The first flags and standards carried by early infantry regiments of Margraviate of Brandenburg (early Brandenburg) usually had a red eagle on them, but soon after Brandenburg became a united kingdom and was known as Prussia, the eagle color was changed to black, although, one of the highest awards a Prussian could receive continued to be the "Order of the Red Eagle."

The name grenadier was given to a specialized soldier who threw grenades during assaults. Normally grenadiers were chosen from the strongest and largest soldiers, but Prussian grenadiers were selected for their toughness, reliability and experience rather than size. In times of war, four grenadier companies formed a grenadier battalion of about 700 men. The grenadiers were often used in the most hazardous of tasks and to spearhead assaults.

This regiment was founded as a single battalion regiment for the Prince of Kurland in 1683. In 1685 it was extended with a second battalion. The prince died in one of the sieges of Budapest and so his brother Prince Ferdinand became the regiment. In 1689 he left the Prussian service, and in 1690 the regiment was split. One battalion became the new number 16, and the other continued under Von Heyden. In 1703 it went into Dutch service. That year the erbprinz of Hessen-Kassel (later king of Sweden) became the regiment. It returned to Prussian service in 1713. In 1715 Frederic of Hessen-Kassel became its colonel.

The 19th regiment was established in 1702 by the merging of two companies of already existing regiments - Nos. 4,6,7 and 12 and additional staff from other units.

The typical Prussian infantry regiment of the time was made up of two battalions of six companies each, five of which were musketeers or fusiliers and the sixth were grenadiers. In time of war the two grenadier companies in a regiment would leave their parent organization and join with two from another regiment to form a grenadier battalion of about 700 men. As in all armies the grenadiers were expected to be the best of the infantry, often used in the most hazardous of tasks or to spearhead an assault.

The 27th Infantry Regiment regiment was initially composed of German soldiers formerly in the Swedish service and taken prisoner during the Pomeranian campaign. During the War of the Austrian Succession, the regiment took part in the battles of Mollwitz, Chotusitz, and Kesseldorf. During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was one of the first to enter into Saxony in 1756 and faught at the Battle of Lobositz, in 1757 it took part in the invasion of Bohemia and faught at the Battle of Prague, and the Battle of Breslau where it suffered heavily causities, then at the Battle of Leuthen, where its remaining battalion (the First Battalion) was deployed in the vanguard which successfully attacked the Austrian left flank. It was with Fredrick when he contained the Russian invasion of Brandenburg at the Battle of Zorndorf. During the war the grenadiers from the wing grenadier companies were put together with the grenadiers of the Hülsen Infantry forming the Grenadier Batallion 21/27

The 32th Infantry Regimentunit was first formed as a fusilier regiment, and during the War of the Austrian Succession it initially garrisoned Fort Preußen on the left bank of the Neiße. In 1745, the unit was transformed into a line musketeer regiment and took part in the Battles of Radun and Ratibor. During the Seven Years' War, the regiment served with the army of Silesia and took part in the Battle of Prague. In 1758, the regiment was part of the army of King Frederick II which invaded Moravia. In 1759, the regiment served in Pomerania against the Russians taking part in the Battle of Paltzig where it suffered heavy losses and was reduced to a single battalion. It went on to served in Saxony, taking part to the victorious action of Korbitz. In 1760, the regiment was garrisoned at the fortress of Schweidnitz where it was captured when the fortress fell.

The regiment was raised on June 28 1740 for Prince Ferdinand, Frederick II's younger brother. During the War of the Austrian Succession, it marched on Moravia, and fought at the battle of Chotusitz. In 1744, the regiment covered Berlin and in 1745 took part to the Battle of Kesselsdorf. During the Seven Years' War, in 1756 the 34th took part in the invasion of Saxony, in 1757 it took part in invasion of Bohemia where it faught at the Battle of Prague, later in the Battles of Breslau and Leuthen. In 1758, the regiment took part in the invasion of Moravia and the unsuccessful siege of Olmütz. On October 14, it fought in the Battle of Hochkirch 1760, and later took part in the Battle of Liegnitz where it suffered heavy losses. In October of 1761, the regiment was transferred to the Pomeranian theatre of operation where it took part to the defence of Schweidnitz.

The Black Eagle Order (Hoher Orden vom Schwarzen Adler) was established by Friedrich's grandfather King Friedrich I on the day just before his coronation, it was not dedicated to units, but only to Prussian knights. Maybe the chain was added in 1750, when Colonel Johann Friedrich von Kreytzen became commander of the regiment, for he is the only knight of the order and commander of the regiment during the times of King Friedrich the Great.

Fusiliers were the normal light infantry of the Prussian army. Fusilier was originally the name of a soldier armed with a light flintlock musket called the fusil (French for flintlock). The word was first used in the 1600s, and later came to be a regimental designation.