organisation of state (FRW)

• How did the state organise for war?

  • levee en masse mass recruitment
  • huge army 800,000 by 1794- 10x size of typical armies so state needed to make sure it was fed, clothed and motivated
  • 1794 3000 workers manufactured 700 muskets per day
  • opposition executed (similar to ACW), political indoctrination, brutal coercion to enforce authority
  • 7.5m journals, 100,000 song sheets (Marseillaise) - morale
  • new paper currency Assignats
• How did changes impact nature?

  • Italian Campaign: army divided into mobile divisions, led by young ambitious officers promoted on merit, troops lived off land, extremely motivated
  • taxation
  • extremely motivated allowed for forces to be split over large areas without fear of desertion
  • tactics had to change due to mass armies- live off land, mini armies so there was enough food
• Similarities to ACW?


  conscription, greater economic control of industry, new currency in both, civil liberties
• Why was a reorganised army necessary?

  Formidable enemies and the regular French army had been weakened by the widespread exodus of highly trained officers
• How many desert annually because of difficulties to organise the mass levy?

  20,000