I know that before French Revolution, the battles fought in Europe were small (example 20,000 strong against the same force) comparated to the Napoleonic Wars (for example 72,000 french vs 85,000 allied forces in the Battle of Austerlitz) where we have a lot more of levies in every army and I'd like to know how was the process of recruitment.
I remember that the Austrian Empire always went against France like they have a lot of men supply for wars. Thank you.
P.S.: Sorry for my english, it's not my mother language.
At least in France, it would fall in the departments that were created during the Revolution to procure men. This would mean that each department would provide a certain amount of men that would be procured when the class (yearly grouping of soldiers) was called up in the levee en masse.
Of course, if you had money you could pay someone to take your place, but that was agreed upon and ranged from a few hundred Francs to tend of thousands in 1814.
There's a good chapter on replacements in Eltings Swords Around A Throne.