Militia

The Middle Ages

With the the Middle Ages, the communal militia French were distinguished with the Bataille from Bouvines, the communal militia Flemish with the battles of Courtrai.

Militia

The British militia

Origins of the British militia

The bases of the militia in England go back to the old obligation for each free man to carry the weapons according to its social status. About the year 605, develops the institution of the “ Fyrd ” a kind of tribal militia which asks all the valid men to make Military service. The Sheriff S or the Old ones proceed to the call of the militiamans. Severe fines are imposed on the Noble S and the Serf S which refuse to be useful. The “ Fyrds ” are replaced gradually by the assembly of the feudal Lord S and their vassal, then, put out of night light after the conquest Norman of 1066.

Starting from 1181, with L “' Assize off Arms ” of Henri II, the free men must prove annually that they have weapons. As from 1253, this obligation also extends to the serfs who represent the socio-economic class lowest. The English militia rests on the right of noble to be equipped with a personal defense force which can be put at the service of the king. It is directed by the minor nobility and the rising middle-class. In each county, some inhabitants annually receive a military training of a few days to the expenses of the community. With a not very important army, the militia constitutes a means of maintaining the order. Its role is dichotomic: to supplant the army, in the event of insubordination of this one, or to help it in the cases of lack of manpower. The authorities prefer to maintain a militia rather than a too imposing regular army, even if, on the occasion, the militiamans unite with the rioters whom they are supposed to control.

Evolution of the institution

In 1585, Élizabeth I account on nearly 90.000 militiamans when it reviews the militia which resisted the invasion of the Spanish fleet. Maintained in alarm a few years, the militia fall in decline at the beginning of the 17th century. At the time of the Revolution of 1649, it serves the interests of the Parliament and becomes a political militia. After having reversed the king, Oliver Cromwell modifies the operation of the militia. Voluntary militiamans, subject to remuneration, attend four annual drives and fight where necessary. With the Restoration of 1660, the king controls the militia and the universal service. It names in each county of the Lords lieutenants who allot commissions of Officier S, raise the troops and direct them to the combat. The officers of these units are country gentlemen . Each unit of militia is involved four days per year. To ensure the rigor of the operations, a warrant officer of the regular army is used as muster master in each county. Time with other, one proceeds to the conscription of militiamans for the active service, generally of the less fortunate individuals, the unemployed persons or the poor ones. The laws of militia of the Restoration limit the capacity of monarchy by entrusting to the Lords lieutenants the commissions of officer and by withdrawing the militiamans from the military law. This makes difficult enrôlement for more than one month of a regiment of militia and its displacement beyond the limits of the county, except during invasion or of rebellion.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the question of the militia and her reform are in the middle of the British political struggle. Whigs and Tories clash, publishing each one several lampoons praising or disputing the advantages of the militia on the regular army. A group of Whigs supported that: “ Maintaining year army in peacetime threatened the constitution both ace has coercive agent off the Crown' S formal prerogative and ace important year source off patronage with which to purchase in parliament ”.

To this idea, the Cour opposes the following argument: “ The increasingly sophisticated technology off war required has permanent trained Establishment ”.

In 1750, William Pitt, moderated Whig, general pay-Master and Appointed, declares with the House of Commons: “ the militia had been neglected and the navy starved in order to pay for year Army that would not Be strong enough to protect custom yew the depleted fleet lost command off the sea ”. A little later certain Whigs preach a less strict approach. They propose the idea of a defense based on local human resources, a limit over the duration of enrôlement in the regular army and the increase in the regular forces by the addition of a national militia. Thanks to political operations, William Pitt makes adopt the law reforming the militia. This one becomes primarily a second regular army without to alienate the support of Whigs and Tories.

Social divisions of the militia

In 1756, William Pitt, become secretary with the war, proposes a law of militia which divides the male population of the country into four categories: “ nobility, gentry, yeomanry and commonalty ”. The higher classes must be armed in order to maintain the order on the other classes. In the young men of the “ commonalty ”, one draws 100 randomly; 000 men to involve itself one month per year. Of this basin, recruits are built-in for three years in the army. Each county provides a precise number of recruits drawn to the fate among the valid men from 18 to 50 years. They can however introduce a substitute or pay a fine of 10£.

