Jourdan law

The Jourdan Law of 5 September 1798 (French: loi Jourdan-Delbrel) effectively institutionalised conscription in Revolutionary France, which began with the levée en masse. It stipulated that all single and childless men between the ages of 20 and 25 were liable for military service. Exemptions existed however for the clergy, industrial workers essential for the war effort, students from selected Grandes écoles (higher-education institutions), and public office holders. The law discriminated against the poor and large peasant population through the legally sanctioned practice of 'replacement', which allowed anyone who was able, to purchase someone to enlist in their place. It was named for the French General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan.

Proposed under the Directory by deputies Jean-Baptiste Jourdan and Pierre Delbrel, it was intended to deal with the great demobilization following 9 Thermidor – 700,000 men in 1794, 380,000 in 1797.

This law enabled Napoleon Bonaparte to supply the armies until 1815.