as the '' Army of the Centre'' and it fought at Valmy. In October 1792 it was renamed and subsequently fought at Trier, ...

. In the Army of Italy, they took part in the Siege of Mantua, and the

Battle of Rivoli The Battle of Rivoli (14 January 1797) was a key military engagement during the War of the First Coalition near the village of Rivoli Veronese, Rivoli, then part of the Republic of Venice. In the climax of the Italian Campaign of 1796-1797, It ...

. After serving for more years on the Rhine (1799), in 1800, this regiment was one of three regiments that participated in the coup of 18' Brumaire, and won distinction in the

Battle of Marengo The Battle of Marengo was fought on 14 June 1800 between French forces under the First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces near the city of Alessandria, in Piedmont, Italy. Near the end of the day, the French overcame General ...

Napoleonic Wars

The 8th Dragoons were part of the occupation force in

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

and were sent to the coast for the 'Invasion' of Britain. But in 1805, they joined the

Grande Armée The (; ) was the primary field army of the French Imperial Army (1804–1815), French Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Commanded by Napoleon, from 1804 to 1808 it won a series of military victories that allowed the First French Empi ...

, participating in their early victories at Austerlitz and

Jena Jena (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 in ...

. They were devastated at Elyau like most cavalry units and missed the

Battle of Friedland The Battle of Friedland (14 June 1807) was a major engagement of the Napoleonic Wars between the armies of the French Empire commanded by Napoleon I and the armies of the Russian Empire led by General Levin August von Bennigsen. Napoleon and t ...

. From 1808 to 1811, the 8th Dragoons would operate entirely in the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

in the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

s. Summoned to modern day Germany in 1813, they took part in the

Battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, was fought from 16 to 19 October 1813 at Leipzig, Saxony. The Coalition armies of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia, led by Tsar Alexander I, Karl von Schwarzenberg, and G ...

, in which they would be defeated. They will not take further action in the defense of France. Following Napoleon's return from exile, the 8th Dragoons once again joined the Grande Armée, becoming part of I Corp. Missing the

Battle of Ligny The Battle of Ligny, in which French troops of the under the command of Napoleon I defeated part of a Prussian army under Field Marshal Blücher, was fought on 16 June 1815 near Ligny in what is now Belgium. The result was a tactical victor ...

, the 8th Dragoons would play a role in the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...

, also defeated.

1815 - 1914

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * Ab ...

Following Napoleon's defeat, the 8th Dragoon Regiment was reduced to just a garrison. 1823 saw it active in Spain, and from 1825, they would be stationed at

Nevers Nevers ( , ; , later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is a city and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Nièvre Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in central France. It was the pr ...

. They will not be affected by the changes in leadership, with the

Bourbons The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a dynasty that originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. A branch descended from ...

overthrown, following two more republics.

Franco-Prussian War

In the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

, the 8th Dragoons would be highly active, following their reinstatement as a regiment, serving in the Battles of Borny and

Gravelotte Gravelotte (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, 11 km west of Metz. It is part of the functional area (''aire d'attraction'') of Metz. Its population is 827 (2019). From 1871 until the end of ...

. They were part of the force that tried to relieve forces participating in the siege in Metz along with the

. It would be followed by skirmishes in Lorcy. Following an uprising in Paris by the French Communes, the 8th Dragoons were put under the command of the Army of Versailles, participating in the

Bloody Week The ''Semaine sanglante'' ("") was a weeklong battle in Paris from 21 to 28 May 1871, during which the French Army recaptured the city from the Paris Commune. This was the final battle of the Paris Commune. Following the Treaty of Frankfur ...

, acts of reprisal against the rebellion.

Before 1914

After the end of the Franco-Prussian War, the 8th Dragoons were at patrol in

Lunéville Lunéville ( ; German : ''Lünstadt'' ; Lorrain: ''Leneinvile'') is a commune in the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. It is a subprefecture of the department and lies on the river Meurthe at its confluence with the Ve ...

, starting from 1877. They would take no military actions as they were on garrison duty.

World War I

After World War I began, the 8th Dragoons were sent to the frontline trenches. They later participated in the Battle of the Marne, and after 3 years in the trenches, the Germans tried desperately to break the stalemate. The 8th Dragoons were part of the counter offensive in 1918, first arriving at

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

, then to the mountainous terrain of Southern Flanders, and by the end of the attack, were at

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; ) is a French departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne (river), Aisne. In 2020, it had a population of 529,374. Geography The department borders No ...

