Chapter Thirteen, The Arrival of the "Red Uniform"
When the first batch of zombies was about to emerge in London, the village of Longbourn, twenty-five miles away, was still calm.
Wang Qiu and others, who were waiting with "Pride and Prejudice" in their hands, did not wait for the handsome and lively Mr. Bentley, and another iceberg god Mr. Darcy who was famous for his arrogance. Instead, they welcomed a man who had been ordered to move from the north. Meryton Militia Regiment.
(As mentioned before, the small town of Merriton is only one mile from the village of Longbourn, where the five Bennet sisters often hang out.)
——The British Army in this era was very small, with a total strength of only a very pitiful 50,000 troops (including the 6,400 Indian soldiers employed by the East India Company), and they were scattered throughout the country. Halfway around the world from Canada to India. Therefore, this pocket army can only use "regiment" as its basic strategic unit, and the military rank of the regiment leader is colonel. The "brigade" at the higher level is a temporary establishment. It is composed of several regiments when needed. The brigade commander is routinely appointed to the most senior regiment commander among them, and is temporarily awarded the rank of brigadier general. After the mission is completed, the brigade is re-established. Disband.
As for the "divisions" and "armies" at the next higher level...not counting overseas colonial garrisons, the entire British army at that time was probably about the size of a division. If there were to be any division commanders appointed, wouldn't it be Is it equivalent to taking away the job of the Army Commander-in-Chief?
The British mainland army regiments are roughly divided into two types: militia regiments (actually also regular army) and Guards regiments. The latter are permanently stationed in the capital and protect the royal family. The former are scattered across the country and are supported by local places. They will be gathered in the capital during war. Near London or some other port, waiting to be embarked for the expedition.
The town of Meryton, which is only more than 20 miles away from London, is one of the distribution centers frequently visited by various militia regiments of the British Army.
(It’s pitiful to think about it. The British opened up the seven seas and conquered the world with such a small army, while the Qing Dynasty’s millions of soldiers and horses were moldy at home.)
Accompanied by the lively "Grenadier March", groups of infantrymen carrying rifles filed in from outside the town. Junior officers in red uniforms rode tall horses and swaggered through the city, attracting all the ladies. The ladies cheered and stared with admiration.
In the British countryside of this era, the daily lives of those ladies who had no worries about food and clothing were very boring, and they could only use social interaction to fill the gaps in their lives. Although the so-called social life is nothing more than exchanging gossips and rumors that everyone knows. With the arrival of these "red uniforms", the social life in the countryside, which was not rich and exciting enough, suddenly set off waves of chaos. All the ladies and ladies were very excited and waved to the red uniforms. Some of the guys who were suspected of being "uniform addicts" even went crazy.
Wang Qiu, disguised as Mr. Collins, stood at the door of a shop in Meryton Town, watching the vivid scenes with cold eyes.
By comparing the costumes of the onlookers on both sides of the street, Wang Qiu had to admit that the reason why these British country ladies fanatically loved the red military uniforms and even turned into a bunch of brainless "uniform addicts" was probably the same. There is some truth to this. Because the clothing of the British upper class at the end of the 18th century was really lacking in beauty. Ladies' skirts were all high-waisted and straight-cut, with no curves, as if they were wrapped in curtains around their bodies. No matter how slender the girl is, as long as the skirt is on her body, she will exude the breath of a pregnant woman. The long skirts with whalebone bustles and wide and fluffy skirts like those in "Gone with the Wind" and "La Traviata" had not yet become popular in Britain at this time.
——Of course, this may also be a blessing for some women who pay more attention to health than beauty: no need to tie the waist, no need to diet, no need to wear the kind of clothes that often make ladies faint, and cause bone deformation in upper-class women. The Horrible Corset for Frequently Dystocia ( In the later Victorian era, the terrible corset came back even more intensely), and there was no need to even wear high heels (at that time, only French women generally wore high heels, while British ladies mainly wore flat cloth shoes, similar to modern women's sneakers)...< br>
As for the men's clothing of gentlemen...the men's coats popular among British gentlemen in this era are even more ridiculous. The hem is longer than the knee and is split in the back. It is said that it is for the convenience of riding horses. The tops and coats are all wide robes with big sleeves, and the trousers are all baggy, and they are all held up by belts to prevent them from falling
In this era of dark-colored loose-fitting men's clothing, relatively speaking, the British Army's straight red uniforms are indeed the most eye-catching clothes that best reflect the male figure. At least in terms of visual effect, he is far more handsome than those gentlemen who follow the rules and wear dim clothes. Especially when used on those handsome and burly young people, they turn into pieces of "little fresh meat" that can make infatuated and resentful girls drool...
