Conscription in the Napoleonic Era This edited volume explores conscription in the Napoleonic era, tracing the roots of European conscription and exploring the many methods that states used to obtain the manpower they needed to prosecute their wars. The levée en masse of the French Revolution has often been cited as a “Revolution in Military Affairs,” but was it truly a “revolutionary” break with past European practices of raising armies, or an intensification of the scope and scale of practices already inherent in the European military system? This international collection of scholars demonstrate that European conscription has far deeper roots than has been previously acknowledged, and that its intensification during the Napoleonic era was more an “evolu- tionary” than “revolutionary” change. This book will be of much interest to students of Military History, Stra- tegic Studies, Strategic History and European History. Donald Stoker is Professor of Strategy and Policy for the US Naval War College’s Monterey Program in Monterey, California. Frederick C. Schneid is Professor of History at High Point University. Harold D. Blanton is Professor of Strategy and Policy and Associate Chairman of the US Naval War College’s Monterey Program. Cass military studies Intelligence Activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Ancient Rome Second World War Trust in the gods, but verify Enver Redzic Rose Mary Sheldon Leaders in War Clausewitz and African War West Point Remembers the 1991 Politics and strategy in Liberia Gulf War and Somalia Edited by Frederick Kagan and Isabelle Duyvesteyn Christian Kubik Strategy and Politics in the Khedive Ismail’s Army Middle East, 1954–60 John Dunn Defending the northern tier Michael Cohen Yugoslav Military Industry 1918–1991 The Cuban Intervention in Amadeo Watkins Angola, 1965–1991 From Che Guevara to Corporal Hitler and the Great Cuito Cuanavale War 1914–1918 Edward George The List Regiment John Williams Military Leadership in the British Civil Wars, 1642–1651 Rostóv in the Russian Civil War, ‘The genius of this age’ 1917–1920 Stanley Carpenter The key to victory Brian Murphy Israel’s Reprisal Policy, 1953–1956 The Tet Effect, Intelligence and The dynamics of military retaliation the Public Perception of War Ze’ev Drory Jake Blood The US Military Profession into Gender and the Military the 21st Century Women in the armed forces of War, peace and politics western democracies Edited by Sam C. Sarkesian and Helena Carreiras Robert E. Connor, Jr. Social Sciences and the Military Civil–Military Relations in An interdisciplinary overview Europe Edited by Giuseppe Caforio Learning from crisis and institutional change Cultural Diversity in the Armed Edited by Hans Born, Forces Marina Caparini, Karl Haltiner and An international comparison Jürgen Kuhlmann Edited by Joseph Soeters and Jan van der Meulen Strategic Culture and Ways of War Railways and the Russo-Japanese Lawrence Sondhaus War Transporting war Military Unionism in the Felix Patrikeeff and Harold Shukman Post Cold War Era A future reality? War and Media Operations Edited by Richard Bartle and The US military and the press from Lindy Heinecken Vietnam to Iraq Thomas Rid Warriors and Politicians U.S. civil–military relations Ancient China on under stress Postmodern War Charles A. Stevenson Enduring ideas from the Chinese strategic tradition Military Honour and the Thomas Kane Conduct of War From Ancient Greece to Iraq Special Forces, Terrorism and Paul Robinson Strategy Warfare by other means Military Industry and Regional Alasdair Finlan Defense Policy India, Iraq and Israel Imperial Defence, 1856–1956 Timothy D. Hoyt The old world order Greg Kennedy Managing Defence in a Democracy Civil–Military Cooperation in Edited by Laura R. Cleary and Post-Conflict Operations Teri McConville Emerging theory and practice Christopher Ankersen Military Advising and Assistance The Military and Domestic From mercenaries to privatization, Politics 1815–2007 A concordance theory of Donald Stoker civil-military relations Rebecca L. Schiff Private Military and Security Companies Conscription in the Ethics, policies and civil–military Napoleonic Era relations A revolution in military affairs? Edited by Andrew Alexandra, Edited by Donald Stoker, Deane-Peter Baker and Frederick C. Schneid and Marina Caparini Harold D. Blanton Military Cooperation in Multinational Peace Operations Managing cultural diversity and crisis response Edited by Joseph Soeters and Philippe Manigart Conscription in the Napoleonic Era A revolution in military affairs? Edited by Donald Stoker, Frederick C. Schneid and Harold D. Blanton First published 2009 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2008. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2009 Selection and editorial matter Donald Stoker, Frederick C. Schneid and Harold D. Blanton; individual chapters, the contributors All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN 0-203-67404-9 Master e-book ISBN ISBN10: 0-415-34999-0 (hbk) ISBN10: 0-203-67404-9 (ebk) ISBN13: 978-0-415-34999-4 (hbk) ISBN13: 978-0-203-67404-8 (ebk) Dedicated to: Paul G. Halpern Donald D. Horward Jan K. Tanenbaum and Gunther E. Rothenberg – Mentors and historians Contents List of tables xi Notes on contributors xii 1 Introduction 1 FREDERICK C. SCHNEID 2 Conscription in France during the era of Napoleon 6 HAROLD D. BLANTON 3 Meeting the French challenge: conscription in Prussia, 1807–1815 24 DIERK WALTER 4 Conscription in Russia in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries: “for faith, Tsar and Motherland” 46 ALEXANDER MIKABERIDZE 5 Conscription in the Habsburg Empire to 1815 66 ARTHUR MARK BOERKE 6 The recruitment of seamen for the British Navy, 1793–1815: “Why don’t you raise more men?” 84 KEVIN MCCRANIE 7 Conscription in Spain in the Napoleonic era 102 CHARLES J. ESDAILE