by Louis Joseph Bricard
An authoritative study of military discipline in the armies of the French First Republic during the critical years of 1794–1796. Louis Joseph Bricard examines how the Revolutionary government transformed the French Army following the upheavals of the Reign of Terror, balancing republican ideals with the practical demands of maintaining order, morale, and combat effectiveness in the field.
Drawing upon official military records, correspondence, regulations, and contemporary accounts, the author explores the administration of discipline, the role of military justice, officer and enlisted relations, desertion, insubordination, rewards and punishments, and the challenges of commanding the rapidly expanding citizen armies of Revolutionary France. The work also considers the political influence of representatives on mission, the effects of revolutionary ideology on military leadership, and the evolution of discipline as French armies campaigned successfully across Europe.