The Bataillon S of militia gather from five to eight companies of militia under the command of a Lieutenant-colonel or a Major. A Captain, a lieutenant and a Enseigne direct a company of 80 militiamans. The officers generally come from the local elite. Moreover, they must pronounce the oath of the Test, thus slowing down the aspirations of the catholics. To counter a surplus of officers of militia, the law of 1757 provides that a third of the officers must be withdrawn within four year. Several men of quality refuse to be useful because in the event of war, they could not be occupied any more with their business. Sir Thomas Hatton supports: “ The hand business off has militia commander is not to exercise the battalion, goal to make the public service easy for those spirited enough to give up to their time to it and to keep has good grip one the business side ”. According to John Canon, the military contribution of the British militia is negligible throughout its existence. It represents an important constitutional force however to make counterweight with the royal control of the regular army.

In Great Britain, at least until the beginning of the 18th century, the function of the militia is double. On the one hand, it must help the regular army, strong but politically unstable. In addition, it must be ready to fight against this same army. Thereafter, the militia becomes an policy issue between Whigs and Tories. The local authority is very important in the good performance of the institution. The functions of one individual inside the militia depend on its social class. The members of the local elite occupy the posts of officers while the commoners fill the rows of the simple executants. Contrary to France, which differentiates the middle-class militia from the rural militia. Great Britain is satisfied to have a sedentary militia for the worldwide of which one incorporates militiamans for the active service.

Militia of the British type in North America

Evolution of the institution

In the colony S of the New England, the concept of militia appears rather early and ensures the survival of the young colony at the time of conflicts against the Amerindian . The first militia is established in Virginia, 1632, and rests over a local recruitment and short periods of active service at the time of urgencies. Any man able to carry a weapon must bring it to the church and be exerted after the religious service.

Since 1645, within the Colony of bay of Massachusetts, some men were selected among the local troops to be ready with a fast deployment. The Minutemen whose name will become famous later one century were generally selected among the colonists of the same city, thus it was not rare for them to fight at the sides of cousins or brothers-in-law.

In 1682, the colonel Thomas Dongan, lieutenant-governor of New York, receives orders to create a militia: “ to Be mustered and disciplined under such office ace you shall nominate and supplement and that they may Be ready in box off any invasion gold suddaine insurrection, to opposes the enemy; and in any box you are to leavy arms and employ the inhabitants against such forreigne and other enemyes, re-presses, fight with kill and destroy them ”.

In certain colonies, the militiamans choose the officers, while elsewhere, the governor carries out the nominations. It does not matter the type of selection, the officers generally belong to the leading class. Until 1700, all the adult male population is subjugated with the militia, then from large sides of the company are excluded from it: Indian S combined, mulattos and blacks free, white servants, apprentices and itinerants. Starting from the medium of 17th, the colonial militia become extensive and become an essential institution in the formation of the company by adopting a local color, while preserving their main lines. The structure of the provincial troops is copied on that of the regular army with its regiments, battalions, divisions and companies.

Fred Anderson defines the roles of the British colonial militia thus: “ Year all purpose military infrastructure: combination has off home-guard, draft board and rear-level supply network ”. At the time of the colonial wars, the operations of the militia follow a very regular cycle. At the end of the winter, the governor names several colonels to order the troops for the spring countryside and provides them a series of commissions of officers in white to be used with their discretion. To obtain his commission, the captain recruits 50 men, lieutenant 25 and 15 teach it. The nomination of the officers and enrôlement of the militiamans not exceeding a nine months period, it is necessary to start again every year. This process harms the continuity of the body of the officers.

Institution of a levelling type

The militiamans of the Massachusetts of the Guerre Seven Year old being useful with the British troops are distinguished, in general, of the British soldiers who come from the proletarian class. These active militiamans are often individuals temporarily without employment and available for the military service. They await only one economic recovery to find an employment. In addition, in front of a shortage of labor, Virginia enlists of force of the vagrants to fill the quotas of its battalions of militia. Consequently, the militiamans enlisted at the time of these shortages resemble then more socially to the British soldiers than with the colonists of Virginia. However, the British officers have a very bad opinion of the American militia. They denounce the little of reliability of the militia, the odor of the camp of the militiamans which is spread with miles with the round and the network of personal and contractual honesties. With the great astonishment of the British officers, the American officers of militia fraternize openly with their militiamans.

