History Extra podcast
History Extra podcast
Immediate Media
Disciplining the “scum of the Earth”
51 minutes Posted Mar 23, 2023 at 12:00 am.
0:00
51:13
Download MP3
Show notes

How did the British army keep order among troops and officers during the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century? And were the rank and file really as rough and ready as you might imagine? Speaking with David Musgrove, Dr Zack White details the most common crimes and punishments in the armies of the Duke of Wellington and his contemporaries, considering whether the effective imposition of discipline helped the British and their allies finally defeat Napoleon on the battlefield of Waterloo.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices