Schaumburg-Lippe came up in the Lippe-Detmold thread, but deserves its own thread.
Such a tiny little place! Less than 45,000 inhabitants in 1905.
But a long military history. Schaumburg-Lippe troops fought in the War of Austrian Succession on the side of Austria. Alongside the British, Hanoverians, and Hessians, the Schaumburgers helped defeat the French at Dettlingen in 1743. They also served at Fontenoy (1745), Raucoux (1746), and Laffeld (1747).
In the Seven Year's War (what we provincial Americans call the French and Indian War), Schaumburg allied with England (George II) and Prussia (Frederick the Great). Graf Wilhelm zu Schaumburg-Lippe placed his troops under the Duke of Cumberland and then Duke Ferdinand von Braunschweig, and fought at Minden (both the siege and the battle). They also served at the battle of Marburg Castle (1759), the siege of Münster (1760), the relief of Kassel (1761), and the battle of Hamm (1761). Graf Wilhelm and his troops joined the English in Portugal in 1762-63, where he commanded the combined Portuguese/British/Schaumburg-Lippisch army.
Landgraf Wilhelm IX of Hessen-Kassel invaded and occupied Schaumburg-Lippe in 1787 in a dynastic dispute, but was forced to leave after two months by the Imperial Court of the Holy Roman Empire.
After joining the Confederation of the Rhine in 1807, the county (Grafschaft) was elevated to a principality (Fürstentum). The tiny principality provided 280 troops for Napoleon's Grande Armee, and accompanied him to Russia in 1812. After the Battle of the Nations and the dissolution of the Confederation of the Rhine, Schaumburg-Lippe joined the allies. Joining the German Confederation in 1815, it was required to field a batallion of 240 men and provide 120 reservists. These troops participated in the maneuvers in Schleswig-Holstein in 1849 and occupied Luxembourg in 1859.
After an 1866 military pact, Schaumburg-Lippe's troops became part of the Prussian Army in 1867. Its troops then fought in the Franco-Prussian War.
Schaumburg-Lippe's troops were part of the Westfälisches Jäger-Bataillon Nr.7, which was garrisoned at Bückeburg. It was part of the 26th Brigade of Army Corps VII.
After World War Two, Schaumburg-Lippe was joined by the British occupation forces with Hannover, Braunschweig, and Oldenburg to form the new state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen).
Liek Lippe-Detmold, Schaumburg-Lippe had its own equivalent to the Iron Cross, which served as its principal military decoration. The medal was known as the Cross for Loyal Service (Kreuz für treue Dienste) and, like the Iron Cross, came in two classes, a pinback grade and a a lower grade on ribbon. The first class pinback cross is pretty rare; I don't think I've ever seen one in person, and only once in a catalog.
Here is a ribbon bar showing the Iron Cross, 2nd Class, the Cross for Loyal Service on ribbon, and the World War I Honor Cross:
Stogie-Rick's cased one and majorpayne's beautiful polished one are nice. A medal bar is nice too. Here is the matching medal bar for the ribbon bar above:
Dave
Such a tiny little place! Less than 45,000 inhabitants in 1905.
But a long military history. Schaumburg-Lippe troops fought in the War of Austrian Succession on the side of Austria. Alongside the British, Hanoverians, and Hessians, the Schaumburgers helped defeat the French at Dettlingen in 1743. They also served at Fontenoy (1745), Raucoux (1746), and Laffeld (1747).
In the Seven Year's War (what we provincial Americans call the French and Indian War), Schaumburg allied with England (George II) and Prussia (Frederick the Great). Graf Wilhelm zu Schaumburg-Lippe placed his troops under the Duke of Cumberland and then Duke Ferdinand von Braunschweig, and fought at Minden (both the siege and the battle). They also served at the battle of Marburg Castle (1759), the siege of Münster (1760), the relief of Kassel (1761), and the battle of Hamm (1761). Graf Wilhelm and his troops joined the English in Portugal in 1762-63, where he commanded the combined Portuguese/British/Schaumburg-Lippisch army.
Landgraf Wilhelm IX of Hessen-Kassel invaded and occupied Schaumburg-Lippe in 1787 in a dynastic dispute, but was forced to leave after two months by the Imperial Court of the Holy Roman Empire.
After joining the Confederation of the Rhine in 1807, the county (Grafschaft) was elevated to a principality (Fürstentum). The tiny principality provided 280 troops for Napoleon's Grande Armee, and accompanied him to Russia in 1812. After the Battle of the Nations and the dissolution of the Confederation of the Rhine, Schaumburg-Lippe joined the allies. Joining the German Confederation in 1815, it was required to field a batallion of 240 men and provide 120 reservists. These troops participated in the maneuvers in Schleswig-Holstein in 1849 and occupied Luxembourg in 1859.
After an 1866 military pact, Schaumburg-Lippe's troops became part of the Prussian Army in 1867. Its troops then fought in the Franco-Prussian War.
Schaumburg-Lippe's troops were part of the Westfälisches Jäger-Bataillon Nr.7, which was garrisoned at Bückeburg. It was part of the 26th Brigade of Army Corps VII.
After World War Two, Schaumburg-Lippe was joined by the British occupation forces with Hannover, Braunschweig, and Oldenburg to form the new state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen).
Liek Lippe-Detmold, Schaumburg-Lippe had its own equivalent to the Iron Cross, which served as its principal military decoration. The medal was known as the Cross for Loyal Service (Kreuz für treue Dienste) and, like the Iron Cross, came in two classes, a pinback grade and a a lower grade on ribbon. The first class pinback cross is pretty rare; I don't think I've ever seen one in person, and only once in a catalog.
Here is a ribbon bar showing the Iron Cross, 2nd Class, the Cross for Loyal Service on ribbon, and the World War I Honor Cross:
Stogie-Rick's cased one and majorpayne's beautiful polished one are nice. A medal bar is nice too. Here is the matching medal bar for the ribbon bar above:
Dave
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