Circulation of Military Knowledge: The French and Danish Military Reforms of Comte de Saint-Germain in the Late 18th Century

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sonkajärvi, Hanna
Publication Date: 2024
Format: Article
Language: eng
Source: Almanack (Guarulhos)
Download full: https://periodicos.unifesp.br/index.php/alm/article/view/16372
Summary: Count Claude-Louis-Robert von Saint-Germain’s (1707-1778) sweeping military reforms became the subject of massive resistance from officers and the public at large in both Denmark and France in the late 18th century. His French (1775-1777) and Danish (1762-1767) military reforms stood at the junction of two paradoxical ideals which preoccupied French military thinkers in the second half of the 18th century: on the one hand, there was an increasing awareness within the army that the military needed to be professionalized; however, this was not to lead to an equal treatment of all nobles, or of all military personnel within the army. On the other, the professionalization discourse stood against the ideal of the French soldier as a patriot serving his country out of vocation rather than professional interest. Indeed, Saint-Germain’s ideas and political program had much broader implications than the mere transformation of the army. This paper contrasts the image of Saint-Germain and his politics in the eyes of his contemporaries and in the historiography with his own writings and ordinances, from the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) to his renouncement as French Secretary of War in 1777.
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spelling Circulation of Military Knowledge: The French and Danish Military Reforms of Comte de Saint-Germain in the Late 18th CenturyCirculación de conocimientos militares: Las reformas militares francesa y danesa del conde de Saint-Germain a finales del siglo XVIIICirculation of Military Knowledge: The French and Danish Military Reforms of Comte de Saint-Germain in the Late 18th CenturyFranceDenmarkSaint-GermainArmyReformAdministrationFranceDenmarkSaint-GermainArmyReformAdministrationFranciaDinamarcaSaint-GermainEjércitoReformaAdministraciónCount Claude-Louis-Robert von Saint-Germain’s (1707-1778) sweeping military reforms became the subject of massive resistance from officers and the public at large in both Denmark and France in the late 18th century. His French (1775-1777) and Danish (1762-1767) military reforms stood at the junction of two paradoxical ideals which preoccupied French military thinkers in the second half of the 18th century: on the one hand, there was an increasing awareness within the army that the military needed to be professionalized; however, this was not to lead to an equal treatment of all nobles, or of all military personnel within the army. On the other, the professionalization discourse stood against the ideal of the French soldier as a patriot serving his country out of vocation rather than professional interest. Indeed, Saint-Germain’s ideas and political program had much broader implications than the mere transformation of the army. This paper contrasts the image of Saint-Germain and his politics in the eyes of his contemporaries and in the historiography with his own writings and ordinances, from the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) to his renouncement as French Secretary of War in 1777.Las amplias reformas militares del conde Claude-Louis-Robert von Saint-Germain (1707-1778) se convirtieron en objeto de una resistencia masiva por parte de los oficiales y el público en general tanto en Dinamarca como en Francia a finales del siglo XVIII. Sus reformas militares francesa (1775-1777) y danesa (1762-1767) se ubicaron en la confluencia de dos ideales paradójicos que preocuparon a los pensadores militares franceses en la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII: por un lado, había una creciente conciencia dentro de la ejército que los militares necesitaban profesionalizarse; sin embargo, esto no debía conducir a un trato igualitario para todos los nobles ni para todo el personal militar dentro del ejército. Por otro lado, el discurso de la profesionalización se oponía al ideal del soldado francés como un patriota que servía a su país por vocación más que por interés profesional. De hecho, las ideas y el programa político de Saint-Germain tuvieron implicaciones mucho más amplias que la mera transformación del ejército. Este artículo contrasta la imagen de Saint-Germain y su política a los ojos de sus contemporáneos y en la historiografía con sus propios escritos y ordenanzas, desde la Guerra de los Siete Años (1756-1763) hasta su renuncia como Secretario de Guerra francés en 1777.Count Claude-Louis-Robert von Saint-Germain’s (1707-1778) sweeping military reforms became the subject of massive resistance from officers and the public at large in both Denmark and France in the late 18th century. His French (1775-1777) and Danish (1762-1767) military reforms stood at the junction of two paradoxical ideals which preoccupied French military thinkers in the second half of the 18th century: on the one hand, there was an increasing awareness within the army that the military needed to be professionalized; however, this was not to lead to an equal treatment of all nobles, or of all military personnel within the army. On the other, the professionalization discourse stood against the ideal of the French soldier as a patriot serving his country out of vocation rather than professional interest. Indeed, Saint-Germain’s ideas and political program had much broader implications than the mere transformation of the army. This paper contrasts the image of Saint-Germain and his politics in the eyes of his contemporaries and in the historiography with his own writings and ordinances, from the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) to