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What was the fastest military draft in the United States?
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In the United States, men aged 18-25 are required to register for a possible military draft. The original argument was that the country would need large numbers of troops in a hurry, and (back then) there were otherwise no databases to locate eligible men.
In practice, troops don't magically appear on the combat field the day after a draft is declared. It takes time to notify possible recruits, confirm their eligibility, induct them, provide basic training, identify their aptitudes and skills, organize them into units, perform additional training specialized for their role, and transport them to a combat zone. Regular and reserve forces do the combat until conscripts are ready.
So, what was the shortest amount of time between when a military draft was announced, and when the first conscripts were deployed to a combat zone?
united-states military
asked 7 hours ago
Dr Sheldon
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up vote
3
down vote
favorite
In the United States, men aged 18-25 are required to register for a possible military draft. The original argument was that the country would need large numbers of troops in a hurry, and (back then) there were otherwise no databases to locate eligible men.
In practice, troops don't magically appear on the combat field the day after a draft is declared. It takes time to notify possible recruits, confirm their eligibility, induct them, provide basic training, identify their aptitudes and skills, organize them into units, perform additional training specialized for their role, and transport them to a combat zone. Regular and reserve forces do the combat until conscripts are ready.
So, what was the shortest amount of time between when a military draft was announced, and when the first conscripts were deployed to a combat zone?
united-states military
asked 7 hours ago
Dr Sheldon
1165
New contributor
Dr Sheldon is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
In the United States, men aged 18-25 are required to register for a possible military draft. The original argument was that the country would need large numbers of troops in a hurry, and (back then) there were otherwise no databases to locate eligible men.
In practice, troops don't magically appear on the combat field the day after a draft is declared. It takes time to notify possible recruits, confirm their eligibility, induct them, provide basic training, identify their aptitudes and skills, organize them into units, perform additional training specialized for their role, and transport them to a combat zone. Regular and reserve forces do the combat until conscripts are ready.
So, what was the shortest amount of time between when a military draft was announced, and when the first conscripts were deployed to a combat zone?
united-states military
asked 7 hours ago
Dr Sheldon
1165
New contributor
Dr Sheldon is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
In the United States, men aged 18-25 are required to register for a possible military draft. The original argument was that the country would need large numbers of troops in a hurry, and (back then) there were otherwise no databases to locate eligible men.
In practice, troops don't magically appear on the combat field the day after a draft is declared. It takes time to notify possible recruits, confirm their eligibility, induct them, provide basic training, identify their aptitudes and skills, organize them into units, perform additional training specialized for their role, and transport them to a combat zone. Regular and reserve forces do the combat until conscripts are ready.
So, what was the shortest amount of time between when a military draft was announced, and when the first conscripts were deployed to a combat zone?
united-states military
united-states military
asked 7 hours ago
Dr Sheldon
1165
New contributor
Dr Sheldon is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 7 hours ago
Dr Sheldon
1165
New contributor
Dr Sheldon is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 7 hours ago
asked 7 hours ago
Dr Sheldon
1165
New contributor
Dr Sheldon is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 7 hours ago
Dr Sheldon
1165
asked 7 hours ago
Dr Sheldon
1165
1165
New contributor
Dr Sheldon is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Dr Sheldon is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Dr Sheldon is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
5
down vote
Question: So, what was the shortest amount of time between when a military draft was announced, and when the first conscripts were deployed to a combat zone?
Short Answer:
1863, US Civil War saw Union troops regularly going into combat 3 weeks after getting called up.
Detailed Answer:
The first wartime draft in American history where the draftee's actually saw combat was during the Civil War. The Enrollment Act, also known as the Civil War Military Draft Act, passed by congress in March 3, 1863, went into effect in July of that year and required all men 20-45 to register and be subject to the draft until the quota was met.
In the American Civil war there wasn't much training given to newly formed regiments. Many regiments went into combat only three weeks after being organized. They learned how to march and maneuver, some basic tactics and were thrown into battle.
Civil War Leadership: Discipline & Training of Soldiers
Rather than learning in training camp, Civil War regiments had to learn to fight on the battlefield. The training of regiments was lacking and consisted mainly of the manual of arms, little target practice, company and regimental drills in basic maneuvers and brigade drill and skirmishing tactics. Division drill or mock combat was a rare occurrence. Many regiments went into combat only three weeks after being organized.
Brigades were not combined into divisions until July 1861 or later, nor divisions into corps until the spring and summer of 1862. This means that no one, not even the officers had any experience fighting in such large numbers.
