Chapter I: Front Matter

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In addition to the shorter Table of Contents at the beginning of the volume and the longer one at the end, there is a supplementary Table of Contents at page 53, partway through the France segment. The relationship between the Tables of Contents (all) and the printed book is casual at best; information may have been accurate for the first edition. Except in the case of apparent typographical error, discrepancies were left as printed.

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Military Schools

and

COURSES OF INSTRUCTION

in the

SCIENCE AND ART OF WAR,

in

France, Prussia, Austria, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Sardinia,
England, and the United States.

Drawn from Recent Official Reports and Documents.

by HENRY BARNARD, LL.D.

REVISED EDITION.

New York:
Published By E. Steiger,
22 & 24 Frankfort Street.
1872.

REVISED EDITION.

The first edition of Military Schools in France and Prussia was issued in 1862, as a number of the American Journal of Education; and subsequently in the same year this portion was printed as Part I. of a comprehensive survey of the whole field of Instruction in the Science and Art of War in different countries. The circumstances under which the publication was begun, are set forth in the Preface to the imperfect edition of 1862. Now that the survey in the serial chapters of the Journal is as complete as the material at the command of the Editor, and the space which he can give to this special subject enable him to make it, the several chapters have been revised and brought together in a single volume, to present the actual condition of this important department of national education in the principal states of Europe, as well as in our own country.

It is due to the late Col. Samuel Colt, the inventor of the Colt Revolver, and the founder of the Colt Patent Fire-Arms Factory--two enterprises which have changed the character and the mode of constructing fire-arms in every country--to state that the information contained in the first edition of this Treatise, was collected and prepared at his request, to assist him in maturing the plan of a School of Mechanical Engineering, which he proposed to establish on his estate at Hartford, and on which, after the breaking out of the War of Secession, he decided to engraft both military drill, and military history, and to give that scientific instruction which every graduate of our national Military and Naval Academies ought to possess. Soon after Col. Colt’s death (Jan. 10, 1862), Mrs. Elizabeth Jarvis Colt, learning what had been done in the direction of her husband’s wishes, authorized the use which has been made, of the material already collected, in the preparation of this treatise, and of the volume already published on Technical Schools in different countries, and of any more which might be collected and prepared at her expense, to illustrate any department of his plan of a scientific school at Hartford.

HENRY BARNARD.
HARTFORD, CONN., March, 1872.

CONTENTS.

PAGE.
INTRODUCTION, 3

I. FRANCE.

OUTLINE OF MILITARY SYSTEM, 9
System of Military Instruction, 10
I. Polytechnic School at Paris, 11
1. Subject and Methods of Instruction prescribed
for Admission, 13
2. Scientific Course in _Lycées_ and other Schools
in reference to, 49
3. History, Management, Studies, Examinations, 55
4. Public Services, Legal and Military,
provided for by, 88
5. Programmes of Lectures and Courses of Instruction, 91
II. The Artillery and Engineer School of Application
at Metz, 133
III. The Regimental Schools of Practice for Artillery
and Engineers, 221
IV. The Infantry and Cavalry School at St. Cyr, 225
V. The Cavalry School of Practice at Saumur, 241
VI. The Staff School at Paris, 245
VII. The Military Orphan School at La Fleche, 257
VIII. The School of Musketry at Vincennes, 259
IX. The Military and Naval Schools of Medicine
and Pharmacy, 261
X. The Naval School at Brest, 263
XI. The Military Gymnastic School at Vincennes, 265
Remarks on French Military Education, 273

II. PRUSSIA.

OUTLINE OF MILITARY SYSTEM AND MILITARY EDUCATION, 275
I. Outline of Military System, 281
II. Historical View of Military Education, 284
III. Present System of Military Education and Promotion, 293
IV. Examinations; General and Professional for
a Commission, 297
1. Preliminary or Ensign’s Examination, 297
2. Officers’ Examination, 302
V. Military Schools preparatory to the Officers’
Examination, 310
1. The Cadet Schools, or Cadet Houses, 310
2. The Division Schools, 321
3. The United Artillery and Engineers’ School, 325
VI. The School for Staff Officers at Berlin, 330
VII. Elementary Military Schools for Non-commissioned
Officers, 329
1. Military Orphan Houses, 339
Orphan-House at Potsdam, 340
Orphan-House at Annaburg, 345
2. The School Division or Non-commissioned Officers’
School, 348
3. Regimental Schools, 350
4. The Noble-School at Liegnitz, 350
VIII. Remarks on the System of Military Education
in Prussia, 351
APPENDIX, 351
The Artillery and Engineer School at Berlin, 353
The Staff School at Berlin, 395

