The British and French armies that existed in the period between the fall of the Bastille and the Battle of Waterloo have been subject to any number of popular caricatures, myths, and misunderstandings. One such common stereotype is that the British army in the period was little more than an Old Regime army that somehow managed to win battles in the face of a French army that after centuries of aristocratic sclerosis and decades of revolutionary turmoil had mutated into an all-conquering juggernaut led by one of the universally recognized military geniuses of all human history; Napoleon Bonaparte. The image of the British soldier is of the downtrodden redcoat, whose life was one long story of alcoholism, hard fighting, and brutal corporal punishment at the hands of uncaring and brutal officers. The French soldier, in sharp contrast, is a bright-eyed young conscript, eager for victory and glory in the service of his country, of the ideals of the revolution, and of his seemingly-unbeatable Emperor. This thesis intends to examine the issues of military identity, that is to say how the soldiers truly saw themselves, and of military organization, specifically why armies organized and conducted themselves in the ways that they did. In so doing this thesis aims to challenge popular misconceptions, and to show that despite differences in ideology and ethos, the French and British armies actually came to adhere to a broadly similar ideal of military professionalism.

The British Army is a large complex organisation, characterised by power and authority. Although it is mainly white and male, approximately seven percent of its personnel are from Foreign and Commonwealth (F&C) countries. Most of these personnel are from ethic minority groups. The study of ethnic and national diversity within British organisations is largely absent from the published organisational psychology literature in the UK. An understanding of the practical and political challenges of doing organisational research and the impact of these on the findings are also absent from the literature. This thesis addresses these deficiencies by exploring the working lives of F&C soldiers in the British Army and commenting on the organisational research experience. Despite their highly visible ‘immigrant’ status and different cultural background, this is the first such study of F&C personnel within the Army for 16 years since F&C employment began. A substantial qualitative study of 14 focus groups and 13 interviews was conducted in order to understand the experiences of these personnel and those that work with them. A thematic analysis of 16 documents provided the organisational perspective on F&C personnel. Building on the theoretical framework of social identity and double consciousness, this thesis draws links between organisational process designed to support hierarchy and their effects on how groups of individuals, foreign to and unfamiliar with these processes experience the organisation. It also combines two theoretical approaches to offer a unique understanding of multiply marginalised groups within organisations. This research shows that diversity in organisations is influenced by organisational policies as well as intergroup processes. F&C soldiers and British soldiers perceive their ability to control and influence their careers differently. Values and cultural background were key determinants in the social identity of F&C and British personnel. These groups of soldiers positioned themselves differently within the organisation. In particular, ethnic minority F&C personnel were positioned as a ‘problematic’ group of soldiers by their white soldier counterparts, whereas white F&C personnel were more readily accepted within the organisation and identified with the values of the organisation. The findings illustrate the need for further exploration, not only of the interaction between ethnicity and nationality at work, but also, the impact of conducting research on sensitive topics within large complex organisations on the production of new knowledge.

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