French Revolutionary Infantry 1789–1802The years immediately following the French Revolution of 1789 saw an extraordinary transformation of the French army. From a distrusted instrument of the feudal power of the king and nobility, it became the symbol of liberty and citizenship. The transition was complex and painful, as the remnants of the old professional army were joined by a flood of civilian volunteers and conscripts, of whom even the best were short of everything except republican fervour. This book describes the stages of the rebirth that produced an army capable of beating off half the monarchies of Europe, thus laying the foundations for Napoleon's unique victories ten years later. |
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14 July adjudant-major adopted Allobroges amalgamation August auxiliary battalions Bastille Bataillon battalions black lapels blue breeches captain carabiniers casque chapeau Chasseur Chasseur battalions Chasseur-Carabinier chasseurs à pied Châtelet cockade collar and cuff-flaps collar and cuffs colonel conscripts corps cuff-flaps and cuffs cuffs and cuff-flaps demi-brigades Départements distinctive colour drummers Dubois-Crancé epaulettes état-major formed fourrier free companies French fusilier companies gaiters Gardes Françaises garrison green grenadiers guardsmen horizontal pockets king’s lapels and cuffs Légère Légion Germanique levée en masse lieutenant lieutenant-colonel light demi-brigades Army light infantry Line infantry Men-at-Arms militia musket mutiny National Assembly National Guard Volunteer NCOs pair Paris National Guard Parisian Phrygian cap plume ranks red collar reforms regiments Revolution revolutionary Royal sans-culottes scarlet lapels September sergeant-major sergeants Sky-blue coat soldiers sous-lieutenant stripes Swiss Guards Swiss regiments tricolour tricolour cockade troops turnbacks uniform buttons vertical pockets volunteer battalions waistcoat wearing white buttons white lapels white piping wore worn