Osprey Men-at-Arms 403 : French Revolutionary Infantry 1789-1802

The years immediately following the French Revolution of 1789 saw an extraordinary transformation of the French army. The French army went from a distrusted instrument of the feudal power of the king and nobility, to became the symbol of liberty and citizenship. The transition was complex and painful, as the remnants of the old professional army were joined by a flood of civilian volunteers and conscripts, of whom even the best were short of everything except republican fervor. This book describes the stages of the rebirth that produced an army capable of beating off half the monarchies of Europe, thus laying the foundations for Napoleon's unique victories ten years later. Text by Terry Crowdy with illustrations by Patrice Courcelle.

Contents

• The Historical Background
  The Infantry of the Ancient Regime up to 1789
• Organisation and Uniforms
  Line Regiments and Light Battalions
  National Guard
  Volunteers and Irregular
  Demi-brigades
• The 1791 Regulations
  Drill and Tactics, from Individual Soldier to Battalion