British experience of war breadth sections

By the war of Spanish succession (1701-1714), Britain’s armed forces were raised by government rather than gentlemen and paid by taxation. Companies 100 men formed from platoons of 25 men, battalions of companies, then brigades and divisions. The French subsumed divisions into corps but the British would not follow suit until WW1.

McNeill-Tulloch report— most Dong of diease, lack of fresh food vegetables, 4th and Lifht divisions badly supplied, not full daily food ration, camp kettles mislaid and not replaced, officers good example, 10th December 1854 lime juice unloaded but not distributed until February 1855, 40% of horses died 1854-55, rlreplacent clothes slow to arrive, short of medicine. October 1858 warrant for more army control of commissaries, caused scandal, Army set up its own Chelsea Board to try and de-emphasise the damning findings of the report. Richard Airey came home, demanded enquiry to clear his name, Horse Guards given less independence, Wellington had died in 1852 and was a key advocate of independence for high command, government ministers would now reform army rather than monarch and generals.

Cardwell secretary for war 1868. Germans had put 400,000 men in field against Austrians, Britain’S whole standing army was just under 100,000. In 1837 the cheapest rank, of ensign,cost £450 (cf a farm worker earned £30-40 a year). 1868 no flogging I peacetime, 1871 no branding. Canada, Aus and NZ responsibility for own security. 1871 26,000 overseas servicemen. 1870 bounty money abolished, sergeants less inclined to trick men into the army. 1871 purchase of commission abolished, with much resistance from generals. August 1870 to pay for 20,000 troops the army voted an extra £2m. 1871 Chesney’s novel “The Battle of Dorking” raised fears of German invasion of Britain further, regional regiments based on German succees, CW Wilson’s ultimatum on Prussian bravery at Spicheren

. Army Enlistment (Short Service) Act 1870, six years regular, six years reserve service, 4d a day in reserves and short training each year, would enter regular army I wartime. 21 years service resulted in a pension bonus. 1871 Regulation of the Forcss Act, each regiment to be more clearly linked to area, “general service” gotten rid of. Two regular battalions of each foot regiment, two reservist (3 I Ireland). Soldiers would serve up to ½ time in their local area.

Mid-1870s as economy slowed the recruitment issue was gradually resolved. 1890s pressure in N. Africa and India led to reintroduction of bounty money, now payable to soldiers themselves. Pay still low, private wages same as rural labourers, almost ¾ pay claimed back as “stoppages”. Tory  government of 1874 did not reintroduce purchase of commission.

1807 silvery abolished, Royal Navy new task of enforcing this ban in the Empire. 1817 only 13 battleships still on active duty, over 100 during the Napoleonic Wars.

Shift towards “gunboat diplomacy”; Algiers bombarded 1816, Acre 1840, retaliation for acts against British interests,  1827 Ottomans destroyed at Navarino for a more favourable balance of power In Mediterranean through an independent Greece, Fleet in the Tagus…