Military Reformer
But the Duke learned from his mistakes. He took his appointment of Commander in Chief of the army seriously, vowing that no officer should ever labor under the disadvantages he had faced. For his defeats were not just down to his own inexperience but the state of the army in general. The previous Commander in Chief, Lord Amherst had cultivated a culture of favoritism and bribes, as well as undertraining and under-maintained troops. Official positions were purchased rather than earned on merit.
The Duke set about reforms. He increased troop discipline, ensuring all new recruits were properly trained in drill and field maneuvers. At the same time, he ensured that punishments became much less brutal and barracks and rations were improved to heighten morale. Soldiers’ provisions were now provided out of the public purse rather than relying upon a company’s colonel to cloth and equip them. He also modernized by creating a new regiment, the 95th Rifle Brigade, equipped with the latest high-precision Baker rifles and plain uniforms so they did not provide easy targets in the field.
Perhaps recognizing his own shortcomings, the Duke also encouraged merit-based promotion. He stamped down on commission purchasing and increased the number of free commissions to allow worthy men to rise through the ranks. In 1802, he established the Royal Military College at Sandhurst for the training of officers. Finally, he founded the Duke of York’s school at Chelsea for the sons of soldiers.
All of this was timely. For in 1802, war broke out again with France-this time under the command of Napoleon. Without the Duke’s reforms, it is unlikely the British army could have defeated Napoleon’s troops in the Peninsular War.