"Funding for a Doctoral Contract at the SHD" Topic

Hello everyone,

I was looking on the SHD website, and I recently found that they posted an article on funding for a doctoral contract two days ago. This is open to any nationality and something I would be very interested in. However, I am sure my lack of actually speaking French fluently might slightly be something that would hold me back! link

I was wondering what would be an appropriate doctoral thesis and study? At the moment, I am studying the officers and soldiers of the french army in 1809 in Bavaria, but what would make a good topic?

I am also looking at the casualties suffered by Verdier's division at Heilsberg for the 3e and 72e Ligne and the 2e and 12e Legere. The last topics I have broken down are the casualties in the killed, mortally wounded, wounded & kept serving, wounded and retired, wounded and unfit for service, wounded and passed to hotel de Invalids, wounded and died of disease in the hospital, wounded and no news from the hospital, and scratched off rolls, and prisoner of war.

Any ideas or suggestions would be welcomed.

Michael

Looking at the Napoleonic military medical system might be a good topic – while this has been done before a detailed drill-down along the lines of Dr. Devine's work on the Civil War (which she published as a book – full disclosure, we have met as part of my work in the history of medicine and she gave me a signed copy) might be worth considering

link

Frederick,

Thank you for the suggestion, and I will get a copy of that book! I am not as interested in the medical side, but more so the story of the individual soldiers' experience, such as how they were wounded, the details of their wounds, and how this might help us better understand the phases of the actual battles.

However, I need to spend more time on the Civil War as I live in Virginia, no more than 30 minutes drive from many of the large battles during the war.

Thank you,
Michael

Cher Michael

First step – you must belong to an university that has signed an agreement with SHD.
Bad news for you, napoleonic subjects are not fashionable today, most researches that are eligible to funding are about French armies in the 70's or 80's of the 20th century: according this paragraph :"l'étude s'inscrit dans l'un des axes de recherche jugés prioritaires par le ministère des Armées" your subject has to be approved by the Ministry DMPA , SHD or DELPAT.
A friend of mine having as Phd subject "Links between industries and Armée de terre rebuilding french armies after WWII" has not been funded.

Speaking and undertsanding French is probably requisite as your Phd has to be written in French.

You can study all the subjects "military history" that are recorded on this page/ link

Bonne chance

Gboue

Gboue,

I appreciate your response. Thankfully, I do read French better than I speak it. I will take a look at the military history subjects that have been recorded. I will graduate from my Master's program next month, and maybe I can convince them to support my doctorate endeavors.

A real shame Napoleonic history is not in fashion.

Thank you again!
Michael

A good subject would be – what kind of wounds were inflicted in the battle of 1809 – lets say Thann and then a big one and how do the battle field accounts fit in with that

Dr David Silkenat has just published a book "Raise the White Flag" about the experience of surrender and captivity in the ACW. The idea has much novelty and could easily be carried over to the Napoleonic Era.

One of my sons has his viva in a few weeks at the end of three years work for his PhD. All to do with Emotional History (seems that is very much the fashion) in the Kansas/Missouri Guerilla War. Best of luck whatever.

Liam

Deadhead,

A fascinating study on Emotional History, which I am guessing was a battle to the death in that area with a lot of scores being settled.

I will also take a look at that book. I appreciate it!

von W,

That was my thought as well. While researching the Battle of Heilsberg, clearly there is a difference in how the men were wounded and the ratio of killed to wounded is very different between a set-piece battle against a well-entrenched enemy and what author John Gill called a meeting engagement at Thann. Since the 3e Ligne was in both battles and suffered a high amount of casualties at both battles, it might be a good study to show the difference in causality figures based on what type of battle the regiment found itself in.

I appreciate the comments.
Michael

As a historian currently employed as a professor of history I can tell you only three things interest the academic history world today. Race, Class and Gender. Military anything is so far down the line as not to be seen.

