• DOI:10.1093/JSH/SHW007
Corpus ID: 147493542

Desertion from the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars

@article{Linch2016DesertionFT,
  title={Desertion from the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars},
  author={Kevin Linch},
  journal={Journal of Social History},
  year={2016},
  volume={49},
  pages={808 - 828}
}

• Kevin Linch
• Published 2016
• Engineering
• Journal of Social History

Desertion was significant drain on the British Army’s slender manpower resources during the Napoleonic Wars, despite severe military justice that could inflict capital punishment for this military crime. This article explores the reasons why soldiers left the Army, and it argues that there were three main wellsprings of desertion: adjustment to life as a soldier; discontent with the service; and opportunities beyond the service. These factors underlay soldiers’ decisions to leave the Army, but… Expand

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