8e Régiment d'Infanterie

Posted here are the three battalions of 8e Régiment d'Infanterie. 

The regiment had served the Ancien Regime Regiment d'Austrasie from 1776, but had associations dating back as far as 1558 with the Legion de Champagne and Regiments Gohas, Saint-Colombo, d'Eperon, Montcassin, Champagne, de Pontrthieu a Calais. It fought in the Indies during the American War of Independence.

The First Battlaion

Renamed 8e Régiment d'Infanterie at the commencement of the Revolutionary Wars, it fought at Valmy, in the Belgian Campaign, in the Vendee and on the Rhine. In reserve at Austerlitz it was stationed in Bavaria in 1806 but was not engaged Jéna or Auerstaedt, although it fought in the later battles in  the campaign.

Second Battalion

It fought in the Russian campaign in the following year, including Friedland and Danzig.

In 1808 the regiment went to Spain, where it established a fabulous record  fighting at Espinosa, Alcantara, Talavera, Zamora, Villaruibie, Montecy, Villalon, the Siege of Cadiz, Barossa, Fuentes-d'Onoro, Albuera, Ségovia, Vittoria and in the Pyrenees.

Third Battalion

Meanwhile the 4th Battalion had remained in Germany and fought at Essling and Wagram and then served on garrison duty in Prussia during the 1812 campaign, fighting again at Lützen and Dresden in 1813.

In the campaign if 1814 the regiment was engaged at Bar-sur-Aube and Arcis-sur-Aube. It was renamed Régiment Conde in the First Restoration only regain the 8e title for the 100 Days, where it fought at Ligny and Waterloo.

In the Second Restoration it was renamed the 8e Legion du Cantal et de la Vendee then in the reformation of the army in 1820 the 8e was raised afresh and established an impressive portfolio of campaigns including the 1823 Expedition from Spain, involvement in the Greek War of Independence, the suppression of the Republican insurrection in Paris in 1832 and campaign of Belgium in that same year. It served in Algeria  and earned battle honours at Zaatcha. In 1859 it went to Italy fighting at Solferino (below).

In the Franco-Prussian War it was engaged in the opening action at Saarbrucken. At Spicheren it was heavily engaged - the 2nd and 3rd battalions conducted a brilliant attack that drove the German from the western slopes of the Spicheren Heights - and cost the regiment the loss of 15 officers and 283 men. It had another hard fight at Rezonville losing another 10 officers and 277 men. Only lightly engaged at Gravelotte it went into captivity after the fall of Metz.

The depot companies were formed into the 29e Régiment de Marche and fought in the Loire Campaign. After that war the regiment went on to serve in Algeria, had a distinguished record in the Great War. It fiercely resisted the German advance on the Meuse in May 1940 and after the armistice served with the Vichy Government, retiring to French service in 1945. It continued in French service until 1997.