Experience Of Wafare 1700-1900

Question 1

Recruitment in the beginning (1700) (3)

Answer 1

• Soon became apparent that the Tudor militia system was jot effective
• Standing army was paid
• More men ‘pressed’ or forced to serve

Question 2

Continuity of recruitment throughout 1700-1900 (4)

Answer 2

• Standing army created by 1700 and not much change over the next 150 years
• Pay remained the main incentive - men sometimes recruited in inns and during wartime criminals and debtors released from prison to join
• Standard of recruits was poor as a result
• Militia act 1757 (parish lists of men 18-50) could be used to pick men for 5 years service

Question 3

Change of recruitment throughout 1700-1900 (3)

Answer 3

• By 1850s big problems with recruitment - the crimean war exposed major problems, particularly with the quality of officers
• Cardwell reforms made the army more professional - length of service lowered, reorganisation of regiments into local regions helped male the army more attractive
• Conditions also improved (rations improved flogging ended) and purchase of commission ended so officers were promoted on merit

Question 4

Training in the beginning (1700) (2)

Answer 4

• Training improved in civil wars with the New Model Army - was paid regularly, trained by successful soldiers
• New Model Army also continued to stand even after the war finished (1651-58) and played more of a role in politics than any army beforehand

Question 5

Continuity of training (1700-1900)

Answer 5

Attitudes in society prevented change in training - Those in command thought that weapons training was a simple thing that could be left to individual officers so no overall policy

Question 6

Change of training (1700-1900) (3)

Answer 6

• Manuals and Regulations issued in early 1700s but jot widely used
• Royal Military Academy established in Woolwich in 1741 and the Rotal Military College at Sandhurst set up in 1800
• Many more training opportunities for cadets, officers and trainers gave the army a more professional feel by 1900

Question 7

Provisions in the beginning (1700)

Answer 7

Free Quarter - armies would force communities to feed and house troops and would leave a signed receipt - almost never paid but the NMA normally did

Question 8

Continuity of provisions (1700-1900)

Answer 8

Requisitioning still sometimes necessary (e.g ships often used to transport troops)

Question 9

Change of provisions (1700-1900)

Answer 9

After the awful management of supplies during the Crimean war of 1850s, changes were made to make supplying the army more professional - War Office took control of all supplies

Question 10

Experience of civilians in the beginning (1700) (2)

Answer 10

• Civil war had big influence on English civilians amount of fighting on home soil
• More damage done to crops/houses during the civil war (about 55,000 madd homeless)

Question 11

Continuity of experience of civilians (3) (1700-1900)

Answer 11

• Militia act still unpopular as men forced to sign up
• Requisitioning of wagons etc remained unpopular
• Taxation still a burden that increased in war time

Question 12

Change of experience of civilians (4) (1700-1900)

Answer 12

• Impact on civilians 1700-1900 relatively minor compared to experience of the Civil war in the 1600s
• No physical impact of war on civilians 1850-1900
• But increased press coverage made people more aware of war and more politically more aware and active
• News of warfare prompted changes in attitudes in society from increased Imperialism/Jingoism in some to pacifism in others

Question 13

Reporting and photography (4)

Answer 13

• 1815 (Waterloo) the rimes circulation was 5000 by 1850 it was 50,000
• Many more provincial papers by 1850
• Russel wrote many reports on Crimea in the Times and Fenton photographed battlefield. Both of these men bought the Crimean war ‘home’ to make people more aware of war
• Press coverage of Boer war (1899-1902) further increased the public’s awareness