Unfortunately, in the eyes of the enemy, they are also easy to chew on. For example, Minami Rika, an excellent sniper in the Japanese police, was standing next to Wang Qiu dressed as a maid, pretending to be a modern soldier. From his perspective, he harshly commented on the "red uniforms" in front of him: "...the older ones are fat and bloated, while the younger ones are generally oily and pink-faced, and their muscles are also very loose. It is almost impossible to see that they have received military training..."< br>
"...No need to make a fuss. Who knows what these people did before? Maybe they just bought this officer title a few days ago."
Wang Qiu said calmly, "...It is said that in the British Army of this era, there are many officers who have never fired a gun, cannot read maps, and some even cannot ride horses. This is all normal...if they actually go to the battlefield. , even if I use the same weapon, I am confident that I can beat ten of them one by one..."
"...Buy an officer?" Nan Lixiang blinked in disbelief, "...Can you still buy a British officer position with money?"
"...Don't you know? These days, all officers of the British Army at all levels have to be bought with money!" Wang Qiu replied.
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——Although later Hollywood films such as "The Patriot" exaggerated the combat effectiveness of the British Empire's redcoats in the late eighteenth century. But in fact, the British Army in this era is famous for being at the bottom of Europe in terms of combat effectiveness. Since the British government has long focused on developing its naval fleet, and is also willing to use mercenaries who can "come and go as soon as they are called" in overseas colonial wars. As a result, the British Army, which has been seriously neglected, has become a military force. A team that “makes people question their ability to defeat Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs.”
At that time, the positions and ranks of officers at all levels in the British Army were actually bought and sold directly with money! Any officer can be promoted as long as he has money, and it has nothing to do with military merit and seniority! The only exception is the artillery, because artillery officers have to calculate ballistic trajectories and understand a series of complex mathematical knowledge that laymen cannot do, otherwise they may dump artillery shells on their own heads. Therefore, at that time, the British Army had a special artillery academy, and only those who passed the examination could become artillery officers. However, this only raises the entry threshold for buying an official position. If an artillery officer wants to be promoted, he still has to raise his own money to buy an official position. Instead of getting an official position based on good grades or outstanding military exploits.
What's even more incredible is that, unlike the Qing Dynasty's donors, British Army officers who are full of business spirit can also sell the official hat they bought on their heads and make huge profits by relying on the price difference between the two transactions - The selling prices of military ranks at all levels will fluctuate drastically with market conditions. For example, if a regiment is about to be sent to a deserted island in the Pacific, the price of officers of this regiment will immediately plummet. And if this regiment is to be mobilized to garrison in a prosperous place like London, the capital, the value of the officer position of this regiment will naturally increase accordingly.
As a result, savvy financiers soon saw the benefits and began to resell officer positions like futures. With the help of their inside information, they continued to buy and sell majors and captains one by one, turning officer positions into Investment and financial products like stocks and securities... When this kind of trading was at its most prosperous, there was even an underground military officer position exchange, referred to as the "official exchange".
Therefore, the way for British Army officers to be promoted at that time was to rob on the battlefield and collect a large amount of money to buy a higher military rank... And if the king or prime minister wanted to promote a young officer, he had to pay for it out of his own pocket. Buying him an official position cannot be done with just a piece of official paper.
