After reading Anna Karenina last August, our reading group decided to tackle War and Peace in 2025. It’s a behemoth. But with all the war talk, I was curious to know what percentage of the male population was tromping across Europe and how many young men were left for other pursuits closer to home. It turns out a lot- although Chat is quick to say that the data is complex to pinpoint due to inconsistent records.
Summary
• France: ~50–60% of males aged 18–55 served, driven by universal conscription and mass mobilization (2–2.4 million from 3.6–4 million).
• Russia: ~20–30% served, with serf-based levies mobilizing 1–1.5 million from 3.5–5 million, supplemented by militias in 1812.
• Austria: ~40–60% served, with 1–1.5 million mobilized from 2–2.6 million, using selective conscription.
• Prussia: ~40–65% served, with 500,000–800,000 mobilized from 1–1.25 million, increasing after 1813 reforms.
• Britain: ~25–40% served, with 400,000–500,000 mobilized from 1.2–1.5 million, relying on volunteers and naval press-ganging.
In the Context of War and Peace
The novel reflects these varying conscription rates through its portrayal of Russian serf-soldiers and officers like Andrei and Nikolai, contrasted with the French Grande Armée’s mass-conscripted forces. Russia’s lower percentage reflects its selective serf levies, while France’s high rate underscores the levée en masse’s impact, as seen in the exhausted French troops during the 1812 retreat. The differences in mobilization rates highlight the social and military dynamics Tolstoy explores, with Russia’s feudal system and France’s revolutionary conscription shaping their respective armies.
Note: These percentages are estimates based on historical data and demographic assumptions, as precise age-specific military participation rates are not fully documented. Variations across campaigns and years (e.g., 1812–1814 being the deadliest) affect the figures.
Conscription is a type of forced labor. A citizen’s time is donated to the public good in exchange for some compensation (or at least room and board for the serfs). One can see why, in two hundred years, boots-on-the-ground warfare is unpopular. Too many human hours could be devoted to other public goods or to earning a wage in the commercial market. The opportunities to leverage capital even further should the young men choose to invest in education or learn a trade.
War also produces wounded. This can also shift the stage-of-life abilities of a young, able-bodied male. The labor costs of war are too dear.
Home Economics 