.
Sources:
- Enrollment Act
- Civil War Leadership: Discipline & Training of Soldiers
answered 4 hours ago
JMS
9,62222792
The problem with the American Civil War, especially on the Union side, is that a negligible percentage of the recruits were conscripts - actual conscripts comprised only 2% of recruits, plus another 6% of paid substitutes. All units throughout the war were predominantly filled with volunteers. There were never enough conscripts, used or required, to warrant any plan to train them.
– Pieter Geerkens
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
In Thunder on the Danube, John H. Gill notes on page 95:
.... Many of the conscripts called up by the September 1808 decrees only reached their depots in November and December. When they joined their regiments in Germany and Italy [in March 1809], therefore, they had only been in uniform for three or four months.
Two pages later (page 97) Gill then contrasts the state of the French Army with that in 1813, just four years later:
..., it must be stressed that this was fundamentally a sound force. If overall quality had declined somewhat ..., in aggregate the army of 1809 remained far superior to the the courageous but raw conscript masses who marched into the 1813 campaign in Saxony.
These conscripts would see combat beginning in mid-April following the Austrian invasion of Bavaria on April 10. In Oudinot's Corps the conscripts would comprise about 70% of total manpower, while in Davout's III Corps they only comprised about 30% of total manpower. (Both figures according to Gill.) The cream of the 1809 class comprised the entirety of the newly created Young Guard, though with experienced officers and NCO's.
This timeline of about 14-18 weeks between arrival at depot and first combat was likely greater than in 1813 and 1814, but I have no quality resources for the latter two campaigns.
answered 5 hours ago
Pieter Geerkens
33.7k590159
1
In Oudinot's Corps the conscripts would comprise about 70% of total manpower, while in Davout's III Corps they only comprised about 70% of total manpower. One of the figures must be a typo; the correction will make the contrast more saillant.
– Evargalo
3 hours ago
1
@Evargalo: Thank you - Corrected to the proper 30% in Davout's III Corps.
– Pieter Geerkens
3 hours ago
1
This is interesting but my reading of the question is that it's specifically about the United States military.
– Steve Bird
49 mins ago
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
5
down vote
Question: So, what was the shortest amount of time between when a military draft was announced, and when the first conscripts were deployed to a combat zone?
Short Answer:
1863, US Civil War saw Union troops regularly going into combat 3 weeks after getting called up.
Detailed Answer:
The first wartime draft in American history where the draftee's actually saw combat was during the Civil War. The Enrollment Act, also known as the Civil War Military Draft Act, passed by congress in March 3, 1863, went into effect in July of that year and required all men 20-45 to register and be subject to the draft until the quota was met.
In the American Civil war there wasn't much training given to newly formed regiments. Many regiments went into combat only three weeks after being organized. They learned how to march and maneuver, some basic tactics and were thrown into battle.
Civil War Leadership: Discipline & Training of Soldiers
Rather than learning in training camp, Civil War regiments had to learn to fight on the battlefield. The training of regiments was lacking and consisted mainly of the manual of arms, little target practice, company and regimental drills in basic maneuvers and brigade drill and skirmishing tactics. Division drill or mock combat was a rare occurrence. Many regiments went into combat only three weeks after being organized.
Brigades were not combined into divisions until July 1861 or later, nor divisions into corps until the spring and summer of 1862. This means that no one, not even the officers had any experience fighting in such large numbers.
.
Sources:
- Enrollment Act
- Civil War Leadership: Discipline & Training of Soldiers
answered 4 hours ago
JMS
9,62222792
The problem with the American Civil War, especially on the Union side, is that a negligible percentage of the recruits were conscripts - actual conscripts comprised only 2% of recruits, plus another 6% of paid substitutes. All units throughout the war were predominantly filled with volunteers. There were never enough conscripts, used or required, to warrant any plan to train them.
– Pieter Geerkens
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
Question: So, what was the shortest amount of time between when a military draft was announced, and when the first conscripts were deployed to a combat zone?
Short Answer:
1863, US Civil War saw Union troops regularly going into combat 3 weeks after getting called up.
Detailed Answer:
The first wartime draft in American history where the draftee's actually saw combat was during the Civil War. The Enrollment Act, also known as the Civil War Military Draft Act, passed by congress in March 3, 1863, went into effect in July of that year and required all men 20-45 to register and be subject to the draft until the quota was met.
