METHODOLOGICAL NOTE
The Duchy of Modena, ruled by the House of Este—once the lords of Ferrara—represents a genuine challenge from the point of view of uniform research. On the one hand, I have managed to recover a considerable amount of information; on the other, I soon realised that no one had ever attempted to organise it systematically. What existed was essentially a collection of scattered images and references, assembled without any real underlying structure.
This uniformological investigation therefore provides an excellent, and indeed rather extreme, example of what I mean by an investigative/inductive method of uniform research. By this I mean an approach in which conclusions are always rooted in historical evidence: every available piece of information is examined in the greatest possible detail, then compared and interpreted through logical deduction until a coherent reconstruction can be reached.
In my view, it is always preferable to attempt to fill historical gaps in this way rather than simply abandon the subject because the surviving evidence is incomplete.
And this is precisely the story of the Army of the Duchy of Modena during the War of the Spanish Succession, from 1707 onwards, during the brief period in which it becomes particularly relevant.
The military history of the Duchy of Modena and Reggio during the War of the Spanish Succession is particularly interesting because this small Este state found itself almost exactly on the fault line between France and the Empire. Rather than conducting a large-scale independent war with forces of its own, Modena was initially a territory of passage, occupation and strategic rivalry, before becoming, from 1707 onwards, a political and military base increasingly tied to the Imperial cause.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
1701 – A neutrality already compromised
At the beginning of the war, Duke Rinaldo d’Este attempted formally to maintain a position of neutrality. In practice, however, as early as the summer of 1701 he allowed the Imperial troops of Prince Eugene to make use of the fortress of Brescello. This was far from a neutral gesture: Brescello, on the Po, was a fortress strategically very important for communications and for the entry of Imperial forces into the Po Valley. The Duchy found itself in an extremely difficult position: Franco-Spanish armies operated to the north and west, while Imperial forces were advancing from the opposite direction. Modena simply did not possess enough troops to prevent either of the great powers from imposing its will.
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| The Duchy of Modena and Reggio |
1702 – The French occupation
Rinaldo’s pro-Imperial stance soon had consequences. On 1 August 1702, French troops entered Modena after forcing the Imperial forces to abandon the Reggio sector. Rinaldo left the Duchy and took refuge with his court in Bologna (with his Guards du Corps), where he remained for the most part until 1707. From this point onwards, Modena ceased for several years to enjoy any real military independence. In 1703, the French occupation effectively became a conquest, and the Este administration was dissolved. The military structures of the Duchy did of course continue to exist but under French control and the state itself was under occupation and its ruler was in exile.
1706 – The turning point
The major strategic turning point came with the campaign of 1706. The Allied victory at Turin on 7 September 1706 completely altered the military balance in northern Italy. The French army was gradually forced to retreat (the retreat was compleated at the beginnin of the year 1707), while Imperial forces were able to advance into the Po Valley. The war in Italy was now clearly turning in Austria’s favour. In November 1706, Imperial forces reached Modena. The French withdrew into the Citadel, which was then besieged. Rinaldo d’Este himself took part in the siege, (and this means with his troops, already recovered; this also confirms they wereexsisting under the french occupation, with important effects on the uniforms study); it was indeed a significant fact because it marked the return of the Duke of Modena not simply as a restored ruler, but also as a military ally of the Empire.
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| Rinaldo d'Este Duca di Modena e di Reggio |
1707 – Liberation of Modena and reconstruction of the military establishment
In February 1707, the French garrison of the Citadel surrendered. Rinaldo returned permanently to his territories and restored the Este government.
It is above all from this point onwards that the Army of Modena becomes particularly interesting from a uniformological point of view.
With the territory liberated, the Duke had to:
- re-establish companies and regular units;
- reorganise the garrisons;
- provide for the defence of the fortresses;
- restore equipment, uniforms and armament;
- coordinate his forces with the Imperial troops operating in the region.
The Duchy also became a kind of secure rear area for the Imperial military system in northern Italy. Rinaldo’s policy increasingly transformed Modena into a political and military bridgehead for Imperial influence in Italy.
1707–1708 – Ferrara and Comacchio
After the liberation of his Duchy, Rinaldo attempted to turn his alliance with the Emperor into territorial advantage. The Este had never forgotten Ferrara, which they had lost to the Papal States in 1598. Rinaldo therefore supported the argument that Comacchio, and more broadly certain rights in the Ferrarese, were Imperial fiefs rather than territories over which the Papacy exercised unquestioned sovereignty. This interpretation found support in Vienna.
When open conflict broke out in 1708 between the Empire and Pope Clement XI, the Duchy of Modena therefore occupied a very particular position: it was not merely a spectator, but an Imperial ally with a direct dynastic interest in the dispute. Imperial operations against Comacchio, Ostellato, Bondeno and Ferrara thus took place immediately next to Este territory and made use of Modena and the neighbouring districts as part of the wider Imperial logistical system.
