Recruitment and training 1700-1900 Flashcards
What was the 1870 army act?
Length of Enlistment changed – 12 years total (6 in the army, 6 in the reserves).
Reserves were paid a daily rate of 4d (pence, around 75p in todays money) and did annual retraining.
At the end of 12 years soldiers could resign or reenlist and receive a pension at the end of their service.
What was the 1871 regularisation of the forces act?
Regiments were reorganised into regions with local barracks.
All regiments had two linked battalions – one serving abroad and one domestically.
A third battalion would be the local militia.
Who was William Gladstone?
A liberal prime minster on four occasions in this country. Is known for for favouring equality of opportunity, free trade and a “hands off” approach to government.
Who was Edward Cardwell?
Politician in one of Gladstone’s ministries and is best known for being the secretary state of war. He passed acts to make the army more professional and his goal was to centralise power of the War Office, abolish purchase of officers’ commissions, and to create reserve forces stationed in Britain by establishing short terms of service for enlisted men.
What was meritocracy?
Power is given in individual people on the basis of talent, effort, and achievement, rather than wealth or social class.
What was the war office?
A Department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence.
What was the army service corps?
Where responsible for land,coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters’ units, supply of food, water, fuel and domestic materials such as clothing, furniture and stationery and the supply of technical and military
What changed?
Increasing size of the Army
Professionalisation of recruitment
Standardisation of uniform
Standardisation of training for Officers
Extra training for Engineer and Artillery Officers
Training for those wantinh to go on and train other troops
Training offered for existing officers
Abolition of branding (1871) and later flogging (1881)
Limitation of the time spent in the army (21 years to 12).
Development of a trained body of reserve soldiers.
Creation of a centralised body to overlook all military departments and prevent
infighting.
What stayed the same?
Low pay for men and officers led to Officers tending to be of the Middle or Upper classes still.
Low pay for men meant that those recruited were not always up to the physical standards or the minimum age leading to undernourished and weak recruits
