THEMES: ARMY

• THE ARMY

  • The army was traditionally organised into three fighting arms and support services- infantry, cavalry and artillery.
  • Support services- engineers, medical support and commissariat.
  • Every soldier belonged to a regiment- often had a rich history and unique traditions.
  • The army was traditionally made up of volunteers.
• THE ROYAL NAVY

  • Every ship has a nominal homeport.
  • Ships are organised into flotillas, which are then organised into a fleet.
  • Traditionally a service manned by volunteers.
• THE REGIMENTAL SYSTEM

  • It gave every serviceman a home barracks and enabled the army to be administered relatively efficiently.
  • Cavalry regiments would be posted onto active service as a whole, whereas infantry regiments would release individual battalions for duty overseas.
  • As the 19th century progressed, the career of soldiering became less and less attractive
  • Meritocracy- gained favour with liberal politicians and this process was accelerated when continental wars, such as the Crimean War, revealed that the British army was not the force it had been when it fought Napoleon.
• MUNITIONS

  • Battle of Waterloo 1815- the infantry stood in long lines and volley-fired Brown Bess muskets.
  • Through the century, muzzle-loading muskets were replaced by rifles, which eventually became breech-loading.
  • The new weapons needed more ammunition.
  • Breech-loading rifles needed specially made bullets in cartridges rather than the metal balls fired from muskets.
• FOOD AND CLOTHING

  • The British army in the Iberian peninsula often resembled a group of tramps due to the poor state of their uniforms.
  • As Wellington’s campaign became more successful, the army moved further away from the coast and the supply lines became stretched.
  • The Crimean War showed the British authorities that little had changed- poor equipment, no proper clothing or food.