Option 12: c1700–c1900: Warfare and British society in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries - 1 The nature of warfare — Edexcel GCSE History
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Option 12: c1700–c1900: Warfare and British society in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries - 1 The nature of warfare explained
Industrialisation fundamentally transformed warfare between 1700 and 1900.
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Changes in weaponry, such as the shift to rifled barrels and the conical Minié bullet, vastly increased infantry range and accuracy. Concurrently, metallurgy improvements led to breech-loading field guns and heavy artillery, devastating traditional formations. Industrialisation enabled the mass production of these weapons, ensuring standardised parts and rapid supply. Furthermore, steam-powered transport revolutionised logistics and mobility. During the Crimean War, steamships provided strategic troop movement across vast distances, while the short Balaklava railway significantly improved local supply lines, sustaining troops during the siege of Sevastopol.
The recruitment and training of combatants, including Cardwell’s army reforms and professionalisation.
Between 1700 and 1900, the recruitment and training of combatants shifted towards professionalisation, culminating in Cardwell’s army reforms (1868–1874). Initially, recruitment relied on bounties and attracted the poorest. Training was limited to repetitive drill and basic musketry within regiments, with harsh discipline used to maintain order. Following the Crimean War's failures, Cardwell introduced reforms to modernise the army. He abolished the purchase of commissions in 1871, ensuring officers were promoted on merit. The Army Enlistment Act (1870) established shorter terms of service to make recruitment appealing and create a trained reserve. Training improved with the Localisation of the Forces Act (1872), establishing local depots where recruits received standardised basic training before joining regiments, fundamentally professionalising the military.
Your focus
- Describe the technological advancements in rifles, bullets, and artillery during the 18th and 19th centuries.
- Explain how mass production and steam-powered transport changed the logistical capabilities of the British army.
- Assess the overall impact of industrialisation on the nature and scale of warfare.
Show all 6 objectives
- Explain the methods and challenges of recruiting and training soldiers before the late 19th century.
- Describe the key components of Cardwell’s army reforms, including changes to enlistment, officer promotion, and depot training.
- Evaluate the impact of Cardwell’s reforms on the professionalisation and effectiveness of the British army.
Option 12: c1700–c1900: Warfare and British society in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries - 1 The nature of warfare exam tips
Marking Points
- Explain how rifling and the Minié bullet increased the lethal range and accuracy of infantry firearms.
- Describe the development of breech-loading field guns and heavy artillery, and their impact on battlefield tactics.
- Analyse how the mass production of weapons allowed for larger, better-equipped armies and standardised ammunition.
- Evaluate the role of steam-powered transport, noting that steamships enabled strategic troop deployment while railways like the one at Balaklava improved local logistics.
- Describe early recruitment methods, including bounties, and the reliance on harsh discipline and basic regimental drill for training.
- Explain the significance of abolishing the purchase of commissions in professionalising the officer corps.
- Detail the changes brought by the Army Enlistment Act, specifically short-service enlistment to build a trained reserve.
- Analyse how Cardwell's reforms, including the establishment of local depots, improved the overall training and professional standards of the British army.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Link the development of the rifle directly to the decline of traditional cavalry charges and tight infantry formations.
- 💡When discussing industrialisation, explicitly mention both the manufacturing of weapons (mass production) and the movement of armies and supplies (steam power).
- 💡Connect Cardwell's reforms directly to the shortcomings exposed during the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion.
- 💡Use the abolition of the purchase of commissions as your primary example of the professionalisation of leadership.
- 💡Mention the shift from regimental training to depot training to demonstrate improvements in the training of combatants.
Common Mistakes
- Error: Confusing the impact of the musket with the rifle. Correction: Clearly distinguish that rifles had grooved barrels for spin, providing much greater range and accuracy than smoothbore muskets.
- Error: Overstating the role of the Balaklava railway. Correction: The Balaklava railway was a short logistics line for supplies, not a strategic network for rapid troop deployment; steamships handled strategic movement.
- Error: Assuming mass production only affected the quantity of weapons. Correction: Highlight that mass production also brought standardisation, making repairs and ammunition supply much more efficient.
- Error: Believing Cardwell introduced conscription. Correction: Emphasise that the British army remained a volunteer force; Cardwell reformed the terms of enlistment to encourage volunteers.
- Error: Misunderstanding the purchase of commissions. Correction: Clarify that before the reforms, wealthy men could buy officer ranks regardless of ability; Cardwell ended this to promote meritocracy.
- Error: Assuming training was always standardised. Correction: Before Cardwell's depot system, training was ad hoc and managed by individual regiments, focusing mostly on basic drill and musketry.