Peacetime

During peacetime, the 8th Dragoons were quartered at Lunéville.

World War II

1939

The 8th Dragoon Regiment, together with 31st Dragoons, form the 4th Cavalry Brigade, itself the first part of the 2nd Cavalry Division. The 2nd Cavalry Division would station themselves in the Ardennes to delay the Germans for as long as possible, in front of the 9th Army.

1940

When the German attack began on May 10, 1940, the 8th Dragoons were made up of four squadrons, with the capacity of 900 men, and 1,200 horses in total. Half of the men would become prisoners of war while a small contingent was withdrawn. Nevertheless, the 8th Dragoons fought with the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium and France, delaying the Germans while the main group made its escape. By the time the remaining Allied units at the Dunkirk Pocket surrendered, the 8th Dragoons virtually ceased to exist.

1941

The 8th Dragoons were recreated by the

Vichy Government Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...

under the command of the

Armistice Army The Armistice Army () was the armed forces of Vichy France permitted under the terms of the Armistice of 22 June 1940. It was officially disbanded in 1942 after the German invasion of the " Free Zone" (''Zone libre'') which was directly ruled ...

(Vichy Army), one of the fewest units chosen.

1942

The 8th Dragoons were disbanded once again after the Germans invaded Vichy France, bringing an end to the German puppet state.

1944

After the

liberation of France The liberation of France () in the Second World War was accomplished through diplomacy, politics and the combined military efforts of the Allied Powers, Free French forces in London and Africa, as well as the French Resistance. Nazi Germany in ...

, the 8th Dragoons were recreated, merged with the

1st Spahi Regiment The 1st Spahi Regiment () is an armored regiment of the modern French Army, previously called the 1st Moroccan Spahi Regiment (). It was established in 1914 as a mounted cavalry unit recruited primarily from indigenous Moroccan horsemen. The regim ...

, battering German forces in Alsace and in Germany until German surrender in May. By that time the 8th Dragoons were stationed at

Lake Constance Lake Constance (, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein (). These ...

, and were awarded the

Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

1945 to present

Following World War II, the 8th Dragoons garrisoned the City of

Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...

, then was sent in 1952 to

Saarburg Saarburg (, ) is a city of the Trier-Saarburg district, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the banks of the river Saar in the hilly country a few kilometers upstream from the Saar's junction with the Moselle. Now known as a touris ...

, shortly becoming part of the French occupation force in Germany. In 1956, the 8th Dragoons would participate in their last military operation in the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...

, following the

Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so w ...

. In 1964, the 8th Dragoons joined the 4th Hussar Regiment, and were stationed in

Morhange Morhange (; ; Lorraine Franconian ''Märchinge'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Moselle department The following is a list of the 725 communes of the ...

Barracks where they would be dissolved in 1977.

Garrisons

Abbeville Abbeville (; ; ) is a commune in the Somme department and in Hauts-de-France region in northern France. It is the of one of the arrondissements of Somme. Located on the river Somme, it was the capital of Ponthieu. Geography Location A ...

(1869) *

Meaux Meaux () is a Communes of France, commune on the river Marne (river), Marne in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, Franc ...

(1887- 1893) *

(1894- 1914) *

Vitry-le-François Vitry-le-François () is a Communes of France, commune in the Marne (department), Marne Departments of France, department in northeastern France. It is located on the river Marne (river), Marne and is the western terminus of the Marne–Rhine Ca ...

(1914) *Lunéville (1919- 1942) *Remnants were kept there until the Germans get to disarm them* *

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

(1944- 1946) *Oppose German forces as they were pushed back farther into Germany *

(1946- 1952) *Saarburg (1952- 1964) *Morhange (1964- 1977)

Marquis de camp, regimental colonels, commanders, and lieutenant colonels

Old Regime/Ancien Régime

Title: Marquis de Camp *Michel Sublet Marquis d'Heudicourt (1674) *Jean Baptiste Gaston de Choiseul, Count of Hostel and marquis de Praslin (1688) * Count of Souternon (1693) *Count of Gacé (1702) *Count d'Agenois (1706) *Marquis d'Estournel (1714) *Marquis d'Hautefort d'Ajat (1734) *Marquis de Crenay, Count of Montaigu (1736) *Viscount of Castellane-Novéjean (1748) *Count of Saluces (1753) *Michel Louis Marie marquis de Beuzeville (1770) *Conrad-Adolphe-Louis de Lardenois de Ville (1773) * Jean Baptiste Gaston de Choiseul (1779) *Jean, comte du Authier (1788- 1790)

Officers of the Revolutionary Army

''Colonel Generals:'' * François Bouzet de Montjoye (1791) * Jean Thomas Scelles (1792) * Charles Hubert (1793) * Jean Louis Falque (1794) *

Jacques Louis François Milet Jacques or Jacq are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over one hundred identified noble families related t ...