At the time of the American Revolution, Claude Robin, a French officer being useful with the count Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Rochambeau, reports that the American do not have any idea of the distinctions of birth, order, row and do not see the difference between soldiers and officers. The French officers are also astonished to see the officers militia to exert trades. At the time of joint campaigns militia-army, several animosities emerge: the officers of militia are always subordinated to the officers of the regular army of the same row and the joint command of the troops always returns to an officer of the army even if this one is not informed any of the area.

Effects of the Revolution

During the American Revolution, militiamans fight in the two camps. More than 42.000 men serve as the side of the Loyal supporters while 160 000 fight with dimensions Patriots. George Washington describes her concerns towards the patriotic militia: “ To places any dependence one Militia, is, assuredly resting upon has broken staff. Men just dragged from the tender scenes off domestic life; unaccustomed to the DIN off Arms; totally unacquainted with every kind off military skill, which being followed by has want off confidence in themselves, when opposed to Troops regularly trained, disciplined, and appointed, superior in knowledge and superior in Arms, makes them timid, and ready to fly from to their own shadows . ”

When of Rochambeau tries to recruit militiamans of Boston to push back a British attack in the Rhode Island, it notes that on 5000 militiamans called, only 2000 are presented. The others prefer to deal with the harvests. Hans Axel, count de Fersen, reports that the militiamans “ are assembled only when the danger is imminent, and they flee when it becomes larger ”. Another French officer declares: “ After the first discharge, they take the way of their house, any them does not stop before being arrived there”. Nevertheless, John Shy supports that the patriotic militia of 1776 - 1783 is a voluntary militia justified while that the British knew of 1756 with 1759 was only one bunch of goods to nothing. Edward C. Papenfuse and Gregory C. Stevenson supports that the militiamans of the Maryland do not enlist by patriotism but rather because the company their offer few possibilities of blooming. They divide the militiamans into two main categories: the daily poor or recent immigrants having had contentions with justice.

The American militia

After the American Revolution, the militia undergoes many changes. The adoption of a national law on the militia raises enormous debates. In 1784, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, the baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben and Henry Knox prepare a plan to improve the effectiveness of the militia of the country. They support that the use of the militia is sedentary and necessary and justifies itself by the distance separating the United States from the European armies and by the poverty of the financial resources of the state, incompetent to maintain a standing army. Several American states refuse the idea of a unified national militia.

In 1787, the American Congress control an army of 900 men but must count on the states to equip them. Each American state controls its own militia. By the law of federal militia, the President of the United States becomes commander-in-chief of the army and the militia of all the states when it serves the country. With the agreement of the Senate, it names the officers of militia. The states cannot preserve, in times of peace, of the troops other than the militia without the assent of the Congress. The American politicians carry such an interest to the militia that the Second Amendement with the Constitution deals directly with the militia: “ has well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security off has free State, the right off the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not Be infringed ”. For several years, the owners of weapons, the historians and the population in general have interpreted with their way the deep sense of the amendment. Is it about the individual right carry a weapon or collective right to have an armed militia?

In May 1792, the Congress adopts the Calling Forth Act and the Uniform Militia Act . The first law gives to the Congress the right to call the militia to remove an insurrection, to push back an invasion, to fight the Amerindian tribes or to make apply the laws of the United States. This law is applicable for one two years duration. The militiamans called receive the same balance that the soldiers of the American army and are subjected to the same military payments. However, if they are translated in front of a martial Cour, this one will be only made up of officers of militia. For Richard H. Kohn, the adoption of the Uniform militia brings the decline of the local militia since it does not contain any penalty, does not envisage the official ones to maintain the standards of effectiveness nor no procedure to make sure of a standardization of the militia of each state. The second law constitutes an attempt to standardize the militia of each American state and to put them under the authority of the president. Each white and free citizen from 18 to 45 years must enlist in the company of militia of his locality and be equipped with a mousquet and bullets. The weapons being useful for the militia free from are very seized legal. One envisages a series of exemptions which make it possible to avoid the service in the units of militia. Each state belongs to the authority of a adjudant-general of militia. In each battalion, one establishes a company of pomegranates, light infantry or police officers. The artillery companies are made up voluntary militiamans. The militiamans wounded in service receive a disablement pension.

