Forging Napoleon's Grande Armée : motivation, military culture, and masculinity in the French army, 1800-1808 / Michael J. Hughes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hughes, Michael J., 1972-

Series:

Warfare and culture series.

Warfare and culture series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Soldiers--Attitudes--France--History--19th century.

Soldiers.

Masculinity--France--History--19th century.

Masculinity.

Military morale--France--History--19th century.

Military morale.

Sociology, Military--France--History--19th century.

Sociology, Military.

Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815.

France--History, Military--1789-1815.

France.

France. Armée. Grande Armée--History.

France. Armée. Grande Armée--Military life.

Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821--Military leadership.

Napoleon.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (298 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : New York University Press, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The men who fought in Napoleon’s Grande Armée built a new empire that changed the world. Remarkably, the same men raised arms during the French Revolution for liberté, égalité, and fraternité. In just over a decade, these freedom fighters, who had once struggled to overthrow tyrants, rallied to the side of a man who wanted to dominate Europe. What was behind this drastic change of heart? In this ground-breaking study, Michael J. Hughes shows how Napoleonic military culture shaped the motivation of Napoleon’s soldiers. Relying on extensive archival research and blending cultural and military history, Hughes demonstrates that the Napoleonic regime incorporated elements from both the Old Regime and French Revolutionary military culture to craft a new military culture, characterized by loyalty to both Napoleon and the preservation of French hegemony in Europe. Underscoring this new, hybrid military culture were five sources of motivation: honor, patriotism, a martial and virile masculinity, devotion to Napoleon, and coercion. Forging Napoleon's Grande Armée vividly illustrates how this many-pronged culture gave Napoleon’s soldiers reasons to fight.

Contents:

Introduction : military culture and motivation in the armies of Napoleon

From the coasts of the ocean to the snows of Poland : the grande Armée and Napoleonic military culture

Honneur, gloire, et patrie : honor in Napoleon's legions

Imperial virtue : the evolution of French patriotism

Napoleon's manhood : sex and martial masculinity in the French army

Clothing the new emperor : creating the cult of Napoleon

The emperor's grognards : the officer corps

Devoted soldiers and reluctant conquerors : the rank-and-file

Conclusion : vive l'empereur! : sustaining motivation in the armies of Napoleon, 1803-1808.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780814708279

0814708277

9780814724118

0814724116

OCLC:

793193041