The Army of the Kingdom of Naples ( ) was the land force of the Kingdom of Naples. It was in service from 1806 to 1815, reborn from the Army of the Two Sicilies after the French invasion of Naples. It served alongside Napoleon’s Grande Armée in various campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars, until its final demise in the Neapolitan War.

Origin

Following the Battle of Campo Tenese on 9 March 1806, where French forces under General Jean Reynier decisively defeated the Bourbon Neapolitan army the Kingdom of Naples collapsed giving way to a French-ruled client state was established in its place, with the throne being given to Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte. However, when Joseph transferred to becoming King of Spain, the throne of Naples was granted to Napoleon's brother-in-law, Joachim Murat. The army soon became the single largest source of public employment in the Kingdom, and was the institution that Murat, in particular, looked to create an independent base for his kingdom.Davids John A., Naples and Napoleon: Southern Italy and the European Revolutions, 1780-1860, OUP Oxford, 2006. However, recruitment for the army was difficult from the start, due to the usual resistance to the unpopular French conscription system which had been introduced. The number of men raised initially was so meagre that convicts and captured brigands were drafted into regiments. Most officers were either captured Bourbon officers or French and Polish officers that stayed in Naples after the 1806 campaign. Neapolitan troops served in various campaigns under Napoleon and his generals, even taking up important roles such as escorting the Emperor back to France on the way back from the Invasion of Russia. However, Murat's alliance-switching spree in 1813 up to 1815 resulted in his army having mixed loyalties and gradually dissolving, finding no interest in serving or fighting for Murat in his campaigns.Digby Smith, Murat's Army, Helion Limited 2018.Paoletti Ciro, A Military History of Italy, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008.

Composition

Prior to Murat's arrival, Joseph had begun to shape what would become the Army of Naples. Although only King for little over two years, Napoleon's brother created the foundation for what was meant to be a modern army styled on the French Grande Armée. The young Kingdom's army was split into two "categories"; the Royal Guard, which consisted of the élite of the Army and held honorary post as the King's own bodyguard, and the Line (or regular) regiments. In 1806, the Royal Guard of Naples consisted of a regiment of Grenadiers of the Guard, together with a regiment of Voltigeurs of the Guard and a regiment of Mounted Velites. Together with the Guard there were two regiments of Line Infantry and one Light regiment in 1806 and two regiments of Mounted Chasseurs. Under Murat's rule, three more Line Infantry Regiments and one Light were raised in 1809. The army kept on expanding in size until 1815; at its peak, the Army of Naples consisted of Two Divisions of the Guard, 12 Regiments of Line Infantry, 4 Regiments of Line Cavalry, Four Regiments of Light Infantry, and 40 artillery companies along with many other irregular formations and provincial units.

Royal Guard

The Royal Guard of Naples was split into two separate sections: The Cavalry and Infantry of the Guard. By the 1815 campaign, the Guard was able to muster two entire divisions and a substantially large amount of field artillery.

As was the case with most of the army in 1806, the Guard was overlooked during Joseph's reign. However, with the arrival of Joachim Murat and his coronation as King of Naples, the Guard was expanded greatly to fit the king's flamboyant imagination. By looking at the Guard's many uniforms, Murat's love for gold and finery can clearly be seen.

The Cavalry of the Guard originally consisted of a single regiment of Cavallegieri (Light Horse), of two squadrons, each of two companies. These acted as a light cavalry force, screening the army's advances and scouting ahead of it, usually even foraging for supplies from the country around them to feed the rest of the army. This regiment escorted Napoleon himself during his flight from Russia in December 1812, back to Paris, alongside the Guard Hussar regiment. Additionally, in 1806, there was a squadron of elite Mounted Gendarmes that took duties as military police. In 1808, Murat formed the Corps of Mounted Velites (Veliti a Cavallo) out of the personal bodyguards of several nobles; these too acted as a light cavalry force. Alongside this, Murat formed the Guardia d’Onore (Guard of Honour) out of the two squadrons of Lancers of Berg, which he brought with him from his past post as Grand Duke of Berg. Whether these men blended into Neapolitan society well is still unclear. In 1813 the Veliti a Cavallo were converted to Ussari (Hussars). From late-1813 onwards, regiments of Cuirassiers, Chevaulegers, and Chevaulegers-Lanciers were raised so that the Guard Cavalry could muster a whole division in the 1815 campaign.

In 1806 the Infantry of the Guard included a regiment of Grenadiers of the Guard and one of Voltigeurs. The Guard Grenadiers were styled on the French Old Guard, wearing the same type of distinctive bearskin cap, topped with a flaming grenade badge. According to some sources, the Guard Grenadiers had 3 battalions - one of which wore red and white uniforms, and existed solely to guard the Royal Palace of Naples. The other two Grenadier battalions were frequently sent out into the field, serving in Russia 1812 and the War of the Sixth Coalition. The Voltigeurs of the Guard had only 2 battalions, and acted as light infantry. These also served in Russia, and accompanied Murat back to Naples after the disastrous defeat at Leipzig in October 1813. In 1809 the two Guard regiments were joined by two additional regiments of Velites of the Guard, which also served as light infantry, and a one-battalion regiment of Marine Infantry (Battaglione Marinaj della Guardia Reale).