In the United States, the militia depends on each state. The central government can indicate methods of operation but it controls truly the militia only in the event of conflict. The militia must be ready to support the army which is, for economic reasons, to the minimum reduced. The local authority is very important in the good performance of the institution. The functions of one individual inside the militia depend not on its social class but rather on its social recognition in the medium. The leaders of the community become the officers of militia while the other citizens form the mass of the militiamans. When the militia becomes active, many unemployed fill its rows.

Militia of Maritime and High-Canada

The origin of the militia of the Maritime ones

In 1720, shortly after the transfer of the Acadie in Great Britain, the governor of the Nova Scotia, the colonel Richard Philips, names some captains of militia in Canso, a village of fishermen. As the area is under the protection of the British soldiers based with Annapolis, the militia remains inactive. In 1749, in the area of Halifax, the demobilized sailors and soldiers as all the men from 16 to 60 years receive a military training after the Sunday service. This militia addresses only to the British inhabitants. The Acadian ones are excluded from it. Each militiaman must provide himself with a mousquet and attend all the exercises. In 1753, the governor Hopson adopts a law of militia requiring of all inhabitants and their servants between the age of 16 and 60 years to present itself with their mousquets and their ammunition at the time of the gatherings of militia. Five years later, the first legislative assembly of the colony approves a law governing the militia. We will reconsider this law in the next chapter.

During the American revolution, one works out a plan to enlist, by drawing lot, a fifth of the militiamans. The inhabitants of Truro oppose this conscription while supporting which it would have of the negative effects on their grounds, their families and which the colony would be in a state of immense distress. In 1776, in the colony, several companies of militiamans refuse to gather to protest against the conscription. The governor must move back by announcing that the conscript militiamans will remain at the house until the moment when an invasion materializes. After the American Revolution, many loyal supporters come to be established in the colony. Among those, we find several individuals who were useful in the regular army or the militia during the American revolution. As we will see it for News-France, these soldiers of experiment ensure an important cohesion the militia.

With the law of militia of 1795, the militiamans are subjected to six annual gatherings: four per company and two by Regiment. In 1807, 600 militiamans are built-in an active militia to ensure the defense of Halifax. A British major-general observes that the built-in militia is well involved considering: “ that they never had let us weapons in their hands before ”.

The New Brunswick becomes a colony in 1784. The units of militia are gathered by county under the direction of colonels chosen among the important personalities of the area. In 1787, the legislative assembly creates a committee to establish a law on the militia. The members of this committee take as a starting point the laws of militia of the colony of New York such as they existed before the American Revolution. Thus, the men from 16 to 50 are useful in the militia even if some exemptions exist. Each militiaman must present himself to the annual gathering with a good mousquet, a bayonet and ammunition. The commanders of battalions of militia name the officers of the various companies. This choice is based on the personal contacts between the commander and the officers of militia. The nominations are generally done starting from the row of sign. Occasionally, of the posts of captain are allotted like entry in the militia. Rarer still, are the posts of major. In these particular cases, the individuals generally made a career in the regular army or the bodies loyal supporters during the American Revolution. In 1808, one abolishes the rank of colonel of militia. Thus, the rank of lieutenant-colonel becomes more the high level of the hierarchy of a regiment of militia.

The Île of the Prince Edouard becomes a colony in 1769. Until 1775, one finds no militia there. At this time, two American vessels attack the island and vandalisent several house. In 1780, one adopts a law of militia concerning all the men from 16 to 60 years. They must get a weapon and attend two gatherings per year. In front of a shortage of weapons, the government distributes 200 weapons in 1793. This does not seem to have an impact on the effectiveness of the militia as an observer brings it back: “ The people being warned attended the Muster and to their appearance has burlesque upon anything that ever called has Militia: out off butt 300 men not more than 5 gold 6 had muskets, and they were so rusty that they were unfit for Service and nap off the rest had stick ”.

The development of the militia of High-Canada

At the time of the opening of the legislative assembly of the High-Canada, in 1792, Lord Simcoe does not present a law of militia. However, in 1793, following the declaration of war between France and Great Britain, the governor tries to completely import the British model of militia. It thus names Lords Lieutenant in each county who in their turn name officers of militia. Moreover, certain militiamans, drawn for the fate, must be used three years in the active militia. When Simcoe receives the order not to name Lords Lieutenants, it grants to these individuals the rank of colonel of militia. The legislative Assemblée adopts the law obliging all the men from 16 to 50 years to present itself to the military exercises under penalty of a fine varying between two and eight dollars. The annual drive is carried out on June 4th of each year, birthday day of the king George III. The officers of militia must have a ground located in their district of militia: for the colonels, 400 acres, the majors and the captains 300 acres, and the other subalterns, 200 acres.