In the American Civil war there wasn't much training given to newly formed regiments. Many regiments went into combat only three weeks after being organized. They learned how to march and maneuver, some basic tactics and were thrown into battle.
Civil War Leadership: Discipline & Training of Soldiers
Rather than learning in training camp, Civil War regiments had to learn to fight on the battlefield. The training of regiments was lacking and consisted mainly of the manual of arms, little target practice, company and regimental drills in basic maneuvers and brigade drill and skirmishing tactics. Division drill or mock combat was a rare occurrence. Many regiments went into combat only three weeks after being organized.
Brigades were not combined into divisions until July 1861 or later, nor divisions into corps until the spring and summer of 1862. This means that no one, not even the officers had any experience fighting in such large numbers.
.
Sources:
- Enrollment Act
- Civil War Leadership: Discipline & Training of Soldiers
answered 4 hours ago
JMS
9,62222792
The problem with the American Civil War, especially on the Union side, is that a negligible percentage of the recruits were conscripts - actual conscripts comprised only 2% of recruits, plus another 6% of paid substitutes. All units throughout the war were predominantly filled with volunteers. There were never enough conscripts, used or required, to warrant any plan to train them.
– Pieter Geerkens
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
up vote
5
down vote
Question: So, what was the shortest amount of time between when a military draft was announced, and when the first conscripts were deployed to a combat zone?
Short Answer:
1863, US Civil War saw Union troops regularly going into combat 3 weeks after getting called up.
Detailed Answer:
The first wartime draft in American history where the draftee's actually saw combat was during the Civil War. The Enrollment Act, also known as the Civil War Military Draft Act, passed by congress in March 3, 1863, went into effect in July of that year and required all men 20-45 to register and be subject to the draft until the quota was met.
In the American Civil war there wasn't much training given to newly formed regiments. Many regiments went into combat only three weeks after being organized. They learned how to march and maneuver, some basic tactics and were thrown into battle.
Civil War Leadership: Discipline & Training of Soldiers
Rather than learning in training camp, Civil War regiments had to learn to fight on the battlefield. The training of regiments was lacking and consisted mainly of the manual of arms, little target practice, company and regimental drills in basic maneuvers and brigade drill and skirmishing tactics. Division drill or mock combat was a rare occurrence. Many regiments went into combat only three weeks after being organized.
Brigades were not combined into divisions until July 1861 or later, nor divisions into corps until the spring and summer of 1862. This means that no one, not even the officers had any experience fighting in such large numbers.
.
Sources:
- Enrollment Act
- Civil War Leadership: Discipline & Training of Soldiers
answered 4 hours ago
JMS
9,62222792
Question: So, what was the shortest amount of time between when a military draft was announced, and when the first conscripts were deployed to a combat zone?
Short Answer:
1863, US Civil War saw Union troops regularly going into combat 3 weeks after getting called up.
Detailed Answer:
The first wartime draft in American history where the draftee's actually saw combat was during the Civil War. The Enrollment Act, also known as the Civil War Military Draft Act, passed by congress in March 3, 1863, went into effect in July of that year and required all men 20-45 to register and be subject to the draft until the quota was met.
In the American Civil war there wasn't much training given to newly formed regiments. Many regiments went into combat only three weeks after being organized. They learned how to march and maneuver, some basic tactics and were thrown into battle.
Civil War Leadership: Discipline & Training of Soldiers
Rather than learning in training camp, Civil War regiments had to learn to fight on the battlefield. The training of regiments was lacking and consisted mainly of the manual of arms, little target practice, company and regimental drills in basic maneuvers and brigade drill and skirmishing tactics. Division drill or mock combat was a rare occurrence. Many regiments went into combat only three weeks after being organized.
Brigades were not combined into divisions until July 1861 or later, nor divisions into corps until the spring and summer of 1862. This means that no one, not even the officers had any experience fighting in such large numbers.
.
Sources:
- Enrollment Act
- Civil War Leadership: Discipline & Training of Soldiers
answered 4 hours ago
JMS
9,62222792
answered 4 hours ago
JMS
9,62222792
answered 4 hours ago
JMS
9,62222792
answered 4 hours ago
JMS
9,62222792
9,62222792
The problem with the American Civil War, especially on the Union side, is that a negligible percentage of the recruits were conscripts - actual conscripts comprised only 2% of recruits, plus another 6% of paid substitutes. All units throughout the war were predominantly filled with volunteers. There were never enough conscripts, used or required, to warrant any plan to train them.
