Specialization of Labor in Military Logistics

Before and during Napoleon’s time, the lines between military specialties were blurred. There were no “pure” infantrymen or cavalrymen defined solely by their combat roles. Instead, each soldier juggled multiple tasks: infantrymen doubled as foragers, and cavalrymen did the same. Their duties extended beyond shooting and maneuvering on the battlefield to include gathering food and resources – instead of shooting, moving, and shooting some more, they were shooting, moving, and foraging. This began to change with the introduction of the magazine system, military wagons, and river barges. These advancements allowed Napoleon’s soldiers to focus more exclusively on being warriors, freeing them from the burden of foraging.

Meanwhile, logistics specialists existed since at least the time of Michel Le Tellier, but they were either public officials, or were purchasing agents[1], or were civilian bakers. They were specialists not by any military arrangement but simply because they were civilians. In 1807, Napoleon established a military train service that replaced the civilian owned and operated wagons[2] with military counterparts[3]. This may have been the start of logistics as an operational specialty.

When logistical systems were insufficient to meet the demands of a campaign – either anticipated (providing enough supplies to get the Grande Armée to a place where foraging became possible) or unexpected (Napoleon’s return from Moscow) – soldiers were forced to revert to procurement as part of their duties. This lack of specialization could have dire consequences: Van Creveld mentions an instance during the Austerlitz Campaign where Napoleon’s cavalry, moving ahead to villages earmarked for the infantry, depleting local food supplies[4]. As a result, the infantry had to venture farther afield to secure resources, thus disrupting operational tempo and cohesion.

French Cuirassier in 1809, by Joseph Louis Hippolyte Bellangé (1800-1866)

Footnotes

[1] Van Creveld, p. 22.
[2] Ibid, p. 18.
[3] Ibid, p. 62.
[4] Ibid, p. 55.

Bibliography

Van Creveld, M. Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton. 2nd ed. Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2004.