2.3 Developments in communications and transport
Developments in transport
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
Lack of transport technologies slowed the movement of armies
o Majority of an 18th century army travelled on foot
o Progress further slowed by relying on long horse-drawn wagon trains to carry
quantities of supplies
Practical considerations limited the scope of warfare
o E.g poor quality of European roads
Napoleon turned to strategy and organisation to overcome problems caused by a lack of
technology
o Introduction of the corps system (1805) allowed Napoleon to divide his forces for
marching + then concentrate them for battle
o Each corps lived off the land, requisitioning food across a widely dispersed area =
lighter logistical requirements
o Reduction in the length of supply trains enabled the French to move with greater
speed and mobility
Worked successfully during the 1805 Ulm campaign when the French
marched 500 miles in 5 weeks to defeat a combined Austro-Russian army at
Austerlitz
Napoleon’s attempt to circumvent the logistics of transport failed in Russia 1812
o His logistic arrangements were inadequate over the huge distances of Russia
o He was unprepared for an army who withdrew back into Russia, forcing the French
to lengthen their vulnerable supply line
o Russian use of scorched earth tactics forced the French to rely on a supply train as
they could not live off the land
The Crimean War
Application of steam power to transport
Russia’s defeat was largely due to an absence of railways
o The Russian army contained over 1 million men, but lack of railways meant it
struggled to reinforce its defences on the coast
The British and French overcame initial failures to supply their forces by sea by using the
new technology of steamships
The construction of a purpose-built railway facilitated the supplying of the Allied army
o The Grand Crimean Central Railway – 1855
o Built to supply forces fighting at the Siege of Sevastopol
The American Civil War
Full potential of railways seen in the rapid movement of troops and supplies over long
distances
o Sherman’s March to the Sea: single rail route of 3 lines over 500 miles
o Railways played a vital role due to geographical area over which the war was fought
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