Page "Swiss mercenaries" Paragraph 22

At the outbreak of the French Revolution the Swiss troops were, as foreigners, considered more reliable than their French counterparts in a time of civil unrest.

Accordingly Swiss regiments made up a significant proportion of the royal troops summoned to Paris by Louis XVI in early July of 1789.

A detachment of Swiss grenadiers from the Salis-Samade Regiment was sent to reinforce the garrison of the Bastille prison shortly before it is was besieged by the mob.

The Swiss and other royal troops were subsequently withdrawn to their frontier garrisons.

Another Swiss regiment, the Chateauvieux, played a major part in the Nancy affair ( mutiny ) of 1790 and 23 of its soldiers were executed, after trial by their own Swiss officers.

The Swiss Guard however remained loyal to the last and was massacred on August 10, 1792, dying to protect Louis XVI when the mob attacked the Tuileries Palace, although the king had already fled.

The eleven Swiss regiments of line infantry were disbanded the same year with the unemployed rank and file mostly returning to Switzerland.