– Pieter Geerkens
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
The problem with the American Civil War, especially on the Union side, is that a negligible percentage of the recruits were conscripts - actual conscripts comprised only 2% of recruits, plus another 6% of paid substitutes. All units throughout the war were predominantly filled with volunteers. There were never enough conscripts, used or required, to warrant any plan to train them.
– Pieter Geerkens
1 hour ago
The problem with the American Civil War, especially on the Union side, is that a negligible percentage of the recruits were conscripts - actual conscripts comprised only 2% of recruits, plus another 6% of paid substitutes. All units throughout the war were predominantly filled with volunteers. There were never enough conscripts, used or required, to warrant any plan to train them.
– Pieter Geerkens
1 hour ago
The problem with the American Civil War, especially on the Union side, is that a negligible percentage of the recruits were conscripts - actual conscripts comprised only 2% of recruits, plus another 6% of paid substitutes. All units throughout the war were predominantly filled with volunteers. There were never enough conscripts, used or required, to warrant any plan to train them.
– Pieter Geerkens
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
In Thunder on the Danube, John H. Gill notes on page 95:
.... Many of the conscripts called up by the September 1808 decrees only reached their depots in November and December. When they joined their regiments in Germany and Italy [in March 1809], therefore, they had only been in uniform for three or four months.
Two pages later (page 97) Gill then contrasts the state of the French Army with that in 1813, just four years later:
..., it must be stressed that this was fundamentally a sound force. If overall quality had declined somewhat ..., in aggregate the army of 1809 remained far superior to the the courageous but raw conscript masses who marched into the 1813 campaign in Saxony.
These conscripts would see combat beginning in mid-April following the Austrian invasion of Bavaria on April 10. In Oudinot's Corps the conscripts would comprise about 70% of total manpower, while in Davout's III Corps they only comprised about 30% of total manpower. (Both figures according to Gill.) The cream of the 1809 class comprised the entirety of the newly created Young Guard, though with experienced officers and NCO's.
This timeline of about 14-18 weeks between arrival at depot and first combat was likely greater than in 1813 and 1814, but I have no quality resources for the latter two campaigns.
answered 5 hours ago
Pieter Geerkens
33.7k590159
1
In Oudinot's Corps the conscripts would comprise about 70% of total manpower, while in Davout's III Corps they only comprised about 70% of total manpower. One of the figures must be a typo; the correction will make the contrast more saillant.
– Evargalo
3 hours ago
1
@Evargalo: Thank you - Corrected to the proper 30% in Davout's III Corps.
– Pieter Geerkens
3 hours ago
1
This is interesting but my reading of the question is that it's specifically about the United States military.
– Steve Bird
49 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
In Thunder on the Danube, John H. Gill notes on page 95:
.... Many of the conscripts called up by the September 1808 decrees only reached their depots in November and December. When they joined their regiments in Germany and Italy [in March 1809], therefore, they had only been in uniform for three or four months.
Two pages later (page 97) Gill then contrasts the state of the French Army with that in 1813, just four years later:
..., it must be stressed that this was fundamentally a sound force. If overall quality had declined somewhat ..., in aggregate the army of 1809 remained far superior to the the courageous but raw conscript masses who marched into the 1813 campaign in Saxony.
These conscripts would see combat beginning in mid-April following the Austrian invasion of Bavaria on April 10. In Oudinot's Corps the conscripts would comprise about 70% of total manpower, while in Davout's III Corps they only comprised about 30% of total manpower. (Both figures according to Gill.) The cream of the 1809 class comprised the entirety of the newly created Young Guard, though with experienced officers and NCO's.
This timeline of about 14-18 weeks between arrival at depot and first combat was likely greater than in 1813 and 1814, but I have no quality resources for the latter two campaigns.
answered 5 hours ago
Pieter Geerkens
33.7k590159
1
In Oudinot's Corps the conscripts would comprise about 70% of total manpower, while in Davout's III Corps they only comprised about 70% of total manpower. One of the figures must be a typo; the correction will make the contrast more saillant.
– Evargalo
3 hours ago
1
@Evargalo: Thank you - Corrected to the proper 30% in Davout's III Corps.
– Pieter Geerkens
3 hours ago
1
This is interesting but my reading of the question is that it's specifically about the United States military.
– Steve Bird
49 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
up vote
4
down vote
In Thunder on the Danube, John H. Gill notes on page 95:
.... Many of the conscripts called up by the September 1808 decrees only reached their depots in November and December. When they joined their regiments in Germany and Italy [in March 1809], therefore, they had only been in uniform for three or four months.
