In 1792 France unleashed a new form of warfare in Europe. Faced
with the well-drilled Austrian and Prussian armies, the French
introduced the tactic of mass skirmishing by tirailleurs. Soldiers
were thrown forwards and told to fight in open order. Moving
quickly and making use of cover, they fired on the enemy line,
annoying it, goading it, and all the time distracting it from the
infantry columns coming up behind, bristling with bayonets, ready
for the charge and a shock action. Of these tirailleurs, the best
were the professional chasseur light infantry battalions, raised
and trained in the army of Louis XVI; but they were too few in
number. A patriotic appeal for light infantry volunteers was made,
and within two years the original twelve battalions became ninety
strong. By the time of Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812, there
were 185 battalions of light infantry in service, with hundreds of
voltigeur light companies attached to the regular line infantry
battalions. Although all infantrymen could fight as tirailleurs,
specialist light infantry did it best, and were clearly an
important part of Napoleon's armies. Why was this? In this book
Terry Crowdy explores the origins of the light infantry in the
century before Napoleon came to power. From bands of irregular
partisans, to sharpshooters and scouts, the book follows France's
early experiments with this arm. Drawing on contemporary documents,
including the French parliamentary archives, this book charts the
expansion of the light infantry arm, reviews the reasons behind
organisational changes, and analyses the tactics employed by light
infantry in meticulous detail. Lavishly illustrated, this book is
an essential reference for students and hobbyists of the Napoleonic
Wars.
General
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