Can someone suggest a German or English dictionary (have two French Dictionnaires Militaire: 1745 and 1758) giving an "old-style" definition of "partisan"? That is, a definition that does not default to "guerrillas" in Spain, but discusses "partisans" in what might call the "classic" sense? Thanks in advance.
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In my Dictionnare of the year 8 - French German I found this.
Partisan : ein Anhänger; einer der es mit jemandes Partey hält, (Kriegsw.) ein Parteygänger, it. ehem., ein Pachter der königlichen Einkünfte.So evidently not only restricted to the military - Partei (or old) Parteygänger - already in use in the 30 YW - or even earlier.
Partisan Warfare/Le Petite Guerre
Along with Ewald’s two books, the following might be useful regarding partisans and partisan operations:
-Mes Reveries by Maurice de Saxe, Volume I:
https://books.google.com/books?id=YA8OAAAAQAAJ&pg=PR89&dq=Mes+reveries&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj3-cSA_8zqAhUlnOAKHbqcBmMQ6AEwAXoECAMQAg#v=onepage&q=Mes%20reveries&f=false
-Essai sur l’art de la guerre by L. Turpin de Crisse:
Volume I:
https://books.google.com/books?id=GA8OAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=essai+sur+l%27art+de+la+guerre&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiY0a3Ggc3qAhXtTN8KHZO0DgkQuwUwAHoECAEQCA#v=onepage&q=essai%20sur%20l'art%20de%20la%20guerre&f=false
Volume II:
https://books.google.com/books?id=8iheAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA78&dq=essai+sur+l%27art+de+la+guerre&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiY0a3Ggc3qAhXtTN8KHZO0DgkQ6AEwA3oECAMQAg#v=onepage&q=essai%20sur%20l'art%20de%20la%20guerre&f=false
-La Petite Guerre, ou Traite du service des troupes legeres en Campagna by M. Grandmaison:
https://books.google.com/books?id=uX3wB4F-UTEC&pg=PA29&dq=La+Petite+Guerre,+ou+Traite+du+service+des+troupes+legeres+en+Campagna&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjp4a6Vg83qAhXhm-AKHYO-BskQuwUwAnoECAEQCQ#v=onepage&q=La%20Petite%20Guerre%2C%20ou%20Traite%20du%20service%20des%20troupes%20legeres%20en%20Campagna&f=false
-Le Partisan, ou l’art de faire la petite guerre by DE Jeney:
https://books.google.com/books?id=L-lXAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Le+Partisan,+ou+l%E2%80%99art+de+faire+la+petite+guerre&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjTvcvgg83qAhXCJt8KHTHtDe4QuwUwAHoECAUQCA#v=onepage&q=Le%20Partisan%2C%20ou%20l%E2%80%99art%20de%20faire%20la%20petite%20guerre&f=false
-Simcoe’s Military Journal. A History of a Partisan Corps call the Queen’s Rangers by JG Simcoe:
https://books.google.com/books?id=u8hIlmum4DcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Simcoe%E2%80%99s+Military+Journal.++A+History+of+a+Partisan+Corps+call+the+Queen%E2%80%99s+Rangers&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj88-fahM3qAhWkT98KHadrBpAQ6AEwAHoECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=Simcoe%E2%80%99s%20Military%20Journal.%20%20A%20History%20of%20a%20Partisan%20Corps%20call%20the%20Queen%E2%80%99s%20Rangers&f=false
It is also noteworthy to add that the Continental Army of the War of the Revolution organized and employed partisan legions, the most effective being that commanded by Henry ‘Light Horse Harry’ Lee. Lee’s Legion was employed to work with partisans, such as Francis Marion’s, as well as in line of battle with the Continentals. Lee’s unit was a Continental unit, and was not militia.
A Japanese gentleman named Parti?
Partisan
From A Military Dictionary, Explaining and Describing, The Technical Terms,, Works and Machines Used in The Science of War. 1780.
Von Ewald refers to partisans as those adept at la petite guerre. For example on p. 108 of his Treatise Upon the Duties of Light Troops in a section titled "Of the Duties of a Light Corps when marching against the Enemy" he writes "There is no profession more thankless than that of a partisan, however well his word may sound in the ear of a young officer; for though an officer may have served as such during ten campaigns with the greatest eclat, and should be unfortunate in the eleventh, his hard earned fame is at once blasted and forgotten. For instance, Colonel Rall, who by his skill and acknowledged bravery had in the seven years war gained the confidence of several generals of the allied army, lost by the one act of negligence, his reputation and his life at Trenton, and that merely owing to his contempt of the enemy."
Best regards,
Terry
On my website (Bastille - Waterloo) I added a few more entries from old encyclopdia. Mind that in german, the weapon is named Partisane.
The OED includes a number of definitions for the noun--and the adjective--in a political, social, and military sense, as well as a history of the word beginning circa 1550.
If you don't have an individual subscription for the on-line version, you can piggyback through your local library or university if either has a subscription.
Absolutely indispensable is the OED!