In short, the British army officers of this era, before they were tested and tempered by the Napoleonic Wars, were basically a group of laymen who paid to become officials. Most of them spend money to buy officer positions not to seek development in the military, but to have a decent status in the social world such as "Colonel So-and-so" or "Captain So-and-so", and to be able to attract people by wearing a dazzling military uniform. The attention of those ladies. (That's why in the romance novels of that era, there were so many officers who danced and picked up girls all day long and did not do anything serious. In fact, they were just a bunch of playboys who spent money to buy an official position.) Or they were looking for a job for some of their gray businesses. Top protective umbrella. There are also some guys who are simply optimistic about the market prospects of a certain military officer position, so they rush to build positions and wait for the appreciation in value before selling them to make a big fortune. They are similar to those guys in modern China who bought several houses and waited for the appreciation in value...< br>
As a result, the officer corps of the British Army has become an incredibly liquid trading place. All officers regard the official hat on their head as a special stock and are ready to sell it at any time. There are basically few officers at all levels who are competent. The vast majority of officers who paid to buy their positions do not have the minimum military literacy, or are not even on duty at all. Many soldiers have never met the commander of their regiment from joining the army to retiring - because the colonel is busy dancing and picking up girls in the city all day long, trying to marry a rich girl! Whenever a regiment is about to go on an expedition, there will always be a group of pampered officers eager to sell their official positions at a low price to avoid dying on the battlefield. Some poor people with a strong desire for fame took the opportunity to rise to the top in one fell swoop and bought military officer titles at very low prices, hoping to become famous in the war.
The British Army officers at the end of the 18th century were in such a situation that they were being resold all day long, so what about the soldiers?
At that time, Britain had not yet established a compulsory military service system. Whether it was the navy or the army, they basically had to recruit young men. The vast majority of the conscription targets were "social scum" who were discriminated against, including bankrupt farmers, Urban poor, jobless vagrants, criminals, gangsters, etc. At that time, European countries generally believed that craftsmen, farmers, businessmen, and scholars were the creators of national wealth. Therefore, when recruiting troops, countries tried not to consider those with wealth. A serious professional person. The unemployed vagrants who hang out in towns all day long, the drunkards who enjoy drinking in bars, and the thieves and criminals who travel through the slums have become the best sources of army soldiers. Because the leaders of various countries believe that these low-class people who are not doing their jobs can not create wealth for the country, but are unstable factors that affect social security. Rather than leaving them to commit crimes in society, it is better to recruit them into the army on the spot. , it can be regarded as giving them a legitimate career, and even if they are killed, they will bring glory to the country.
When these "scumbags" join the army, you can imagine what kind of negative impression those officers with wealthy backgrounds will have on them. The Prime Minister at the time once publicly declared: "You must not train them in war, because it is almost impossible for a person to make a living by that profession to be an honest man or a good Christian. In addition, war is a skill that cannot be used once it is used up." No matter how much knowledge is needed, soldiers in peacetime are like summer fireplaces." The Duke of Wellington, who commanded the anti-French coalition to achieve the victory at Waterloo, called his soldiers "scum recruited from all over the world. Drink.”
The way to train these "scum of society" into soldiers is endless whipping, punishment and drills - the officers of the eighteenth century firmly believed that soldiers did not need to think, and that the right to think belonged to the officers. Officers do not need to be unreasonable to their soldiers, they only need to strictly control them, keep them busy through constant work and drills, and use up their energy to cause trouble. That is enough. As for promotion, it is purely a dream. How can a poor person be qualified to be an official?
"...In other words, the soldiers of the British Army these days are scum, and the officers are stocks? Can such a bad army fight a war?"
After listening to Wang Qiu's introduction, Nan Lixiang couldn't help but feel embarrassed, "...how did this country survive?"
"... First of all, the only thing the British are bad at is the army. The combat effectiveness of the Royal Navy of the British Empire is relatively guaranteed. And Britain is an island country. It cannot invade without defeating the British fleet... Secondly, in this day and age, other European countries The army is also terrible!”
Wang Qiu shrugged and continued to explain to Nan Lixiang - because the plot of "Pride and Prejudice" contains many scenes about the "red uniform" officers of the British Army of that era, so he has collected a lot of stories about them these days. I also had a video chat with several history professors who researched related topics about the British Army at the end of the 18th century, and also had some knowledge of the military systems of other European countries at the same time.
"...The British Army in this era is all about money. If you have money, you can become a high official. It seems unfair, but in fact it is an improvement compared to the era of the feudal kingdom - you know, in this In Continental Europe in those days, officers came from noble families, while soldiers came from civilians. There was a huge difference between the two. For officers, the nobler the family, the higher the rank. The greater the chance of promotion, while ability and qualifications have little impact on promotion. For example, in France before the Great Revolution, the senior officers of the French army were usually aristocratic gentlemen who had neither military literacy nor ambition. He is usually very pampered and does not live in the military camp at all. He does not understand the soldiers under his command, let alone the art of war.
