Event

Cardwell reforms

1868–1874 · 19th century

The Cardwell reforms were a series of changes to the British Army made by Edward Cardwell, secretary of state for war in Gladstone's first government, between 1868 and 1874. They abolished the purchase of officers' commissions and flogging in peacetime, introduced shorter enlistment with a reserve, and linked infantry battalions to home districts.

Cardwell reforms
Image: Carlo Pellegrini · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

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United Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandMilitary

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Cardwell reforms. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cardwell-reforms
MLA
“Cardwell reforms.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cardwell-reforms. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Cardwell reforms.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cardwell-reforms.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Cardwell reforms’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cardwell-reforms (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