Uniformiser et professionnaliser le « Service de garnison » sous le règne de Marie-Thérèse d’Autriche

Abstract

Maria Theresa of Austria remains in historiography one of the examples of the woman in power who profoundly marked the 18th century, a great feminine century. She was a sovereign notably because of the special relationship she maintained with her army during her reign. In 1740, Maria Theresa inherited a weakened, aged and mediocre army, which was in dire need of reform among both the generals and soldiers. The General’s Regulations arrived in 1769. It was a useful document to understand military administration during the Enlightenment, particularly with regard to garrisons. In this contribution, we will show that the regulation revealed the will to “professionalise” and standardise garrison command, while seeking to standardise the lives of soldiers by means of a number of rules.