Recruitment, Training And Impact On Civillians 1700-1850

Question 1

(Problems with recruitment) officers

Answer 1

Officers were generally young men from wealthy families who paid comissions
-higher ranks cost more, so only nobles had them
-officers often bought commissions for the staus, lifestyle and longterm income

Question 2

(Problems with recruitment) enlistments

Answer 2

Men could sign for: short enlistments of 8-12 years, life enlistments of 21 years. The army struggled to list up to it’s permitted size.
Men were sometimes bought drinks and were enlisted ‘under the influence’
Criminals and debtors sometimes were released early in wartime to join the army

Question 3

(Problems with recruitment) pay

Answer 3

Pay was meant to be the main incentive for men to join the army but it remained less then that of a labourer from 1660-1792
Bounties of £3 (£250 today) could be paid to entice men to sign up for life

Question 4

The effect of problems with recruitment

Answer 4

They meant that tye quality of troops was low

Question 5

Problems with training

Answer 5

1708- Duke of Marlborough issued a mannual of tactics for officers. It wasn’t widely used

1741- Royal Military Academy established at Woolwich to teach gunnery. Was useful, but limited

-many soldiers couldn’t read and officers believed they didn’t need the mannuals

Question 6

Impact on civillians 1700-1850

Answer 6

Limited in this period because
-not much fighting in Britain
-naval protection
-burden of taxation not that bad- higher population to share it

But some impact
-1757 militia act was unpopular
-requistitioning of wagons ect
-accomodation of soldiers was a problem, although more barracks from 1800