The anticipation of a war with the Americans leads the legislative Parliament to modify the payments of militia. The militiamans and warrant officers who refuse to obey orders are liable to fines. At the time of requisitions for the military transport of material, the militiamans are remunerated according to the distances covered. The militiaman wounded with the combat and which becomes invalid receives a pension of 9£ per year while if he dies his widow receives only 5£. Like the colony counts many immigrants coming from the United States, the officers and militiamans must make an oath of allegiance to the king of the United Kingdom at the time of the annual drive. In 1812, High-Canada counts 246 companies of militia, 11,650 militiamans and 818 officers.

The militia of Maritime and High-Canada fall under the tradition of the British colonial militia. They frame the male population from 16 to 50 years to defend the colony in the event of invasion. One asks the militiamans to get themselves of the weapons and to have the ammunition. In times of peace, this militia is compact for the population but also not very effective. The real defense of each colony depends on the presence of the regular soldiers. The local elite occupies the posts of officers of militia while the simple inhabitants fill the lower rows. In High-Canada, the militia is used as instrument of control of the individuals whose honesty towards the British crown is debatable.

The militia in France

French militia

Until the middle of the 17th century, France counts three types of sedentary or local militia: the urban militia, the provincial militia and the coastal militia. The urban militia , called middle-class as from the 16th century, includes/understands the troops formed by the cities which, because of their fidelity to the King, obtain the right to manage themselves. One regards as city all the localities which had ramparts with the Middle Ages or which constituted the chief town of a important Seigneurie. They ensure their own police force and defense. Under the authority of the municipal magistrates, the militia gathers by districts or trade association all the inhabitants in a position to carry the weapons. Generally, the local gentlemen fill the rows of the officers. In times of peace, the men are gathered in local companies and are exerted a few days per annum. In times of conflict, the companies form battalions to replace the regular regiments on the face. In the border regions, the local provincial militia, gathers by parishes the men who obey then the orders of the principal lords of the country. Starting from François I {{er}}, the coastal militia ensures the defense of the shores.

Into 1688, the organization of the militia changes considerably. François de Louvois, secretary with the war of Louis XIV, creates royal militia to be used as auxiliary forces with the army and to constitute a basin of recruits. In each Parish, the syndics of militia prepare the list of the potential recruits and submit it to the assembly. The single people and the men married without children take part in a drawing lot. One also exempts wire of notable, the officers royal and often the middle-class men. Those which draw a black ticket become active militiamans for six years. They however have the possibility of introducing a substitute who will be used for their place. Starting from 1693, the militiamans must be old of more than 18 years, measure at least five feet and not profit from exemption of nature medical, family, social or economic. From 1701 with 1712, the number of militiamans recruited by province varies from 120 to 300 per 100.000 inhabitants.

In March 1694, during creation of the venal offices, Louis XIV authorizes the purchase of the commissions of officer of militia for the middle-class militia. The small town of Hédé (Brittany) buys the titles in order to name the officers and thus to control the militia. Because of its small population, less than 700 inhabitants, this militia counts only one company. The post of colonel becomes useless but, it is preserved in an honorary way. The title of major of militia was worth 4000 pounds French. In 1786, it is the mayor of the city, the judge Jean-François Hérisson Delourme, who occupies the post of colonel. The community names freely, with the secret vote, the captain and the lieutenant of the company since it has the titles and that they are hereditary. One elects two notaries at these stations. In Hédé, in times of peace, the functions of this militia are the guard and the police force of the city, the fight against the criminals but mainly a protocolar role towards the aldermen and the community in the great ceremonies.

In 1726, France organizes the provincial militia in auxiliary army. One creates a hundred battalions of militiamans corresponding each one to a determined area, even if this distribution is not equitable for certain areas. Each battalion is divided into companies to which “ one allots several parishes constituting a “canton” whose extent is such as each militiaman can go to the assembly of militia and to return from there in the course of the day ”. The age of these militiamans ranges between 16 and 40 years. More than 300.000 individuals are used thus for the 18th century. Towards 1762, an anonymous author of the area of the Calvados praises in a report the merits of this militia: “ the militia such as one raises it to France, is the true army of the State. The men who compose it, nourished for the majority in work of the countryside, enjoy a temperament robust, able to support greatest tirednesses… (but) they do not know their rifle and… are more afraid of the weapons than they carry than an old soldier does not have those of the enemy of them… ”.