THE ROLE OF THE ARMY OF THE DUCHY OF MODENA 1706 - 1709
Besides roles of garrison duty, fortress defence, territorial control, logistical support and artillery service, the Este's Army also perfomed a limietd military campaign.
The military activity of the troops of the Duchy was concentrated mainly on the siege of Modena and its Citadel, in which some 4,000 militiamen took part under the command of Antonio Maria Sufari, Lieutenant of the Guard of the Duke of Modena. (The Guardia del Corpo had been divided into two detachments, with approximately 60 guards accompanying the Duke during his exile in Bologna).
The presence of a Lieutenant of the Guard allows us to draw two conclusions: first, that half of the unit (that stayed in Modena) had remained active; and second, that a detachment of it was present at the siege, probably at about half-company strength, or roughly 40-50 men. As for the militia, the sources describe them as “forensi”, that is, Territorial militia. They were therefore probably drawn from the territories around of Modena and Reggio and Garfagnana.
The siege took place on 20 November 1706, which means that these troops were able to organise themselves in an extremely short space of time. This is particularly significant because, as we shall see, they were already fully organised from a military point of view.
A further important element that has emerged is that the Bombardiers (artillerymen) of the Duchy also took part in the subsequent siege of the Citadel of Modena. This provides additional confirmation that the entire military structure of the Duchy of Modena had remained in existence even during the French occupation.
Further evidence also supports the conclusion that the Guard of the Duke of Modena had accompanied him during his exile in Bologna. When the Duke returned to his territories, he was escorted by his Guard, which strongly suggests that the unit had been with him in Bologna, together with a body of cavalry. The escort numbered about 150 men in total.
In September 1708, the Emperor began moving towards the Ferrarese the limited forces that he had been able to assemble in the Mantuan territory. In order not to weaken the garrison of Mantua excessively, he asked the Duke of Modena to send several companies of his infantry there as reinforcements.It therefore appears clear that, by this time, the army of the Duchy had once again become fully operational.
At the same time, Duke Rinaldo I d’Este, concerned for the security of his own territories, also began strengthening his military establishment. During that same month he brought down several companies of hardy men from the Garfagnana, reinforced with them the garrisons of Spilamberto, Vignola, San Cesario, Nonantola and Finale, and subsequently increased the number of regular troops available for any eventuality.
The contemporary Avvisi Italiani confirm that a considerable mobilisation was under way. A report from Venice stated that recruiting drums were being beaten in Modena for new levies and that enlistment was proceeding successfully. Each recruit was offered very good payment and a full uniform. The conditions appear to have been sufficiently attractive to induce 54 soldiers to desert from Forte Urbano, together with additional men from Faenza, in order to enter Modenese service. At the same time, the export of horses from Modena was prohibited under severe penalties, while the militia were ordered to be ready to march on the 27th, although their intended destination was not disclosed.
The Modenese forces were deployed in particular along the Panaro, which at that time marked the frontier between the Este territories and the Papal States. From these positions they not only defended the border but also repelled several Papal incursions and took an active part in operations carried out beyond the frontier.
The precise strength of the Modenese forces were very elevated: The Avvisi Italiani reported in August that the Duke of Modena had reached an agreement with contractors from Mantua for as many as 12,000 uniforms intended for newly raised soldiers.
More significant is another report dating from the end of September, according to which 3,000 men had descended from the Garfagnana to join an equal number of regular soldiers, with the purpose of opposing the Papal forces that were concentrating around Forte Urbano. If taken literally, this would suggest a force of approximately 6,000 men available for operations in the sector,
Taken together, these contemporary accounts clearly indicate that the Duchy of Modena was not merely a passive supporter of the Imperial cause in 1708. On the contrary, it was actively recruiting, equipping and deploying significant numbers of troops, reinforcing its fortresses, guarding the frontier along the Panaro and preparing to cooperate militarily with the Imperial forces operating against the Papal States.
THE ARMY OF THE DUCHY OF MODENA
Having set out the necessary historical background, we must now turn to the most difficult part: determining the actual composition of the Army of the Duchy of Modena.
To do so, following the methodological approach outlined above, it is necessary to begin from a number of investigative and deductive principles:
- Before the occupation of 1702, a ducal army was already in existence.
- During the French occupation, the Modenese military system was not dismantled, but continued to remain in existence.
- With the Duke’s return, the army developed in continuity with the pre-existing military establishment, both because of immediate practical necessities and because of the need to reorganise it as rapidly as possible.
- No substantial changes were introduced before 1740; consequently, information relating to the Modenese military establishment up to that date may, with due caution, also be considered applicable to the period of the War of the Spanish Succession.
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