Grattan54, my youngest lad would kill for your chair, if not right now, but a few years down the line. Academia in History in the UK was bad enough before the pandemic. But now. A PhD means "Do you want fries with that sir?"

Grattan54,

Where do you teach? I a month away from a Master's of Education and have a double major in American and European History. Currently teaching history in an inner-city high school in Richmond,VA. I was looking at teaching college one day. Would you recommend it? Most likely will go back and get 18 credits of Master's of History so I could teach at least both disciplines at the community College level.

I could look at the change over time of the French officer class. Some regiments were giving more spots to well off velites coming from the Guard than well deserving NCOs who only took their place once those died out or were promoted.

Thanks,
Michael

I am at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee. Right now
times are not great for Historians. Many colleges are really cutting back on the Humanities. History programs are on the decline. My department has been cut by nearly 50%. When I do see hiring notices they are for positions dealing with minority, women's, Non-Western history. Rarely do I see anything in straight European and American history. But if it something you really want to do go for. At least you can say you tried for your dream.

"I could look at the change over time ….."

I think it would be a brilliant topic for research, and add much to our knowledge of both the military capability of the late-Empire army and the position of the upper-middle class and old nobility in late-Empire society.

The possibility of prior elites "re-asserting their priveledge", under-mining the gains in social status of the working and peasant classes and people of color while impairing military efficiency in time of war might just have enough "Emotions", "Race, Class and Gender" to get a university's approval.

I wanted to study history in my youth. I even taught for a while at the high school level and tutored at the college level. But I ended up an engineer in the navy, and could only persue my interest in history as a recreation. It was an OK choice for me. But do think carefully if you face a similar decision.
:-)

Michman,

Thanks for the topic suggestion! At the moment I am rethinking my career. Working in an inner-city school and any high school at the moment isn't that fun. Students are given 50s for non-competition of work and kids are just too smart now. They understand how to game the system and just do enough to pass. Also, the pay is terrible and I need to think of my family's future over my desire to teach.

This summer I will be most likely looking for a new career that pays better. I believe history will always be my passion, but I need to think more about the financial safety of my family first.

You can study all the subjects "military history" that are recorded on this page
link

not a lot of napoleonic topics unfortunately, many not even French History, and some titles don't seem to have something to do with true/'hard' 'military' history,
maybe they are listed because only of the key-word 'military', such as "the Notariat in the Principalty of Orange" but "military" occupied several times under Louis XIV or others about commerce and freemasonry and prefects of North etc…

funny, found someone we know very active member in historical forums, today second in command at the 511e Régiment du Train, Quartier Bonaparte in Auxonne, yes in the barracks where a famous yound Artillery lieutenant served, he is doing one about the "German Military Mission in Rumania 1940-1942"…

about the 200 titles military (and civilians) topics listed we find only, not exclusively napoleonic but crossing periods including napoleonic

Les guerres napoléoniennes, cultures et armées en Europe.
in preparation since 2004, 18 years ago!

La Logistique des Armées Républicaines de la déclaration de guerre aux Traités de 1797 Evolution des soutiens Révolution de la manœuvre

L'escrime de guerre dans l'armée française, de la Révolution à la Première Guerre Mondiale : pratique et théorie du corps à corps dans la guerre moderne.

Commander, croire, obéir. La noblesse militaire en France de la fin de l'Ancien Régime à la fin de la seconde Restauration

Le général français Charles Nicolas Fabvier (1782-1855) : militaire napoléonien, héros philhellène de l'époque romantique.

Le général Duroc (1772-1813), grand-maréchal du Palais, diplomate et confident de Napoléon Ier

L'état d'esprit du militaire français se battant en dehors du territoire national de la guerre de Sept ans à la guerre d'Indochine (1756-1955)

Les "Africains" dans la Révolution haïtienne (1791-1804)

L'Hôtel des Invalides et les soldats blessés, mutilés de guerre entre 1670 et 1815

'Au cœur de l'armée et de la ville', une étude historique des casernes dans le nord de la France (1668-1872)

…but with the keyword 'Regiment' for example there are others topics and some not appearing in the previous list such as one about Régiment Royal Suédois 1690-1791 and as 'military napoleonic'

Le maréchal Marmont (1774-1852), un itinéraire militaire à l'ombre de Napoléon Bonaparte : de l'amitié à la trahison ?

