The Age of Napoleon Podcast Episode 36: Questions and Answers
Oct 19, 2018
The podcast episode answers listener questions on topics such as the structure of the French army during the First Italian Campaign, military enlistment and tactics in the Italian Campaign, exploring historical fiction in the Napoleonic era, Napoleon's spiritual beliefs, and how Napoleon had to adapt his strategies to a changing world.
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Actual Army Composition Versus Paper Rolls
- In spring 1796 the Army of Italy was roughly 90% infantry and 10% cavalry, with artillery severely underrepresented due to cost and shortages.
- Paper strengths were often double actual field strength, so demi-brigades commonly fought at ~1,500 men or less.
Captured Cannon Were Reused Pragmatically
- French mobile artillery workshops rebuilt or re-bored captured cannon to fit standard shot when possible.
- Commanders sometimes kept non-standard guns intact when their special qualities, like mountain or six-pounder guns, suited operational needs.
Understand Revolutionary Enlistment Realities
- The Revolutionary French set four-year enlistments but legally placed all young men at military disposal during emergencies via the 1793 levée en masse.
- Expect soldiers to be liable for service for the duration of wartime unless they died, were disabled, or deserted.