Reference:

Berkowitz Héloïse & Dumez Hervé (2016) “Le système Gribeauval ou la question de la standardisation au XVIIIe siècle”, Gérer et Comprendre, n° 125, pp. 41-50.

Abstract:

From the Revolution to the Napoleonic Empire, French armies were dominant militarily in Europe – mainly owing to the standardization of artillery by Jean-Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval (1715-1789), an officer and engineer, at the end of the 18^th century. This standardization of the caliber of canons and the design of carriages (wheels and axles) presupposed the design of techniques of production and measurement, and implied training artillery officers in the basic and applied sciences. Everything had to change at the same time: military doctrine, industry and techniques. Like the Querelle des Bouffons in opera, this highly controversial shift sparked a major public debate in the last years of the monarchy: the so-called Quarrel of the Reds and Blues, with reference to the color of gunners’ uniforms before and after reorganization of the artillery. Initially backed by the king, Gribeauval was then eclipsed before coming back into command and achieving his reform. A presentation of this first big battle of industrial standardization in its historical context.

Keywords: industrial standardisation, gribeauval system, artillery, controversy, Ancien Régime