tend to raise its reputation amongst the armies of Europe. The campaigns
of allied armies under the duke of York in the Netherlands, in which
British contingents figured largely, were uniformly unsuccessful
(1793-94 and 1799), though in this respect they resembled those of
almost all soldiers who commanded against the "New French" army. The
policy of the younger Pitt sent thousands of the best soldiers to
unprofitable employment, and indeed to death, in the West Indies. At
home the administration was corrupt and ineffective, and the people
generally shared the contemptuous feeling towards the regular army which
was then prevalent in Europe. But a better era began with the
appointment of Frederick Augustus, duke of York, as commander-in-chief
of the army. He did much to improve its organization, discipline and
training, and was ably seconded by commanders of distinguished ability.
Under Abercromby in Egypt, under Stuart at Maida, and under Lake,
Wellesley and others in India, the British armies again attached victory
to their standards, and made themselves feared and respected. Later,
Napoleon's threat of invading England excited her martial spirit to the
highest pitch to which it had ever attained. Finally, her military glory
was raised by the series of successful campaigns in the Peninsula, until
it culminated in the great victory of Waterloo; and the army emerged
from the war with the most solidly founded reputation of any in Europe.
The events of this period belong to the history of Europe, and fall
outside the province of an article dealing only with the army. The great
augmentations required during the war were effected partly by raising
additional regiments, but principally by increasing the number of
battalions, some regiments being given as many as four. On the
conclusion of peace these battalions were reduced, but the regiments
were retained, and the army was permanently increased from about twenty
thousand, the usual peace establishment before the war, to an average of
eighty thousand. The duke of York, on first appointment to the command,
had introduced a uniform drill throughout the army, which was further
modified according to Sir David Dundas's system in 1800; and, under the
direction of Sir John Moore and others, a high perfection of drill was
attained. At the beginning of the war, the infantry, like that of the
continental powers, was formed in three ranks; but a two-rank formation
had been introduced in America and in India and gradually became
general, and in 1809 was finally approved. In the Peninsula the army was
permanently organized in divisions, usually consisting of two brigades
of three or four battalions each, and one or two batteries of artillery.
The duke of Wellington had also brought the commissariat and the army
transport to a high pitch of perfection, but in the long peace which
followed these establishments were reduced or broken up.