In addition to both divisions of the Guard there were two Guard artillery batteries, one of horse and one of foot. The foot battery had six 8-pounder cannons and two howitzers. The Horse battery had four 4-pounder guns and two howitzers, all of the French Gribeauval design.Piero Crociani, The Neapolitan Army 1806/15, Editrice Militare Italiana.

Infantry

The Neapolitan infantry formed the bulk of the Army. The Infantry did not receive the same praise or honours bestowed on them as the Guard did, but nonetheless, their performance in battle was decisive in securing victory. Unlike the Guard, recruitment for the infantry corps was based on conscription, as volunteers were initially scarce and joining the military was unpopular among the lower and middle classes of Neapolitan society. Such was the extent of the resistance to serving in the army that King Joseph decreed the release of brigands and criminals to serve in the line regiments. Unfortunately, these recruits generally proved unworthy of service and frequently deserted.

Line Infantry

The Line Infantry of the Army of the Kingdom of Naples in 1806 consisted of two regiments, designated the 1st Regiment "del Re" and the 2nd Regiment "della Regina", each of two "war" (or field) battalions of nine companies each and one depot battalion. Battalions had six Fusilier companies, and two elite companies, of Voltigeurs and Grenadiers. However, as opposed to modern Grenadiers, grenadiers during the Napoleonic Wars did not carry grenades, as these proved too cumbersome. Grenadiers were the tallest and strongest men in the regiment, used as shock troops. In 1809 there were seven Line Regiments, now of three field battalions, consisting of one grenadier, one light and four centre companies. By 1812 there were eight regiments, rising to twelve by 1814. The line regiments usually sent out one or two "combat" battalions for military service abroad (e.g., in Spain) and kept the remaining battalion stationed in the Kingdom itself, to train conscripts and continue recruitment to make up for the losses suffered by the regiment's formations serving abroad.

The Army's 7th Regiment of the Line was one of the few military units in Europe during the period which consisted primarily of Black soldiers. It was originally the Black Pioneers, a battalion-sized French army unit raised from Afro-Caribbeans who had emigrated to France from the French West Indies, including Saint-Domingue. When the Kingdom of Naples was established in 1806, the unit was transferred into Neapolitan service on 14 August 1806; in 1810, it was increased to the size of a regiment and designated the 7th Regiment of the Line.

The official designations of all twelve line regiments were:

1st Regiment of the Line (King's Own) 2nd Regiment of the Line (Queen's Own) 3rd Regiment of the Line (Royal Prince's Own) 4th Regiment of the Line (Royal Samnites) 5th Regiment of the Line (Royal Calabrians) 6th Regiment of the Line (Of Naples) 7th Regiment of the Line (Royal Africans) 8th Regiment of the Line (Prince Lucien’s Own) 9th Regiment of the Line 10th Regiment of the Line 11th Regiment of the Line 12th Regiment of the Line (of the Marches)

The difference between Elite and Centre companies was considerable - the elites held a much higher espirit de corps, believing themselves to be better trained and generally the most senior companies in the regiment. In most cases, this was true.

Light Infantry

Additionally, there were two light infantry regiments in 1806, later rising to 4 by 1813, consisting of two field battalions. Each field battalion had a carabinieri (carabiniers) company, a voltigeur company, and seven companies of cacciatori (chasseurs). There was also a regiment Real Corso (Royal Corsican), that consisted of Corsican émigrés. It was redesignated as the 1st Light Regiment in 1813, and the old 1st and 2nd became the 2nd and 3rd, a 4th was raised and disbanded in 1813, only being reraised in 1814 with the occupation and incorporation of troops and peoples from the Papal territories.

The 2nd Light Infantry Regiment was formed in 1805 and took part in the campaigns in Germany, Spain, and Russia, and finally in the campaign of 1815 against the Austrians, when Joachim Murat’s Kingdom of Naples was definitively defeated. This regiment, like others of the era, was a unit that provided light troops, deployed in skirmish formation to harass the enemy. The 2nd Light Infantry Regiment is a regiment founded on the values of discipline, organization, and continuous improvement. The regiment is composed of a community of Italian players united by the goal of growing together, improving their skills, and actively contributing to the unit’s development. The regiment’s activities are led by an Italian staff and are based on collaboration, mutual respect, and teamwork, with the goal of creating a serious, active, and competitive environment for all members.

Also the 2o was an honorable regiment led by the Visconte "Cristiano"

Cavalry

Line cavalry consisted solely of Cacciatori a Cavallo (Mounted Chasseurs) and Cavalleggeri (Chevaulegers) regiments. Originally, there were two Cacciatori a Cavallo regiments, designated the 1st and the 2nd CaC. This was complimented in 1810 by the converted Cavalleggeri regiment. Finally, all regiments were converted to Cavalleggeri in 1813, and a fourth regiment was raised the following year. The adoption of lances and uniform changes were among the major changes introduced. However, the role of the Line Cavalry was always confined to skirmish and patrol duties, as in all Light Cavalry units of the era. Overall, there were no heavy Line Cavalry units. There are several accounts of a line cuirassier regiment being raised in 1809, but was destroyed less than a year later in Spain. The quick destruction of the regiment resulted in minimal attention given to it by future researchers.