Chasseur
type of light infantry or light cavalry that originated in France during the 18th century
Chasseur ( shass-UR, French: [ʃasœʁ] ), a French term for "hunter", is the designation given to certain regiments of French and Belgian light infantry (chasseurs à pied) or light cavalry (chasseurs à cheval) to denote troops trained for rapid action.
History
This branch of the French Army originated during the War of the Austrian Succession when, in 1743, Jean Chrétien Fischer was authorized by the Marshal de Belle-Isle to raise a 600-strong mixed force of infantry and cavalry. It was called Chasseurs de Fischer. During the remainder of the 18th century various types of light troops (troupes légères) were employed within the French army, either as independent units or as companies within existing regiments. In 1788, there were 8 battalions of chasseurs, and in March 1793 this was expanded to 21 battalions. The first battalions of Chasseurs raised by 1788 included:
(1st) Chasseurs Royaux de Provence
(2nd) Chasseurs Royaux de Dauphiné
(3rd) Chasseurs Royaux Corses (Corsican)
(4th) Chasseurs Corses (Corsican)
(5th) Chasseurs Cantabres (Cantabrian)
(6th) Chasseurs Bretons
(7th) Chasseurs d'Auvergne
(8th) Chasseurs des Vosges
(9th) Chasseurs des Cévennes
(10th) Chasseurs du Gèvaudan
(11th) Chasseurs des Ardennes
(12th) Chasseurs du Roussillon
Chasseurs à pied
The chasseurs à pied were the light infantrymen of the French Imperial army. They were armed the same as their counterparts in the regular line infantry (fusilier) battalions, but were trained to excel in marksmanship and in executing manoeuvres at high speed. From 1840, they wore a long-skirted frock coat. After 1850, however the chasseurs adopted a uniform consisting of a short frock coat with slits in the sides on the bottom edge to allow for better freedom of movement than the previous design. They also wore light blue baggy trousers (in contrast to the red of the line infantry)
tucked into jambières (leather gaiters).
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Chasseur” is type of light infantry or light cavalry that originated in France during the 18th century. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Chasseur, type and light, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “type of light infantry or light cavalry that originated in France during the 18th century” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1427705. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1743, 1788, 1793 and 1840.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Chasseur”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Chasseur primary sources, Chasseur archive and Chasseur research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Chasseur”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Chasseur” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.