Impacts on the company

Enrôlement of militiamans not being popular, the authorities prefer to recruit in the villages rather than downtown to avoid the riots. The miliciables, for their part, invent strategies to be made exempt: falsification of the registers of baptisms, marriages hasty, simulation of diseases or even mutilation. The noble ones, from which one makes it possible to withdraw of the militia certain employed, are implied in a certain resistance. In 1731, the governor of Champagne employs fifty-seven guards and eighteen gamekeepers whom it wishes to exempt of the service of the militia. The militia becomes increasingly heavy with the people of modest means of the campaigns, then starting from 1742, with those of the cities. In several places, the miliciables oppose a collective resistance. In 1740, twenty-eight boys of Autun refuse to draw a ticket. They are then prone to serve twelve years in the militia if the authorities catch up with them. To avoid the drawing lot of their citizens, certain villages propose to enlist the asocial ones, the vagrants, the foreigners and the bastard ones.

The spirit of the militia survives the French revolution. The revolutionary laws make compulsory the inscription of each citizen on the roles of the sedentary national guard of its commune. The Citoyen S carry out thus free on-call services and patrols, and maintain peace the days of demonstration. Moreover, they constitute a reserve of recruits to supplement, by drawing lot, manpower of the regular battalions raised in the event of war.

As 1800 with 1815, the citizens paying a personal contribution to the State must be used in the National guard in various forms. The richest families unite the guards of honor. These purely local units work mainly at the time of the protocolar ceremonies. The least fortunate are useful as sedentary national guards. Are used they to escort the public funds between two cities, to supervise the prisons and to convoy the prisoners of war.

Just like in Great Britain, the French militia constitute an obligation for the rural inhabitants and the townsmen. The role of these militia consists in defending the nation during invasion or of insurrection. Moreover, they are used as tank to inflate the rows of the regular army. At the time of the French revolution, the national guards fill the vacuum left by the abolition of the rural and urban militia.

All in all, the militia of France and Great Britain play of the very similar roles and use quasi-identical structures. Nevertheless, the French militia are distinguished from the British by a division marked between the militia of the cities and the militia of the campaigns. Moreover, the French militia is never used as tool to counterbalance the capacity and the influence of the army. Finally, the British militia is the subject of policy issues while, in the case of French monarchy, there is no place to discuss cogency of the militia.

The militia in News-France

The defense of the News-France rests on four categories of combatants working in synergy: French regular troops, the frank Companies of the navy, the Canadian militia and Amerindian allies. The regular regiments are present in News-France of 1665 at 1668 and of 1754 with 1760. The soldiers and the officers of these units come from the motherland. For their part, the frank companies of the Navy defend the colony, without interruption, of 1683 with 1760. Created especially for the colonial service by the ministry for the Navy and the colonies, these companies are generally made up French soldiers directed by Canadian officers. These two military organizations are supported by the militia which gathers colonial French who ensures in a specific way their defense. They are not soldiers of career. The Amerindian allies are added periodically to the other combatants and often constitute a tactical and psychological weapon against the British regular troops and the American militiamans.

For several historians, the militia constitutes one of the pillars of the administrative and military structure of News-France. It makes it possible France to preserve a long time a colony in North America. The historian Jay Cassel, a specialist in the companies of the Navy, supports that the history of the militia in News-France bathes in the legend. All the militiamans become marksmen. They can live indefinitely in forest and gain bright victories against the British troops. According to Cassel, the image of the militiaman is tinted by nationalism Canadian-French of the 19th century which must live with the effects of the Conquest. The political crises of the First and Second world war still come to embellish our design of the militia. Thus, of the powerful and infallible militiaman the nationalists of any quality like the idea. This positive vision of the militia in News-France is reflected in the speech of the French-speaking Québécois population which easily allots the defeat of the flat of Abraham to the weakness of the French Army rather than with a deficiency with the militia. Handbooks of history of Quebec take up this same idea if it is still discussed.