As for those truly capable officers, there was no way to advance - France at that time had clear regulations that anyone who wanted to become an officer must be verified by a court genealogy expert and have at least one-sixteenth of the noble blood. If you want to become a general, you must have the blood of a big noble. Those from a small noble family can only become a colonel at most. As for people who have no aristocratic blood, such as the middle class and the descendants of capitalists, they can only be promoted to lieutenant in the French army of the Bourbon dynasty. It is impossible to command a company, and it is even impossible to spend money to buy an official position like the British. Can't buy it.
This is no longer a glass ceiling in the workplace, but a clearly stipulated steel armor plate, so the French bourgeoisie is naturally full of complaints. Except for France, the armies of other feudal kingdoms on the European continent were similar, with the same supremacy of nobles and the same suppression of civilians. Therefore, after the Great Revolution, only the French civilian officers who had turned over were able to defeat the useless aristocratic feudal armies of various European countries..."
At this point, all those in red uniforms had passed through the streets, and the soldiers were put into barracks and strictly controlled, while the young officers were wandering around the streets, whistling at the ladies, or rushing into the pub to get drunk... Disguise Wang Qiu, who became "Mr. Collins", couldn't help but shake his head when he saw this. Head: "... Speaking of which, according to the description in "Pride and Prejudice", this militia group should not be stationed in Meryton until the end of September or early October at the earliest. But now it is only early September... This must have happened. What is it, it seems we need to inquire..."
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Obviously, the newly arrived militiamen in red uniforms did not have much sense of confidentiality. Wang Qiu, disguised as "Mr. Collins", only spent a few glasses of whiskey in the pub in Meryton town and successfully changed from one person to another. The frustrated lieutenant's mouth was roughly filled with breath.
——Now at a time when Britain, Austria, Prussia and other European countries have formed the first anti-French alliance and are preparing to mobilize their forces to jointly strangle the French revolutionary forces, their militia group has also been ordered to mobilize from northern England to the south as a cross-sea attack. French local reserve team.
Originally, according to the scheduled schedule, it would take some time for their militia group to set off from its old garrison in the north. Unexpectedly, a plague broke out in London recently. When the dignitaries of the Hanoverian Dynasty left the capital and fled to the countryside in a hurry, they were also worried that the London citizens would break out in panic and riot, causing damage and losses, so they ordered various armies to be stationed in the city of London. Enforce martial law, To maintain social order during the plague... For the troops who were ordered to enter the London epidemic area to suppress the chaos, this was really a dangerous and meritorious chore - the disease did not recognize people, and they who entered the epidemic area to maintain order The army is also likely to contract the plague. And most plagues these days are still incurable. The risk is at least as high as those of later United Nations peacekeepers who were mobilized to perform rescue missions in Ebola outbreak areas in Black Africa.
Obviously, today's red uniforms of the British Army, which are paid to buy official positions, definitely do not have the selfless, philanthropic and sacrificial spirit of the "Blue Helmets" of the United Nations in later generations. Thinking that the dignitaries in London were running to the countryside to seek refuge, while they, poor people from other counties, were forced to work as backstops in the plague-ridden city of London, the entire militia group was full of complaints and complaints. .
Unable to disobey the military order, they negotiated with the superiors for a long time before they were allowed to rest for a week in the small town of Meryton on the outskirts of London. They also recruited strong men on the spot in the town to fill the shortage of soldiers, and then they had to enter the city of London to perform martial law tasks! If you fail to arrive within the time limit, you will be subject to military law!
Therefore, leaving aside the soldiers who were still kept in the dark, all the officers who heard about the news felt that their future was bleak and their life and death were uncertain, and they were all preparing to have fun at Meryton, the last rest stop, or have some fun. It's about trying to find ways to get out of trouble. ——After complaining to Wang Qiu, the drunken lieutenant actually sold him his official title again, saying that he was willing to transfer his lieutenant title at a 60% discount on the market price. Later, because he was rejected, he was too slow to do so. Slowly the price was reduced to 40% off... Unfortunately, Wang Qiu now had no intention of leaving Longbourn Village, nor was he interested in carrying the tank for him and going to London to experience the disease first-hand, so he firmly declined...
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