Le champ couvert de mort sur qui tombait la nuit : être blessé au combat et soigné dans l'Europe napoléonienne (1805-1813)

L'État et les officiers en Russie (1796-1853) : genèse d'une identité socioprofessionnelle

keyword 'Infanterie' we find the Gendarmerie and archeology of one of the 3 campS of Boulogne, in Montreuil-sur-Mer

Les soldats de Napoléon en leur camp
Parmi les principaux camps du « camp de Boulogne », celui de Montreuil-sur-Mer regroupait les 3 divisions du corps de gauche commandé par le maréchal Ney ; au total, 11 régiments d'infanterie. Ces camps étonnent par leur étendue, leur forme étirée et leur régularité. Un principe précis présidait à leur organisation : l'ordre de bataille.

Naissance de la gendarmerie nationale (1791-1801) : évolution de l'institution dans la décennie révolutionnaire : l'exemple du département du Gard

with others keywords

Un régiment de cavalerie légère de 1783 à 1815 : le 5e régiment de hussards, une histoire sociale et militaire
…published 2 years later in a book

Le armi dotte tra Francia e Italia 1796-1814
La thèse se propose d'évaluer l'impact des influences françaises dans le domaine des corps techniques de terre (artillerie, génie et ingénieurs-géographes) en Italie (notamment Républiques Cisalpines, République Italienne et Royaume d'Italie) entre 1796 et 1814

Guerre et Révolution. Les armées bolivariennes dans la guerre d'Indépendance Colombie-Venezuela, 1810-1821
…also published in a book some years later

Les expéditions coloniales vers Saint-Domingue et les Antilles (1802-1810)

Violence de guerres de la Guerre de la péninsule : la prise en charge des soldats de l'Empire par le service de santé en Espagne (1808-1814).

some searchers such as Chauviré for the Old Regime Cavalry or Coudray for the Irish Regiments of the French Army have now a book in english for Helion

When looking at the officer class, I wrote a small paragraph about the 7e Legere and how they received a large number of officers from the Guard that were former Velites. Would be an interesting topic to research further their background.

Most regiments I have researched, have a few officers from the Velites de la Garde Imperial (Grenadiers or Chasseurs a pied), however, the 7e Legere is the largest yet. Of the 18 Sous-Lieuts present with the regiment on 19 April 1809, 10 were former Velites de la Chasseurs a pied de la Garde Imperial. In contrast, Joseph Marcel (20) was the only recent graduate of the École spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr. The othe seven Sous-Lieuts. were long-serving soldiers of the 7e Legere who were promoted from the ranks, and must have felt some sort of jealousy or frustration with the newcomers from the Garde. There were also two Lieuts. who had served in the Velites de la Chasseurs a pied, which were Claude-Phillippe Cotte (34) and Jean-Paul-Marie de Sede. (31) Lieut. Cotte was a holder of the Legion d'honneur and had a long career before joining the Chasseurs a pied de la Garde and eventually being promoted Sergent in an 9 in the Velites de la Chasseurs a pied in 2nd Company, 3rd Battalion of the 2e Regiment. Below can be seen my most recent research on these officers from the Velites de la Chasseurs a pied

Good luck in your eandeavours mike; knowing when and what you have to change is an excrutiating time… I know I had to and would have made other changes had I recognised the need earlier!

>>former Velites

Yes they are an interesting 'resource' and somewhat strange construct I would have thought in that era.

Yet someone, apparently the great man, decided he needed to have a 'school' of warfare and administration that would enhance the entire army and nation.

Terry Crowdys excellent work on the 'Legere' gives some clues as to the earlier period but I'm yet to reach the Empire. Do you have it?
regards
dave