(1797) *Louis Jean Nicolas Abbot (1798)

Napoleonic officers

* Louis Beckler (1800- 1806) * Alexandre Louis Robert (1806- 1811) * Alexandre Lebrun (1811) * Charles Joseph Hatry (1813) * Eugène-Gabriel (1814) * Charles François Martigue (1815)

Bourbon Restorationists

* Pierre-Jacques (1823) * Jean-Alexandre Le Pays de Bourjolly (1835- 1839)

French Republicans

''Colonels:'' * Xavier de Lagoutte (1865- 1869)

World War I

* Louis Conneau (1907) *Temporary command*

World War II

* Léon Cuny (1939- 1940) *Commander Kuntz (5/15/1940- 5/26/1940)*Regiment formally disbanded*

Vichy France

* Olleris (1940- 1941) *Regiment reformed as part of Vichy Army. Disbanded again once Vichy France collapsed*

1945- 1977

*Simon Y. (1955) *Paramelle (1963) *Mercier (1964) *Colomb (1966) *Perier (1968) *Delmotte (1970) *Perrey (1972) *Mialet (1974) *Lieutenant Colonel Georges Delclève (1976- 1977) *Regiment dismissed from service*

Notable personnel from the regiment

* Antoine Rémy, a Knight and Baron of the 1st French Empire. Later allied to

Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. Before his reign, he spent 23 y ...

. (Joined in 1783) * Louis Jean Nicolas Abbot, a Major General of the Empire, and was Captain of the 8th Dragoon Regiment in 1798. * Charles-Marie de MacMahon, second Lieutenant of the 8th Dragoons, heir to the

MacMahon family The MacMahon family originated in Ireland and later established itself in France, where it gained prominence. In the context of French nobility, the head of the family holds the titles of ''Duc de Magenta'' and ''Marquis de MacMahon''. Histor ...

. (Joined in 1877) * Yves Guellec, a brigadier in the 8th Dragoons, soon made his name famous in World War II. (Joined in 1932) * Bernard Chevignard, awarded the Companion of the Liberation decoration for his service in World War II. (Joined in 1933)

Traditions and uniforms

Cav_Penth_1762.png, Uniform of the Penthièvre Cavalry from 1762 to 1767 Penthièvre_cav_1740.png, Uniform of the Penthièvre Cavalry from 1740 to 1757 Cav_penthièvre_1757.png, Uniform of the Penthièvre Cavalry from 1757 to 1762 Cav_Penth_1767.png, Uniform of the Penthièvre Cavalry from 1767 to 1776 Penthièvre_dragons_1779.png, Uniform of the Penthièvre Dragoons from 1779- 1786 Penthièvre_1776.PNG, Uniform of the Penthièvre Dragoons from 1776- 1779 Penthièvre_dragons_1786.png, Uniform of the 8th Dragoons (Cavalry) from 1786- 1791 8RD_1791.PNG, Uniform of the 8th Dragoons after 1791

Standards

Old Regime

Penthièvre_cav.png, Standard of the Penthièvre Regiment (1737) Toulouse_cav_av.png, Standard of the Toulouse Regiment (1693)

1945- present

The modern standard of the 8th Dragoons have the following words sewed into it. *Rivoli 1797 *Marengo 1800 *Austerlitz 1805 * Heilsburg 1807 * La Mortagne 1914 * Flanders 1918 * L'Aisne 1918

Decorations

Badges/heraldry

In 1953, the official Regimental badge of the 8th Dragoon Regiment was a shield from the

with the coat of arms of the Bourbon Penthièvre family, of which the regiment was first named after, placed on an anchor. Above will be a Flory Crown, and below will spell in English, Dragon- Penthièvre. The badge can be seen at the start of this page. ''The tie of the honor awards are decorated:'' Croix_de_Guerre_1940_1945

Motto

"Which rubs against the pricks itself." -1972 "And of the land and sea." -1977–present motto

Notes

References

Dragoon regiments of France Military units and formations disestablished in 1977 1674 establishments in France Regiments of France in World War I Cavalry regiments of France in World War II