III. AUSTRIA.

MILITARY SYSTEM AND INSTRUCTION 409-464
I. Schools of non-commissioned officers 411
II. School for officers 429
III. Special Military Schools 436
IV. Staff School at Vienna 447
V. Reorganization of Military Schools in 1868 453
VI. Cavalry Brigade School for officers 463

IV. BAVARIA, SAXONY, HOLLAND.

MILITARY SYSTEM AND SCHOOLS OF BAVARIA 465-480
I. Cadet Corps--War School--Artillery, Engineers, and
Staff Schools 467
II. MILITARY ACADEMY AT DRESDEN 471
III. MILITARY ACADEMY AT BREDA 477

V. ITALY.

MILITARY SYSTEM AND SCHOOLS 481-500
I. Military Academy at Turin 483
II. Artillery and Engineer School 489
III. Staff School and Staff Corps 492
IV. Regimental School for officers 494
V. School for Artillery officers 498
VI. Nautical School at Genoa 499

VI. RUSSIA.

MILITARY SYSTEM AND SCHOOLS 501-514
I. Imperial Staff School at St. Petersburg 505

VII. SWEDEN, &c.

MILITARY SYSTEM AND SCHOOLS 515-516

VIII. GREAT BRITAIN.

MILITARY SYSTEM AND SCHOOLS 511-686
I. Council of Military Education 535
II. Royal Military College at Sandhurst 557
III. Royal Military Academy at Woolwich 585
IV. Royal School of Military Engineering at Chatham 595
V. Professional Instruction for officers.
1. Survey Class at Aldershot.
2. Advanced Class of Artillery at Woolwich.
3. School of Gunnery at Shoeburyness 605
VI. Staff College and Staff appointments 619
VII. School of Musketry, and Army Schools 625
VIII. Naval and Navigation Schools 627
IX. English and other Naval Systems and Schools compared 655
1. French Naval and Navigation Schools 659
2. German Naval and Navigation Schools 681

IX. SWITZERLAND.

MILITARY SYSTEM AND MILITARY INSTRUCTION 687-714
I. Federal Militia--Cantonal Cadet System--
Target Shooting 689
II. Federal Instruction of officers--experience of 1870 710

X. UNITED STATES.

MILITARY SYSTEM AND SCHOOLS 713-940
A. Military Education for Land Service 715
I. National Military Academy at West Point 721
II. Special Artillery School at Fortress Monroe 819
III. Military element in State Schools 825
IV. Individual and Corporate Institutions 838
V. Military Drill in Public Schools 865
B. Naval and Navigation Schools 887
I. United States Naval Academy at Annapolis 897
II. School of Naval Construction and Marine Engineering 937
III. Instruction for the Mercantile Marine 939
GENERAL REVIEW OF MILITARY SYSTEM AND SCHOOLS 945

MILITARY SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION.

An account of the Military and Naval Schools of different countries, with special reference to the extension and improvement, among ourselves, of similar institutions and agencies, both national and state, for the special training of officers and men for the exigencies of war, was promised by the Editor in his original announcement of “_The American Journal and Library of Education_.” Believing that the best preparation for professional and official service of any kind, either of peace or war, is to be made in the thorough culture of all manly qualities, and that all special schools should rest on the basis, and rise naturally out of a general system of education for the whole community, we devoted our first efforts to the fullest exposition of the best principles and methods of elementary instruction, and to improvements in the organization, teaching, and discipline of schools, of different grades, but all designed to give a proportionate culture of all the faculties. We have from time to time introduced the subject of Scientific Schools--or of institutions in which the principles of mathematics, mechanics, physics, and chemistry are thoroughly mastered, and their applications to the more common as well as higher arts of construction, machinery, manufactures, and agriculture, are experimentally taught. In this kind of instruction must we look for the special training of our engineers, both civil and military; and schools of this kind established in every state, should turn out every year a certain number of candidates of suitable age to compete freely in open examinations for admission to a great National School, like the Polytechnic at Paris, or the purely scientific course of the Military Academy at West Point, and then after two years of severe study, and having been found qualified by repeated examinations, semi-annual and final, by a board composed, not of honorary visitors, but of experts in each science, should pass to schools of application or training for the special service for which they have a natural aptitude and particular preparation.

