The British Government and Its Armies

Abstract

Something of the complexities of Britain’s armed forces is indicated in the title to this chapter, as Britain did not have one army but several. During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars there was a substantial diversification in the terms of service for the men in uniform in the UK. Alongside the militia and part-time volunteer units, British governments also experimented with other means of raising men between 1803 and 1807. It is understandable, then, that in its quest for manpower to sustain Wellington’s army the government should look at its other military forces and consider how they could be better used. In doing this, however, it was bringing about significant changes to the ‘military constitution’ of the UK and, more importantly, changing the relationship between the army and government, and the army and society.