The Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" (1st) () is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Bellinzago Novarese in Piedmont. The regiment is the reconnaissance unit of the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". The regiment is named for the County of Nice in France, which makes the regiment, along with the Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd), one of two Italian Army units named for a French region, which once was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
In 1690, Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy ordered to form a dragoon regiment for service in the Nine Years' War. The new regiment was named Regiment "Dragoni di Piemonte" (Regiment "Dragoons of Piedmont"). After the Nine Years' War the regiment's troops were dismounted. In May 1701, after Victor Amadeus II had entered the War of the Spanish Succession the regiment's troops were mounted again. In 1713, the regiment moved to Sicily, where it fought in 1718-20 in the War of the Quadruple Alliance against Spanish forces. Between 1733 and 1735, the regiment fought in the War of the Polish Succession, and from 1741 to 1748 in the War of the Austrian Succession. From 1792 to 1796, the regiment fought in the War of the First Coalition against the French Republic. In November 1798, during the War of the Second Coalition, French forces occupied Piedmont, forced King Charles Emmanuel IV into exile, and formed the Piedmontese Republic, a French client-state. In spring 1799, the regiment fought on the French side against the Austrians, which disbanded the Piedmontese Republic and its military units after their victorious campaign in Italy.
In May 1814, King Victor Emmanuel I returned from exile in Sardinia and the same month the King ordered to reform the regiment. One year later the regiment participated in the Hundred Days campaign during the War of the Seventh Coalition. In 1832, the regiment was named Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" after the County of Nice. In 1848-49, during the First Italian War of Independence, the regiment distinguished itself in the battles of Goito, Mortara and Novara, which earned the regiment three Bronze Medals of Military Valor. In 1859 the regiment fought in the Second Italian War of Independence and in 1860-1861 the regiment participated in the Sardinian campaign in central and southern Italy. In 1866, the regiment participated in the Third Italian War of Independence.
During World War I the regiment formed together with the Regiment "Lancieri di Vercelli" (26th) the VII Cavalry Brigade of the 4th Cavalry Division "Piemonte". In 1916, the two regiments fought dismounted in the trenches of the Italian Front. In May 1916, the Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" (1st) distinguished itself in the Battle of Monfalcone, which earned the regiment its fourth Bronze Medal of Military Valor. In World War II the regiment participated in 1940 in the Italian invasion of France and in 1941 in the invasion of Yugoslavia. In 1942, the regiment was sent to southern France, after Italian and German forces had occupied Vichy France. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 invading German forces disbanded the regiment. In fall 1943 the Italian Co-belligerent Army formed the Reconnaissance Squadron "Nizza Cavalleria", which fought on the allied side in the Italian campaign.
In November 1946, the Italian Army formed the 1st Dragoons Reconnaissance Group, which received the regiment's traditions and crimson gorget patches. In 1951, the group was expanded to 1st Armored Cavalry Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria". In 1959 the regiment was disbanded and its I Squadrons Group reorganized as the reconnaissance squadrons group of the Infantry Division "Cremona". In 1975, the squadrons group was reorganized and renamed 1st Armored Squadrons Group "Nizza Cavalleria". The squadrons group was equipped with a mix of M47 Patton tanks and M113 armored personnel carriers and assigned the traditions and standard of the Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" (1st). In 1991, the squadrons group lost its autonomy and entered the 1st Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria", which, on 1 August 1992, was renamed Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" (1st). In 1993, the regiment was equipped with wheeled Centauro tank destroyers. In 1996, the regiment was assigned to the Armored Brigade "Centauro" and in 2002 to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense".
The regiment's anniversary falls on 16 May 1916, to commemorate the regiment's conduct during the Battle of Monfalcone, for which the regiment was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor. As one of the two Italian Army dragoon regiments, whose history dates back to the 17th century, the regiment's enlisted personnel is addressed as "Dragoon" ().
History Formation
On 26 January 1683, Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy issued a decree to form the first permanent cavalry regiment in his dominions. The same year the regiment was given the name Regiment "Dragoni di Sua Altezza Reale" (Regiment "Dragoons of His Royal Highness"), but the regiment was also known as "Dragons Bleus" due to their blue uniform. On 7 October 1689, a second dragoon regiment was formed, which was initially known as Dragons Verts due to their green uniforms. On 4 July 1690, in preparation for the entry of Savoy into the Nine Years' War, a third dragoon regiment was formed in Asti, which was initially known as Dragons Jaunes due to their yellow uniforms. During the same year the Dragons Verts were given the name Regiment "Dragoni del Génévois" (Regiment "Dragoons of Génévois"), while the Dragons Jaunes were given the name Regiment "Dragoni di Piemonte" (Regiment "Dragoons of Piedmont"). Each of the three dragoon regiments consisted of a staff and eight companies of 50 dragoons per company.