The terrible realities of our present situation as a people--the fact that within a period of twelve months a million of able bodied men have been summoned to arms from the peaceful occupations of the office, the shop, and the field, and are now in hostile array, or in actual conflict, within the limits of the United States, and the no less alarming aspect of the future, arising not only from the delicate position of our own relations with foreign governments, but from the armed interference of the great Military Powers of Europe in the internal affairs of a neighboring republic, have brought up the subject of MILITARY SCHOOLS, AND MILITARY EDUCATION, for consideration and action with an urgency which admits of no delay. Something must and will be done at once. And in reply to numerous letters for information and suggestions, and to enable those who are urging the National, State or Municipal authorities to provide additional facilities for military instruction, or who may propose to establish schools, or engraft on existing schools exercises for this purpose,--to profit by the experience of our own and other countries, in the work of training officers and men for the ART OF WAR, we shall bring together into a single volume, “_Papers on Military Education_,” which it was our intention to publish in successive numbers of the NEW SERIES of the “_American Journal of Education_.”

This volume, as will be seen by the Contents, presents a most comprehensive survey of the Institutions and Courses of Instruction, which the chief nations of Europe have matured from their own experience, and the study of each other’s improvements, to perfect their officers for every department of military and naval service which the exigences of modern warfare require, and at the same time, furnishes valuable hints for the final organization of our entire military establishments, both national and state.

We shall publish in the Part devoted to the United States, an account of the Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy at Newport, and other Institutions and Agencies,--State, Associated, and Individual, for Military instruction, now in existence in this country, together with several communications and suggestions which we have received in advocacy of Military Drill and Gymnastic exercises in Schools. We do not object to a moderate amount of this Drill and these exercises, properly regulated as to time and amount, and given by competent teachers. There is much of great practical value in the military element, in respect both to physical training, and moral and mental discipline. But we do not believe in the physical degeneracy, or the lack of military aptitude and spirit of the American people--at least to the extent asserted to exist by many writers on the subject. And we do not believe that any amount of juvenile military drill, any organization of cadet-corps, any amount of rifle or musket practice, or target shooting, valuable as these are, will be an adequate substitute for the severe scientific study, or the special training which a well organized system of military institutions provides for the training of officers both for the army and navy.

Our old and abiding reliance for industrial progress, social well being, internal peace, and security from foreign aggression rests on:--

I. The better Elementary education of the whole people--through better homes and better schools--through homes, such as Christianity establishes and recognizes, and schools, common because cheap enough for the poorest, and good enough for the best,--made better by a more intelligent public conviction of their necessity, and a more general knowledge among adults of the most direct modes of effecting their improvement, and by the joint action of more intelligent parents, better qualified teachers, and more faithful school officers. This first great point must be secured by the more vigorous prosecution of all the agencies and measures now employed for the advancement of public schools, and a more general appreciation of the enormous amount of stolid ignorance and half education, or mis-education which now prevails, even in states where the most attention has been paid to popular education.

II. The establishment of a System of Public High Schools in every state--far more complete than exists at this time, based on the system of Elementary Schools, into which candidates shall gain admission only after having been found qualified in certain studies by an open examination. The studies of this class of schools should be preparatory both in literature and science for what is now the College Course, and for what is now also the requirements in mathematics in the Second Year’s Course at the Military Academy at West Point.

III. A system of Special Schools, either in connection with existing Colleges, or on an independent basis, in which the principles of science shall be taught with special reference to their applications to the Arts of Peace and War. Foremost in this class should stand a National School of Science, organized and conducted on the plan of the Polytechnic School of France, and preparatory to Special Military and Naval Schools.

IV. The Appointment to vacancies, in all higher Public Schools, either among teachers or pupils, and in all departments of the Public Service by Open Competitive Examination.

HENRY BARNARD.
HARTFORD, CONN., 1862.

[Errata for (first) Table of Contents:
VIII. GREAT BRITAIN.
VIII GREAT BRITAIN.
... V. 2. Advanced Class of Artillery at Woolwich.
Classs]

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