Recruitment Flashcards
why was recruitment important going into the Napoleonic Wars?
Britain was to fight a long and difficult war against a strong French Army
why were there a lack of recruits in the British armed forces in 1700s?
the industrial revolution had begun and many young men were drawn to the industrial cities where work was in plentiful supply
why was conscription not used in the Napoleonic Wars?
the British people would not support a government which would introduce conscription
so the government did not employ it
what were the three methods of recruitment?
press gangs
quota system
recruiting sergeant
what was impressment?
forcing someone to join a ship as a member of the crew
who were ‘recruited’ by press gangs?
landsmen and seamen
however for their experience, seamen were preffered
what was the main source of recruits for press gangs?
merchant ships
captains would swap the best and most experienced merchant sailor with a landsman
how would merchant ship captains prevent their best sailors from being impressed?
by hiding them in Ireland
or constructing hiding places for their best crewmen
what was the quota system?
each county had to provide a set number of volunteers based on the size of the county and number of ports
when would criminals recruited by the Royal Navy?
when a county could not meet the quota of volunteers
why was recruiting criminals a negative for the Royal Navy?
too many criminals would reduce the efficiency of a ship
how much of the Royal Navy’s crews were made from pressed men by 1805?
50%
how did the army carry out recruitment?
through an army sergeant
each army regiment had one
which regiments found it easier to recruit men and why?
Guards
Household Cavalry
were the most prestigious regiments which brought in many volunteers
what ways did a recruiting sergeant recruit men?
would get a recruit drunk and get them to take the King’s shilling
by portraying a sense of adventure in the Army as well as it being well-paid steady employment (not)
what was the King’s shilling?
a symbolic coin which was a legally binding indication that a man had volunteered to serve in the army
why were alcoholics drawn to the Army?
offered a daily ration of rum or gin
how were criminal courts a good source of new recruits for the Army?
recruiting sergeants would pay men’s fines if they agreed to join the army
judges were happy to allow criminals to be taken by the army as it removed criminals from the local area
what were the problems with impressment?
led to the armed forces being composed of unwilling men who had no desire to fight in war
the French armed forces, whose men were patriotic and passionate, had much higher moral and better performances on land
also pressed men were more likely to be disobedient and ill disciplined so harsh punishment was needed
what was the public view on floggings and branding?
they were seen as barbaric
political pressure was put on for them to be abolished
when was impressment, in practice, ended in the navy?
1815
what happened to the Royal Navy after 1815?
there were too many seamen for times of peace
many crews were released and only officers were retained
normal servicemen were dismissed and replaced by newer recruits
which branch of the armed forces attracted more volunteers?
the Royal Navy
why did the Royal Navy attract more volunteers?
prestige
terms and conditions
prestige in RN
the RN was seen as the most successful branch of the armed forces
referred to as the ‘senior service’
concept that Britain ruled the waves attracted many volunteers
terms and conditions
the RN had higher pay and a pension
better all round conditions compared to the army
when was the Royal Navy reserve created?
1859
what was the purpose of the Royal Navy reserve?
to provide a force which could be drafted into the RN in wartime
what methods of recruitment were used between the Napoleonic Wars and WW1?
specialist recruiters
print media
improvement to terms and conditions
specialist recruits
recruiting sergeants continued to tour the countryside for recruits
recruiters were given their own regional offices in towns which were open to the public
specialist recruiters replaced press gangs to recruit for the navy
the print media
as the literacy rate increased, printed material became a useful source of recruitment
local press were used by regiments to target their local area
improved technology led to the use of large coloured posters which portrayed an attractive army lifestyle with strong slogans
terms and conditions
major reforms were introduced to the armed forces to encourage men to join up
general view of a man in uniform also changed
- British soldier was associated with the growth of the British Empire
- patriotism and the need for expansion led to many men joining the BA
what reforms made life in the armed forces more attractive?
abolishment of punishment
Localisation Act
pension after 21 years
introduction of medals and valours
all made the army more attractive for men
what made recruitment easier in the armed forces?
the level of poverty in regions of Britain
economic factors largely dictated the level of recruitment
why were Irish regiments full of recruits?
there was heavy poverty in Ireland
why were rural regiments struggling to find recruits?
increasing wealth in the cities led to many rural families moving to the cities for work at factories
how large was the BEF going into WW1?
100,000
not nearly enough for a continental war
what did the armed forces undertake in the first months of the war?
a major recruitment drive to bring in more volunteers
examples of recruitment methods used in WW1
Pals’ battalions
the Derby scheme
introduction of conscription
Pal’s battalions
men were more encouraged to join up if they were able to be in the same regiment as colleagues or friends (schools, workers, sports teams)
this led to Pals’ battalions forming which brought in a major influx of men
why were the Pals’ battalions stopped?
had a devastating effect on local areas
when a single Pals’ battalion was wiped out, most of the men who died came from the same area in Britain
moral destroying for civilians (loved ones back home)
the Derby Scheme
every man aged between 18-41 had to promise to enlist if needed
they would make this promise in front of veterans and mothers of soldiers at the front - guilt tripping
how many of the single men in Britain made the promise?
40%
why was the Derby Scheme a failure?
failed to have a major impact on numbers at the front
many men got married which meant that they were not prioritised for enlistment compared to single men
when was the Military Service Act passed?
27 January 1916
what was the Military Service Act?
CONSCRIPTION
all single men were to be called up to fight
was conscription successful?
it did not produce MASSIVE numbers
it instead provided a stream of fresh recruits who could replenish lost troops at the fronts
how many men were conscripted in 1916?
1.1 million
by the end of the war, how many men had been conscripted?
2.5 million
how many applications for exemption?
750,000
which industrial workers were exempted from conscription?
munitions
mining sector
clergymen
teachers
