Considering a Cadre Augmented Army - RAND Corporation

-278- A Historical Analysis of Cadre
2.1—THE FAILURES OF THE MILITA
In order to understand the circumstances under which cadre forces were first
proposed, we must understand the plight of the militia in the late eighteenth and early
nineteenth century. Doubts about the readiness of the militia that emerged from wars during
the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries served as the main argument for cadre forces.
Noted historian Russell Weigley argues that before the Revolutionary War, the state
militias were effective only at fighting small wars against Indians or equivalent citizensoldiers
such as the French-Canadian militia. 13 The first evidence that the state militias were
not reliable in larger wars came in the French and Indian War (1754-1763). In this war, many
colonies were unsuccessful in mobilizing the militia to support the British. 14 Weigley argues
that the lesson drawn from the French and Indian war was that: “the militia system had
shown it could be useful when the citizenry felt involved in a military crisis. It was not a fit
instrument for prolonged warfare on distant frontiers.” 15 No attempt was made to build a
more effective force because Britain could simply send over their regular army forces to
defend the colonies in larger wars. The Revolutionary War was the first time the militia
would be America’s primary fighting force.
2.1.1—The Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War was the first time that the “American” militias were tested.
On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress authorized the mobilization of troops under its
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13 Weigley (1984), p. 9
14 This was partially due to the fact that the militia could not be used outside of the colony without legislative
permission [Kriedberg and Henry (1955), p. 7]. However, the British circumvented these laws by recruiting
militia members into newly formed volunteer units. Even so, it was still difficult for the British to find recruits.
[Weigley (1984), p. 14-15]
15 Weigley (1984), p. 16