The French army 1750–1820 by Rafe Blaufarb

Author:Rafe Blaufarb [Blaufarb, Rafe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, France, Military, Wars & Conflicts (Other), Social History, Modern, General
ISBN: 9781526158901
Google: BbgYEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Published: 2021-02-02T01:03:34+00:00

Factionalism and republican military reorganization

Ridding the military of institutions linked to the social and political practices of the old order was only the first step on the path of republican military reform. More difficult was the task of providing the military profession with new structures not only consonant with the egalitarian and democratic principles of the new polity, but also capable of providing the Republic with the means of preserving itself from internal and external threats. And, as if balancing the demands of ideological purity with those of military necessity were not enough of a challenge, the Convention had to undertake this task while in the throes of a bitter factional struggle between Girondins and Montagnards for control of the state.

While it is axiomatic that, in revolutions, the organization of the armed forces is never politically neutral, this was never more evident than during the Convention’s consideration of comprehensive republican military reform. Adopted in the Montagnard-dominated war committee on 1 February 1793 and presented to the full legislature six days later by its principal author, Dubois-Crancé, the plan called for two dramatic changes: the unification of the volunteer battalions with those of the former royal army – in new units called demi-brigades, to be composed of two volunteer and one regular battalion – and the creation of a new system of advancement – reserving two-thirds of promotion to a democratic form of election and the remaining one-third to a redefined notion of seniority.32 These radical proposals provoked two weeks of heated debate which pitted notable Montagnards, led by Dubois-Crancé and Saint-Just, against prominent Girondin orators. The factional coloration of the debate suggests that more was at stake in the proposed reorganization than just the ideological and military consequences of unification and electoral advancement. Rather what hinged on these specific points of republican military reform was control of the army, the state, and, ultimately, the course of the Revolution. Even in the face of foreign invasion and civil war, it was the life-or-death struggle between Girondins and Montagnards that most strongly determined the precise manner in which general republican ideals would be translated into concrete military institutions.

Debate in the full Convention began on 7 February with a discussion of the proposed unification of the volunteers with the former royal army, an operation that would come to be known as the amalgame33 The Montagnards argued that this measure was both militarily and politically necessary. From a military perspective, the existing fragmentation of French forces into hundreds of battalions generated intolerable confusion. Administrative oversight had broken down, corruption was rife, magazines were empty, and critical locations on the frontier were undefended. Thanks to recent levies, the Republic did not lack defenders. But scattered across France in over 600 disparate units – volunteer battalions, regular régiments, free companies, legions, and others – they lacked cohesion and uniformity. Indeed, even the war ministry had no clear idea of the number and nature of the forces at its disposal. To regain control over this anarchic situation, it was necessary to carry out a general recensement and reorganizaton.

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