by Jules Leverrier
Éditions Sociales Internationales, Paris, 1939
A classic study of the creation and transformation of the French national army during the opening years of the French Revolution. In this work, Jules Leverrier traces the evolution of France's military establishment from the collapse of the royal army in 1789 to the emergence of the revolutionary citizen army by 1794, examining the political, social, and military reforms that reshaped the nation's armed forces.
Leverrier explores the formation of volunteer battalions, the integration of former royal troops with revolutionary volunteers through the amalgame, the introduction of mass conscription, the role of the National Guard, and the influence of the National Convention and the Committee of Public Safety on military organization. The book also examines the challenges of recruiting, training, equipping, and leading the rapidly expanding armies that defended the French Republic against the First Coalition.
Drawing on contemporary documents and historical sources, the author analyzes how revolutionary ideals, political upheaval, and military necessity combined to produce a new model of national military service. The volume provides valuable context for understanding the victories of the French Revolutionary armies and the foundations upon which Napoleon Bonaparte would later build the Grande Armée.
