Remplacement

[2] Both the Liberals and Catholics advocated Remplacement as a way of privileging the aristocratic and bourgeois classes and were united in defending it against reformers.

The system of remplacement was viewed as an anachronism, constituting an unfair privilege for the wealthy and reducing the quality of the army's recruits.

King Leopold II was particularly keen that the system be abolished and used his political influence to try to persuade politicians to support reform.

[2] Major-General Guillaume, Minister of War and a former aide de camp to the king, pushed for the government to adopt a policy of personal military service, and resigned from the cabinet on 10 December 1872 when it would not.

[2] In 1913, Albert I finally managed to have a bill passed through parliament instituting compulsory conscription for all adult males over the age of 20.

The majority of non-career soldiers in the Belgian army of the nineteenth century were selected under the remplacement system