During the second half of the nineteenth century, the introduction of new weaponry dramatically changed the balance between moral factors and technology on the battlefield. Yet, this shift was widely met by a renewed emphasis on the importance of the human element. This article explores the development of thinking on this issue in the British Army during the period from 1856 to 1899. This reveals three phases, representing the struggle between the conservative Duke of Cambridge and the modernizing Lord Wolseley, with their view explored through the writings of key theorists and in the official manuals. This reveals that the Duke remained focused on a mechanical model, centred on the teachings of Jomini, where the troops were simply tools in the hands of their commanders, whereas Wolseley emphasized the need to protect the ‘moral strength’ of the troops and saw undermining that of the enemy as the key to victory, yet always recognizing that bravery and resilience could never overcome modern weaponry.

在 19 世纪下半叶，新武器的引入极大地改变了战场上道德因素与技术之间的平衡。然而，这种转变因重新强调人为因素的重要性而得到广泛满足。本文探讨了 1856 年至 1899 年期间英国军队对此问题的思考发展。这揭示了三个阶段，代表了保守的剑桥公爵和现代化的沃尔斯利勋爵之间的斗争，他们的观点通过关键理论家和官方手册中。这表明公爵仍然专注于机械模型，以乔米尼的教义为中心，部队只是指挥官手中的工具，