3.2 Britain and French wars 1793 - 1815
Facing the French threat on land 1793 - 1815
The British army
Defeat in the American revolutionary War (1775-83) tarnished British Army’s
image
Problem of recruitment
- France which had a system of conscription, was able to muster armies of
hundreds of thousands.
- Britain could not match such numbers. 1793 its army amounted to 40,000
men. Britains regular soldiers were volunteers
- Finding the requisite manpower was difficult because army pay was poor &
discipline harsh
Army officers
- Traditionally most officers were from the landed gentry. Rich fathers bought
sons an ensign’s commission. The sons the bought promotions as vacancies
appeared.
- Wealth mattered more than talent. However the purchase system’s impact
can be exaggerated:
• Commissions were not purchased in the Royal Artillery or the Royal
Engineers
• The Duke of York introduced reforms ensuring that officers had to
serve 2 years before they could purchase a captaincy & 6 years be-
fore they could become a major
• Many officers led efficiently & courageously
The army conscription
• The army comprised 3 main branches 1. Cavalry 2. Infantry 3. Artillery
• By 1808 Britain had 20 cavalry regiments, I theory comprising some 900
men. However regiments on campaign rarely mustered more than 650 men
• By 1808 Britain had 103 infantry regiments. Most comprised 2 battalions. 1
battalion served abroad the other at home. The 1st battalion had about 950
officers & men, but disease + casualties meant that battalions often went
into battle with 550 men. The infantry’s, main weapon was the brown bess
musket which was only accurate up to 100 yards. Even experienced soldiers
could rarely fire more than 3 shots a minute.
• The French invariably attacked in columns often 170 men wide & 24 ranks
deep. While columns were an awesome spectacle only the frost 2 ranks could
fire. Columns therefore rarely broke through a British line
Facing the French threat on land 1793 - 1815
The British army
Defeat in the American revolutionary War (1775-83) tarnished British Army’s
image
Problem of recruitment
- France which had a system of conscription, was able to muster armies of
hundreds of thousands.
- Britain could not match such numbers. 1793 its army amounted to 40,000
men. Britains regular soldiers were volunteers
- Finding the requisite manpower was difficult because army pay was poor &
discipline harsh
Army officers
- Traditionally most officers were from the landed gentry. Rich fathers bought
sons an ensign’s commission. The sons the bought promotions as vacancies
appeared.
- Wealth mattered more than talent. However the purchase system’s impact
can be exaggerated:
• Commissions were not purchased in the Royal Artillery or the Royal
Engineers
• The Duke of York introduced reforms ensuring that officers had to
serve 2 years before they could purchase a captaincy & 6 years be-
fore they could become a major
• Many officers led efficiently & courageously
The army conscription
• The army comprised 3 main branches 1. Cavalry 2. Infantry 3. Artillery
• By 1808 Britain had 20 cavalry regiments, I theory comprising some 900
men. However regiments on campaign rarely mustered more than 650 men
• By 1808 Britain had 103 infantry regiments. Most comprised 2 battalions. 1
battalion served abroad the other at home. The 1st battalion had about 950
officers & men, but disease + casualties meant that battalions often went
into battle with 550 men. The infantry’s, main weapon was the brown bess
musket which was only accurate up to 100 yards. Even experienced soldiers
could rarely fire more than 3 shots a minute.
• The French invariably attacked in columns often 170 men wide & 24 ranks
deep. While columns were an awesome spectacle only the frost 2 ranks could
fire. Columns therefore rarely broke through a British line
