Militias and Volunteer Forces: Popular Mobilisation in Times of Revolution (1820–1843)

Abstract

The revolutions that took place in Europe and America generated different forms of political participation that went beyond the right to vote. Militias and free corps (militarised civilian units operating outside of the National Militia regulations) became a fundamental vehicle for the politicisation of the popular sectors. Militiamen underwent a process of learning by participating in local politics, selecting their officers and redistributing resources among local people. Their status as citizens conferred upon them various political rights which positioned them as the interpreters of the principles of revolution. However, involvement in the militia also meant participation in public security, civil defence and emergency measures, as required under the new Liberal State. In this chapter, I hypothesise that certain units of the militias and other volunteer forces comprised collectives from the popular sectors, specifically weavers, factory day labourers, apprentices and construction workers. By contrast, these same collectives ran their labour organisations or unions as apolitical entities through which to conduct employment negotiations with manufacturers. Factory workers and proletarianised skilled workers engaged with politics via volunteer forces and the militia, thus ensuring that labour organisations remained free from any possible reprisals.