In fall of 1690, the Regiment "Dragoni di Piemonte" was sent to garrison Avigliana Castle, which blocked the route to Turin to the French. In January 1691, the Regiment "Dragoni di Sua Altezza Reale" was sent to reinforce the castle. On 28 May 1691, French troops stormed the castle, and while the garrison's infantry troops were taken prisoner, the two dragoons regiments escaped the same fate on their horses. On 23 July 1692, two additional cavalry regiments were formed: the Regiment Cavaglià, which was soon renamed Cavalry Regiment "Piemonte Reale" and the Regiment Montbrison, which was renamed Cavalry Regiment "Savoia". In 1693, the Savoyard Army's three dragoon regiments added a ninth company and then fielded 36 officers and 450 dragoons.
On 4 October 1693, all five Savoyard cavalry regiments fought in the Battle of Marsaglia. On 29 August 1696, France and Savoy signed the Treaty of Turin, which ended the latter's involvement in the war, followed on 20 September 1697, by the Peace of Ryswick, which ended the Nine Years' War. Consequently, the Savoyard Army's three dragoon regiments were reduced from nine to eight companies, with each company fielding 35 dragoons. On 30 August 1699, the regiments "Dragoni del Génévois" and "Dragoni di Piemonte" were dismounted as a cost cutting measure and served forthwith on foot.
Cabinet Wars War of the Spanish Succession In March 1701, Duke Victor Amadeus II joined the War of the Spanish Succession on the French side and, consequently on 20 May of the same year, the regiments "Dragoni del Génévois" and "Dragoni di Piemonte" were both mounted again. At the time the Savoyard Army's dragoon regiments fielded a staff and eight companies, which were grouped in four squadrons. Each company fielded 60 dragoons, while the regiment's staff consisted of 30 officers. In 1703, Victor Amadeus II entered secret negotiations with the anti-French Second Grand Alliance and in October of that year declared war on France. On 24 December of the same year, the Regiment "Dragoni di Piemonte" added a fifth squadron of two companies and then fielded some 700 men. One of the two companies had been formed on 18 October 1703, with French Huguenots, who wished to fight the French.
By 1706, France had occupied most of the territories of Victor Amadeus II, leaving only his capital Turin in his possession. On 2 June 1706, a French army led by Louis de la Feuillade began to besiege Turin. Victor Amadeus II left the Austrian general Philipp von Daun in command of defences of Turin and escaped from the city on 17 June with 7,000 Austrian and Savoyard cavalry. Two days later the French closed the siege ring around the city. Meanwhile, further East, a French field army under Philippe II, Duke of Orléans maneuvered to prevent an Imperial army led by Austrian field marshal Prince Eugene of Savoy from coming to the relief of Turin. Attempting to buy time for Prince Eugene, Victor Amadeus II spent the next two months attacking French supply lines with his cavalry. On 15 August, Prince Eugene began his advance on Turin, easily evading Orléans' covering force. On 29 August, he reached Carmagnola south of Turin, where he was joined by Victor Amadeus II. Aware of Prince Eugene's approach, Orléans joined La Feuillade, and their combined force made three assaults on Turin between 27 August and 3 September. On 5 September, the Savoyard-Imperial army concentrated at Collegno, between the Dora Riparia and the Stura di Lanzo rivers near a weak spot in the French lines. On 7 September, Prince Eugene divided his force into eight columns and ordered an all-out attack on the French forces. Victor Amadeus II personally led his cavalry regiments into the fray, charged the Duke of Orléans and his entourage, which led to the Duke of Orléans being wounded and forced to retreated from the battlefield. Afterwards Victor Amadeus II led the regiments "Dragoni di Sua Altezza Reale" and "Dragoni del Génévois" to the bridges over the Po river to block the French's route of escape.
In 1707, the regiment fought in the Sayorard campaign to free the County of Nice from French occupation, and one year later, the regiment fought in the campaign to liberate the Duchy of Savoy. On 14 March 1713, France and Savoy signed a truce, while the other belligerents signed the first of the treaties of the Peace of Utrecht, which transferred the Kingdom of Sicily and parts of the Duchy of Milan to Savoy and confirmed the 1708 transfer of the Duchy of Montferrat to the House of Savoy. On 27 March of the same year, the Regiment "Dragoni di Piemonte" received two companies from the Regiment "Dragoni di Sua Altezza Reale" to keep the regiment at full strength, while all other Savoyard cavalry regiments were reduced to eight companies. Afterwards, the regiment was shipped to Sicily to take possession of the new territory.
War of the Quadruple Alliance In 1715-16, the Regiment "Dragoni di Piemonte" was garrisoned in Messina and in 1716-18 in Palermo. On 1 July 1718, the Kingdom of Spain landed troops on Sicily and tried to recover the Kingdom of Sicily from Savoy rule. On 2 August 1718, the Britain, France, Austria, and Savoy formed an alliance to defeat Spain in the War of the Quadruple Alliance. Meanwhile, in Sicily, due to the Spaniards overwhelming numbers, the approximately 6,000 Savoyard troops were forced to fall back to the fortresses of Milazzo, Messina, Augusta, Syracuse and Taormina, which were supplied by allied ships. For the duration of the war the main body of the Regiment "Dragoni di Piemonte" was located in the fortress of Syracuse, while parts of the regiment participated in the defence of Milazzo, Augusta, and Taormina. By August 1719, Austrian forces had driven the Spanish out of Sicily and the Savorard troops departed the island.