Good day,
I would like to know if there are sources that examine the composition of the Grande Armee in the aspect of "soldier material". Afaik Alombert & Colins work for 1805 did so pointing out that almost half the coastal army was made of soldiers with combat experience while 1/4 even originated from the ancient regime or the early days of the republic.
Now I wonder if there are sources that show something similar for the later years, specifically 1806, 1807, 1809, 1812, 1813, 1814 and 1815 that could help to understand what material the Grande Armee was made off in these years.
With regards
Also, for 1812, L. Margueron's "Campagne de Russie" would provide you a wealth of material.
Good point to mention Mr. Dawson's phenomenal research into all matters equine for many of the wars.
There is a lot of material on this very broad question (or questions), sadly no one single spot for any one war. You can start with some of the following where you should find lots of additional bibliographic connections, you can then conduct your own Quellen-Kritik (critique of course) and make up your own mind on these oft-controversial issues.
for 1806: the great Prussian histories are good starting points: Lettow-Vorbeck and Höpfner (Chandler, in the Osprey "Jena" suggests that in some respects N's army of 1806 was the best he ever led)
for 1807: in addition to L-V and Höpfner, look at the two books by J. Arnold and R. Reinertsen; there are some very good French studies of the miserable (for all sides) fighting in late December 1806 in Poland.
for 1809: Thunder on the Danube and the Austrian official history Krieg 1809; consider vols. I and II of both as the second volumes address the French forces in Italy.
for 1812: Digby Smith's Armies of 1812 might be the first stop, but there is truly a vast literature on the French/Allied army in 1812. Take a look at the essay François Houdecek provides in vol. XII of the (amazing) Correspondance Générale published by the Fondation Napoléon: LA GRANDE ARMÉE DE 1812: ORGANISATION À L’ENTRÉE EN CAMPAGNE.
for 1813: Camille Rousset, Scott Bowden, 'Die Französische Armee im Jahre 1813; Reboul's two volumes provide enormous detail (!) on the rebuilding of the French forces up to April. See also the great Prussian histories; useful to note that Prussian soldier/scholars such as Rudolf Friederich and Casimir von Osten-Sacken point out that one should not underestimate this last Grande Armée.
Two final points: (1) though perhaps not in the level of detail you may be seeking, would commend Frédéric Naulet's books on 1806, 1807, 1809 and 1813; and (2) one also has to consider France's allies as individual contingents as they were not all cut from the same cloth, they evolved over time, etc. (one loses a great deal of historical fidelity if one heaps all of them together in an undifferentiated pile).
Good luck!
I would recommend the work of Scott Bowden for 1813 (Napoleon's Grande Armee of 1813, The Emperor's Press), Henry Houssaye (1814 France) for, yes, 1814 and Paul Dawson for the French cavalry in 1815 (Au Pas de Charge, Black Tent Publications). Dawson also examines the infantry, but I can't recall which of his books this was in!,
My forthcoming book "Wellington at Bay" does this for one division of the Army of Portugal in 1812
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