La révolution armée: Les soldats-citoyens et la révolution française

Based on intensive research of French archives, this monograph analyzes the geographical and social origins and careers of thousands of male citizens who enlisted in the armies of the French Revolution. The aim of the study is to deliver a vivid image of the French revolutionary soldiers -- fully "political" in nature. The book first shows that the crisis of 1789 was also a social, political and cultural crisis of the army in the continuity of the cleavages of the royal army of the 1780s. It then describes how the Assemblies sought to "regenerate" the former royal army, while the volunteers of 1791, 1792 and 1793 altered their composition in depth. The heart of the work is devoted to Year II and the consequences of the mass lifting of August 1793. It highlights the will of the Montagnards to make the army not only an effective instrument by the amalgam between former royal troops and new battalions, but also a "school" of civic spirit and the crucible of a political and cultural model given to the whole nation: the "soldier-citizen". The study explains how these transformations led to changes in strategy, tactics, and in the material means of combat. Finally, it explores the way in which the armies of the Republic gradually became those of his generals under the Directory.