Two pages later (page 97) Gill then contrasts the state of the French Army with that in 1813, just four years later:
..., it must be stressed that this was fundamentally a sound force. If overall quality had declined somewhat ..., in aggregate the army of 1809 remained far superior to the the courageous but raw conscript masses who marched into the 1813 campaign in Saxony.
These conscripts would see combat beginning in mid-April following the Austrian invasion of Bavaria on April 10. In Oudinot's Corps the conscripts would comprise about 70% of total manpower, while in Davout's III Corps they only comprised about 30% of total manpower. (Both figures according to Gill.) The cream of the 1809 class comprised the entirety of the newly created Young Guard, though with experienced officers and NCO's.
This timeline of about 14-18 weeks between arrival at depot and first combat was likely greater than in 1813 and 1814, but I have no quality resources for the latter two campaigns.
answered 5 hours ago
Pieter Geerkens
33.7k590159
In Thunder on the Danube, John H. Gill notes on page 95:
.... Many of the conscripts called up by the September 1808 decrees only reached their depots in November and December. When they joined their regiments in Germany and Italy [in March 1809], therefore, they had only been in uniform for three or four months.
Two pages later (page 97) Gill then contrasts the state of the French Army with that in 1813, just four years later:
..., it must be stressed that this was fundamentally a sound force. If overall quality had declined somewhat ..., in aggregate the army of 1809 remained far superior to the the courageous but raw conscript masses who marched into the 1813 campaign in Saxony.
These conscripts would see combat beginning in mid-April following the Austrian invasion of Bavaria on April 10. In Oudinot's Corps the conscripts would comprise about 70% of total manpower, while in Davout's III Corps they only comprised about 30% of total manpower. (Both figures according to Gill.) The cream of the 1809 class comprised the entirety of the newly created Young Guard, though with experienced officers and NCO's.
This timeline of about 14-18 weeks between arrival at depot and first combat was likely greater than in 1813 and 1814, but I have no quality resources for the latter two campaigns.
answered 5 hours ago
Pieter Geerkens
33.7k590159
edited 3 hours ago
answered 5 hours ago
Pieter Geerkens
33.7k590159
answered 5 hours ago
Pieter Geerkens
33.7k590159
answered 5 hours ago
Pieter Geerkens
33.7k590159
33.7k590159
1
In Oudinot's Corps the conscripts would comprise about 70% of total manpower, while in Davout's III Corps they only comprised about 70% of total manpower. One of the figures must be a typo; the correction will make the contrast more saillant.
– Evargalo
3 hours ago
1
@Evargalo: Thank you - Corrected to the proper 30% in Davout's III Corps.
– Pieter Geerkens
3 hours ago
1
This is interesting but my reading of the question is that it's specifically about the United States military.
– Steve Bird
49 mins ago
add a comment |Â
1
In Oudinot's Corps the conscripts would comprise about 70% of total manpower, while in Davout's III Corps they only comprised about 70% of total manpower. One of the figures must be a typo; the correction will make the contrast more saillant.
– Evargalo
3 hours ago
1
@Evargalo: Thank you - Corrected to the proper 30% in Davout's III Corps.
– Pieter Geerkens
3 hours ago
1
This is interesting but my reading of the question is that it's specifically about the United States military.
– Steve Bird
49 mins ago
1
1
In Oudinot's Corps the conscripts would comprise about 70% of total manpower, while in Davout's III Corps they only comprised about 70% of total manpower. One of the figures must be a typo; the correction will make the contrast more saillant.
– Evargalo
3 hours ago
In Oudinot's Corps the conscripts would comprise about 70% of total manpower, while in Davout's III Corps they only comprised about 70% of total manpower. One of the figures must be a typo; the correction will make the contrast more saillant.
– Evargalo
3 hours ago
1
1
@Evargalo: Thank you - Corrected to the proper 30% in Davout's III Corps.
– Pieter Geerkens
3 hours ago
@Evargalo: Thank you - Corrected to the proper 30% in Davout's III Corps.
– Pieter Geerkens
3 hours ago
1
1
This is interesting but my reading of the question is that it's specifically about the United States military.
– Steve Bird
49 mins ago
This is interesting but my reading of the question is that it's specifically about the United States military.
– Steve Bird
49 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Dr Sheldon is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Dr Sheldon is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Dr Sheldon is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Dr Sheldon is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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