Author Topic: Duuring's Generic Re-enactment Discussion Corner (Bitching be allowed)  (Read 5730 times)

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Offline Mr T

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Re: Duuring's Generic Re-enactment Discussion Corner (Bitching be allowed)
« Reply #15 on: October 17, 2016, 08:47:13 pm »
Very much depended on the individual officer pretty much, the French officer corps was very meritocratic, though slightly less so under the Empire.


Offline Duuring

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Re: Duuring's Generic Re-enactment Discussion Corner (Bitching be allowed)
« Reply #16 on: October 17, 2016, 09:35:27 pm »
A change from the old rigid system of the 18th century doesn't mean it was close to our current culture. They might not have based their differences on birthright, but, as Mr T said, on merit. There was still a divide between officers and other ranks. It has nothing to do with arisocratcy, just with class differences. People were supposed to know their place in society.

Junior officers, on paper, did share their tents (if I remember correctly). Chefs and above didn't, at least not on paper. Only generals had aides.

Offline Riddlez

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Re: Duuring's Generic Re-enactment Discussion Corner (Bitching be allowed)
« Reply #17 on: October 17, 2016, 11:03:31 pm »
Can confirm indeed that modern day army shit is comfortable to sleep in. I sleep better in the field than at home.

 :-*
Probably one of the very few old-timers here who hasn't been a regimental leader.

Offline Bluehawk

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Re: Duuring's Generic Re-enactment Discussion Corner (Bitching be allowed)
« Reply #18 on: October 18, 2016, 01:15:43 am »
In the memoirs of Rafail Zotov, an ensign in the St. Petersburg Militia, they built their own hut-like shelters out of branches and leaves on several occasions, while marching from St. Petersburg to the independent corps of Wittgenstein (prior to the 2nd Battle of Polotsk). He remarked that their ability to keep out the rain left something to be desired. On the night before the battle however, both the men and officers laid down to sleep where they stood, completely exposed on the field.

As they advanced toward the town itself, Zotov describes trenches and shelters built by the French which were potentially meant to withstand the whole winter of 1812-1813, which were complete with furniture, doors and windows, all stolen from the nearby villages.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2016, 01:17:35 am by Bluehawk »

Offline Olafson

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Re: Duuring's Generic Re-enactment Discussion Corner (Bitching be allowed)
« Reply #19 on: October 18, 2016, 01:33:16 am »
Makeshift shelters were a very common thing and there are lot of descriptions of it, not only from the Napoleonic Wars but also from other wars. I believe one of the Prussian NCO manual even had a drawing and a description on how to construct such a shelter.
There are also a dozen of original drawings and paintings showing these shelters.

Offline Cara

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Re: Duuring's Generic Re-enactment Discussion Corner (Bitching be allowed)
« Reply #20 on: October 18, 2016, 07:16:08 am »
Like these ones
Spoiler
[close]
I had another picture with straw schelters but I can't find it.

Offline Wolff

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Re: Duuring's Generic Re-enactment Discussion Corner (Bitching be allowed)
« Reply #21 on: October 18, 2016, 04:57:46 pm »
I believe one of the Prussian NCO manual even had a drawing and a description on how to construct such a shelter.

you can even find a picture of this "official" shelter and a manual to build it in one osprey book. Sadly it seems pretty hard to rebuild one today for reenactments becaus you need very long straw wich you mostly don't have no more in germany in western europe. It might be possible to import some from more eastern countries where they didn't breed the wheatstalks to get shorter and shorter but that would some kind of a massive effort.

Offline Olafson

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Re: Duuring's Generic Re-enactment Discussion Corner (Bitching be allowed)
« Reply #22 on: October 18, 2016, 05:51:55 pm »
Like these ones
Spoiler
[close]
I had another picture with straw schelters but I can't find it.

Yeah exactly. Lots of drawings show shelters made with blanks or doors.
Which makes sense. I remember there is a description from a British soldier during the american war of independence that explained how a country side looked like after an army has been camping there for a day.
Apparently all fences were deconstructed and used to either construct shelters or as firewood, all animals were slaughtered and the bones were just thrown anywhere, trees chopped down, all wheat or other plants chopped down to make comfy beds or roofs for shelters etc.

Basically the local population wouldn't have had anything left to live from. All their livestock would be dead and all their plants would be gone.

Offline Cara

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Re: Duuring's Generic Re-enactment Discussion Corner (Bitching be allowed)
« Reply #23 on: October 18, 2016, 06:46:08 pm »
Sadly it was like this yeah... And sometimes the army paid the price, as the Grande Armée forced to take the same way back and everything was destroyed before by themselves