Un esprit de corps transatlantique? Solidarités et rivalités des ingénieurs en Nouvelle-France pendant la guerre de Sept Ans

Abstract

The Seven Years’ War saw a massive influx of regular European troops into North America, leading to a Europeanization of warfare practices. Among the key players in this change were military engineers. These scientific and technical experts are often portrayed as endowed with an almost unshakeable esprit de corps. This article examines the strength of this solidarity among the twelve-odd French military engineers that were sent to New France. It asks whether the cohabitation of metropolitans and colonials affected this esprit de corps, and whether it created rivalry with other corps in the French army.