La Grande Armée (Episode 2) - The Infantry & Officer Corps [22:59-28:01]

Throughout the entirety of the Napoleonic period, France labied over 2.6 million conscripts, though only around 1.35 million would ever serve, roughly divided evenly between reserve duty and frontline duty. For most of these conscripts, their time in Le Grand Arme began in the nearest town. A recruiting party of Jean-Dame, led by an army officer, would make it known that they were calling for conscript to meet the year's class. The Ministry of War administration would apportion a quota of the class to each department, and then the department to their constituent communes. The mayor of the commune would then take the commune's census, which consisted of all able-bodied men aged 18-40. Of this group, men aged 18-25 would be enrolled into a lottery. After 18-12, this range was apt to between 18 and 30 years of age. Those in attendance drew numbers from a ballot, absentees had their numbers drawn too. In general, those holding the lowest half of the numbers were conscripted into the active duty army. Higher numbers were either exempted or given to the reserves. We'll follow a conscript for the active army. Presuming the conscript was physically able, didn't have a dependent family, and had no legitimate reason for an exemption, they were escorted to the nearest army depot. Here they were given the rudiments of army life, a uniform, a knapsack, and a bedroll. Basic physical training began immediately, even before the conscript was assigned to a unit. Ultimately, a conscript would end up in one of three places. The trained reserves of an existing regiment, temporary units whose troops would be dispersed where needed at the end of training, or a newly established unit. No matter where they were fated to go, the conscript underwent infantry training. The basic program saw a conscript take their marching, carry and maintain their equipment, fire and motor rifle, learn signals, practice formations, and follow orders. Discipline was strict, with any infringements likely to see a recruit docked pay, or pull extra duties. Corporal punishment was forbidden, the only army in Europe to do so at the time. All recruits were buddied up, they slept two to a bed so that one could perform their duties while the other slept. This buddy system was especially helpful for conscripts who fell behind, were sick or otherwise indisposed, as their comrades would helpfully take up the slack. Grangely, as competency increased, a conscript was given responsibilities like guard duty, leading work parties, or tutoring the incoming green haunts. Everyone started as a lowly soldier, a private in-modern military grading. The best of the conscripts might be made caporal, or corporal, with some making caporal full ye, who was based in charge of daily inspections. Whatever their rank, the infantry all went by the same moniker, Fontessant, at once a term of derision and a badge of honour. Le Fontessant took comforts where they could, life in the infantry was hard. Marching all day over rough terrain in Mercurial weather, sleeping cheek by jowling crowded contonements, or under open sky, risking life and Lehman battle, and all done with a rumbling stomach, Swiss cheese boots, and a threadbare uniform. Even when not on campaign a soldier could expect to be drilling, parading, or otherwise engaged in routine labour. It's no wonder then that Napoleon insisted that the only true mark of a good soldier was not bravery, skill, and intelligence. It was forbearance against hardship. By far the most strenuous activity which the infantry engaged in was marching, dreaded far more than battle. Moving a battalion, a regiment, a division, and then a call from point A to point B, demanded massive amounts of menematerial be shifted in a very short time over immense distances, whether terrain and resistance be damned. No soldier remained long without becoming an experienced marcher, and as it turned out the French proved to be the best. The Austrians and Russians were capable of surprising bursts of speed, the Russians were organised but slow, the British packed heavy and marched about as fast. No other army of the time consistently averaged marches as long as fast or as far as the French. As we've seen marching orders were issued to the core commanders. They executed the orders by sending mounted scouts out to fan out ahead of the advance. They'd scatter the terrain, find detours if needed, and then report back. Following not far behind would be an advanced guard escorted by light cavalry. This guard was sent ahead to make any arrangements for office ability, if possible, and to establish a proper rallying point as far ahead as the orders required. Engineers might also go ahead with the advance guard to reinforce roads and direct pontoons. In the meantime detailed marching orders percolated down to each regiment. Their constituent battalions were given precise times by which they had to depart and in what order. Rarely was there any time to lose so marches generally began at dawn.