Evolution of the institution

In spite of difficult beginnings, the militia evolves/moves during all the French period. It reaches a level of maximum effectiveness at the beginning of the 18th century and maintains it until the Conquest. Gerard Malchelosse associates the origin of the Canadian militia with the creation of a “flying camp” of 50 men patrolling the Lac Saint-Pierre and the river the St. Lawrence, in 1649. In 1651, whereas News-France does not count that a garrison of 24 soldiers, the governor of Ailleboust creates with Three-Rivers a unit of organized defense. For its part, Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve gathers, in 1654, the men of Montreal in the fraternity of the soldiers of very the Holy-Virgin and, in 1663, it founds the “ militia of the Holy-Family”. This militia is composed of 139 men divided into 20 sections under the control surface of the major of the station. Each section gathers seven militiamans who elect their corporal-commander. We can see here one of the elements which illustrate the impact that the militiamans have on their command.

The preceding attempts to create militia remain purely local initiatives. Unfortunately, these first militia do not ensure a sufficient safety the young colony. To fight the Iroquois, France sends, in 1665, a regiment of 1200 regular soldiers, the Régiment of Carignan-Salt boxes. The soldiers fight the enemies and bring back peace. Even if, in 1668, the regiment turns over to France, several hundreds of men decide to remain in Canada. Among them, several officers obtain seigniories and certain demobilized soldiers become their censitaires.

To mitigate the absence of regular troops the country, Louis XIV issues, the following year, the introduction of a true militia in News-France. It is about the first legal structure of the militia in the colony. The men from 16 to 60 years have to defend the country. All must be useful: middle-class man, merchant, inhabitant, servant or workman. In addition to the members of the clergy, certain exemptions are granted: disabled person, officers equipped with commissions, patents or notifications of command of the king, including the officers of sword, justice and administration, and the ushers of the Superior council and the jurisdictions. The militiaman is useful in his quality of subject of the king and not as a censitaire. The militiamans are assembled by company, once a month, to make the military exercises under the orders of captains, lieutenants and signs. One or twice per year, one joins together all the companies of an area to make great exercises. The militiamans involve themselves then without another remuneration that their daily ration. At the beginning, as several inhabitants of the colony were already used in the regiment as Carignan-Salt boxes, the transition from soldier to militiaman is done well.

The organization of the militia is contingent on a simple structure. The governor of News-France orders all the militia of the country. With the head of the government of Montreal, a colonel, majors and of the assistant medical officers supervise the activities. Among the colonels of Montreal, one can note Jacques Alexis de Fleury d' Eschambault, Maurice Blondeau and Jean-Baptiste Neveu of Bretonnière whose descendants will continue the military tradition. The majority of the colonels of militia are large merchants of Montreal. The responsibility for the liftings of militia initially returns, as to France, with the syndic then after 1678, with subdelegated of the intendant and the captains of militia of the city. In the coasts, the Intendant names a police chief knowing to read and write who draws up the roles of militiamans, convenes the exercises and is used as intermediary between the administration and the local population.

At the time of large military campaigns, the intendant orders a Levy in masse . The militiamans must arm themselves and maintain a good provision of lead, powder and wick. The intendant provides rifles to those which do not have any but they give their weapon to the return of each forwarding. As the militia does not have a uniform, the men receive, in each countryside, part of clothing, lines, cap, brayette, mitasses, moccasins and a cover.

Ernest Chambers, a Canadian historian living at the end of the 19th century hurts the difference between the frank companies of the Navy and the Canadian militia. For him, the militia is distinguished from the regular troops by the absence of uniform and of discipline “ The French officers made No attempt to instill discipline into the ranks off the militia any idea off seed-planting drill gold disciplines beyond such was necessary to secure has to fair show off order while one the march ”. It supports, wrongly, that the troops of the Navy belong to the French colonial militia. On the other hand, Gustave Lanctot clearly illustrates the difference between the militia, local troop lifting temporarily, and the troops of the Navy made up French soldiers enlisted to fight in News-France for one predetermined duration. One can explain the confusion of Chambers by the fact that the Canadian militia was directed by local officers and that towards the end of the French mode of many Canadians frank companies of the Navy ordered.

See too

French Militia for the French paramilitary unit of the Second world war created by the Mode of Vichy
Interahamwe, militia responsible for the genocide of the tsutsi to the Rwanda in 1994
Glossary of the groups armed with the Second war with Congo
rebellious paramilitary Groups

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