A History Of The British Army 1763 1793

Author : Chris Chilcott
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 204 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (778 download)

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Download or read book 'a Killing a Day' written by Chris Chilcott and published by . This book was released on 2020-08-23 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the British army of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars soldiers of many ranks and backgrounds were hungry, dressed in sometimes tattered uniforms and slept in the open. Looking after soldiers also went beyond food and uniform, or even guns and tents. They required chaplains, medical services and education, and what of the wives and children who followed them even as they deployed overseas? This had implication for resources and ultimately strategy and would form a keystone in plans to oppose a French invasion. How to maintain the army was a vital question for early nineteenth century Britain. The answer was defined by events that occurred 200 years earlier and have continued into the present day. This a story not of what was carried out to supply the army but what was not and the impact of this on soldiers and strategy. Chapters: 'A system created from fear': events in the seventeenth century had a profound impact on the British state and also its relationship with the army. This would have significant consequences for the systems used to supply the force. 'The Treasury goes to war': the activities of the Commissariat. This was the main organisation responsible for supplying the army but despite being deployed on campaign was a civilian organisation. The Commissariat had a massive task but would not prove able to meet the challenge. 'Third in line': supplying the army with guns, uniform and accommodation. The army found itself in direct competition with the Royal Navy and allied armies for many of its needs and the industrial and financial strength of Britain would be stretched to its limit. 'From A to B: Transport': the Royal Wagon Train did not even exist prior to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. By 1815 it had grown considerably from humble origins but was not the sole organisation responsible for operating wagons, horses and mules in the army. There was to be a constant battle for resources and the support of Spanish and Portuguese personnel would prove vital to British logistics in Spain and Portugal. 'A moral dimension': Not everything required by the army could be put on a wagon. Medical, chaplain and education services would all be a vital part of life for soldiers. The necessity to meet the needs of the families of soldiers on campaign would prove to be a success for the system in the period. Counties versus Napoleon: English counties, logistics and plans to resist an invasion. Supply was at the heart of plans to resist a French invasion. Many freedoms and liberties were to be sacrificed, property requisitioned and whole communities evacuated to halt a French invasion