1.29 Foreigners in the French Army
French Revolution & Napoleon (Grey History)
Language Barrier and Translations in the French Army
Exploring the challenges faced by foreigners in the French army due to language barriers and the limitations of translated command books during war.
An interview with Historian Christopher Tozzi on the experience of foreign soldiers in the French Revolutionary Army. Focusing initially on the experience of foreign troops during the Old Regime, this episode also covers the hostile treatment of non-citizen soldiers during the Revolutionary Era. In addition to discussing Swiss, German, and Irish soldiers, the interview also explores the experiences of American, Black, and Jewish soldiers in the French Revolutionary Wars.
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About
Grey History: The French Revolution and Napoleon is a podcast dedicated to exploring the complexities of our history. By examining both the experiences of contemporaries and the conclusions of historians, Grey History seeks to unpack the ambiguities and nuances of the past. Understanding the French Revolution and the age of Napoleon is critical to understanding the history of the world, so join us on a journey through a series of events that would be almost unbelievable if it weren't for the fact that it's true! If you're looking for a binge-worthy history podcast on the Revolution and Napoleon, you're in the right place!
For more information on Dr Tozzi’s work
Books
- Nationalizing France's Army: Foreign, Black and Jewish Troops in the French Military, 1715-1831 (University of Virginia Press, 2016). Manuscript awarded 2014 Walker Cowen Memorial Prize.
- For Fun and Profit: A History of the Free and Open-Source Software Revolution (MIT Press, 2017).
- “Revolutionary until the Peace”: War and Political Culture in France, 1789-1815. In progress.
Articles
- “Soldiers without a Country: Foreign Veterans in the Transition from Empire to Restoration,” The Journal of Military History 80, no. 1 (2016): 93-120.
- “Les troupes étrangères, l'idéologie révolutionnaire et l'état sous l'Assemblée constituante,” Histoire, économie & société 33, no. 3 (2014): 52-65. Commissioned article for a special edition of the journal on “Les premières années de la Révolution française,” ed. Rafe Blaufarb and Michel Figeac.
- “Jews, Soldiering and Citizenship in Revolutionary and Napoleonic France,” The Journal of Modern History 85, no. 2 (2014): 233-257.
- “Between Two Republics: American Military Volunteers in Revolutionary France,” Proceedings of the Western Society for French History 39 (2013): 166-176.
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