ABSTRACT
The unprecedented expansion of French forces in a time of revolutionary crisis presented the army with a serious enough challenge as it struggled to impose discipline upon its troops; however, the government had to confront additional paradoxes. The evolution of discipline and military justice never succeeded in eliminating the disorder or misconduct of French forces. The all-too-common disciplinary problems of the republican armies derived not solely from the turmoil of revolutionary crisis, but also from a clash between the conflicting principles of liberty and obedience. Common soldiers faced a wide range of corporal punishments in addition to the death penalty. From running the gauntlet, to riding the wooden horse, to branding, such beatings and tortures humiliated as well as hurt the men subjected to them. The military penal codes allowed generals to establish disciplinary regulations beyond those stipulated by the revolutionary assemblies. Representatives gained the right to alter existing courts and to set up new judicial bodies.