his renouncement as French Secretary of War in 1777.Universidade Federal de São Paulo2024-12-12info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://periodicos.unifesp.br/index.php/alm/article/view/1637210.1590/2236-463338ea00324Almanack; n. 38 (2024)Almanack; No. 38 (2024)Almanack; Núm. 38 (2024)2236-4633reponame:Almanack (Guarulhos)instname:Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)instacron:UNIFESPenghttps://periodicos.unifesp.br/index.php/alm/article/view/16372/13308Copyright (c) 2024 Hanna Sonkajärviinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessSonkajärvi, HannaSonkajärvi, Hanna2025-05-05T15:04:00Zoai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/16372Revistahttps://periodicos.unifesp.br/index.php/almPUBhttps://periodicos.unifesp.br/index.php/alm/oaialmanack@unifesp.br||andremachados@yahoo.com.br2236-46332236-4633opendoar:2025-05-05T15:04Almanack (Guarulhos) - Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)false
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Circulation of Military Knowledge: The French and Danish Military Reforms of Comte de Saint-Germain in the Late 18th Century
Circulación de conocimientos militares: Las reformas militares francesa y danesa del conde de Saint-Germain a finales del siglo XVIII
Circulation of Military Knowledge: The French and Danish Military Reforms of Comte de Saint-Germain in the Late 18th Century
title Circulation of Military Knowledge: The French and Danish Military Reforms of Comte de Saint-Germain in the Late 18th Century
spellingShingle Circulation of Military Knowledge: The French and Danish Military Reforms of Comte de Saint-Germain in the Late 18th Century
Sonkajärvi, Hanna
France
Denmark
Saint-Germain
Army
Reform
Administration
France
Denmark
Saint-Germain
Army
Reform
Administration
Francia
Dinamarca
Saint-Germain
Ejército
Reforma
Administración
title_short Circulation of Military Knowledge: The French and Danish Military Reforms of Comte de Saint-Germain in the Late 18th Century
title_full Circulation of Military Knowledge: The French and Danish Military Reforms of Comte de Saint-Germain in the Late 18th Century
title_fullStr Circulation of Military Knowledge: The French and Danish Military Reforms of Comte de Saint-Germain in the Late 18th Century
title_full_unstemmed Circulation of Military Knowledge: The French and Danish Military Reforms of Comte de Saint-Germain in the Late 18th Century
title_sort Circulation of Military Knowledge: The French and Danish Military Reforms of Comte de Saint-Germain in the Late 18th Century
author Sonkajärvi, Hanna
author_facet Sonkajärvi, Hanna
author_role author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Sonkajärvi, Hanna
Sonkajärvi, Hanna
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv France
Denmark
Saint-Germain
Army
Reform
Administration
France
Denmark
Saint-Germain
Army
Reform
Administration
Francia
Dinamarca
Saint-Germain
Ejército
Reforma
Administración
topic France
Denmark
Saint-Germain
Army
Reform
Administration
France
Denmark
Saint-Germain
Army
Reform
Administration
Francia
Dinamarca
Saint-Germain
Ejército
Reforma
Administración
description Count Claude-Louis-Robert von Saint-Germain’s (1707-1778) sweeping military reforms became the subject of massive resistance from officers and the public at large in both Denmark and France in the late 18th century. His French (1775-1777) and Danish (1762-1767) military reforms stood at the junction of two paradoxical ideals which preoccupied French military thinkers in the second half of the 18th century: on the one hand, there was an increasing awareness within the army that the military needed to be professionalized; however, this was not to lead to an equal treatment of all nobles, or of all military personnel within the army. On the other, the professionalization discourse stood against the ideal of the French soldier as a patriot serving his country out of vocation rather than professional interest. Indeed, Saint-Germain’s ideas and political program had much broader implications than the mere transformation of the army. This paper contrasts the image of Saint-Germain and his politics in the eyes of his contemporaries and in the historiography with his own writings and ordinances, from the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) to his renouncement as French Secretary of War in 1777.
publishDate 2024
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2024-12-12
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv https://periodicos.unifesp.br/index.php/alm/article/view/16372
10.1590/2236-463338ea00324
url https://periodicos.unifesp.br/index.php/alm/article/view/16372
identifier_str_mv 10.1590/2236-463338ea00324
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://periodicos.unifesp.br/index.php/alm/article/view/16372/13308
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv Copyright (c) 2024 Hanna Sonkajärvi
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Copyright (c) 2024 Hanna Sonkajärvi
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Universidade Federal de São Paulo
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Universidade Federal de São Paulo
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Almanack; n. 38 (2024)
Almanack; No. 38 (2024)
Almanack; Núm. 38 (2024)
2236-4633
reponame:Almanack (Guarulhos)
instname:Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)
instacron:UNIFESP
instname_str Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)
instacron_str UNIFESP
institution UNIFESP
reponame_str Almanack (Guarulhos)
collection Almanack (Guarulhos)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Almanack (Guarulhos) - Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)
repository.mail.fl_str_mv almanack@unifesp.br||andremachados@yahoo.com.br
_version_ 1841453825642201088

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