What was basic training like for a European soldier in the eighteenth century?

by dadarrrrrklord

Was it comparable to basic training for soldiers today, or was it something entirely different?

DonaldFDraper

It is entirely different. The idea of basic training is a relatively new idea that is barely introduced in the Napoleonic Era as training depots, but that isn't the same either.

Training for a soldier in the 18th century was about one thing, mindless precision. The soldier is required to work with his battalion with precision in marching, reloading, and firing to ensure that unit cohesion remains.

Fitness and survival would rarely be tought, especially in the Pre Revolutionary Era since supply trains would keep food and supplies near the front. While lif wasn't easy, it would be less dependent on foraging than in later wars.

Beyond that, training was often on the job with soldiers learning the finer points of war from their NCOs.