Are we the heirs of Rome?

"Are we the heirs of Rome?" asked the Count de Mercy. His staffer was not sure what he should say...

"At the moment, we certainly are not" de Mercy muttered as he gazed out over the training grounds of Trent where the formations of the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire had recently converged. He had travelled far on the orders of the War Council in Vienna, leaving behind in Lombardy his mentor, and good friend, Prince Eugene.

The men who made up the Imperial Army were certainly loyal subjects of the Empire, but could they fight well enough to do that same Empire proud. Over the grounds de Mercy could see many different standards and a whole host of flags, each representing a different member of the HRE. The differences of course did not stop there, for every uniform de Mercy could see was unique to the member of the Holy Roman Empire from which the solider originally came. 

"These men have to be ready, and soon"...

The soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire, other then the differences in their uniforms, were no different from any other solider in Western Europe at the time. They marched in formations, formed lines, and fired volleys, advanced when ordered and halted when required. The issue, however, was visible in the details. The troops failed to move as a single coherent machine, often marching so out of step that entire lines broke after seven paces

"At this rate, our enemies will make short work of these men" a fellow Austrian General said

"Not if they can be trained in the manner we train our own. Vienna has ordered me, us, to drill discipline and order into these soldiers. And such is what we shall do"

- de Mercy is to concentrate on bringing the Imperial forces based in Trent up to modern Austrian standards. Through long rigours days they are to be trained intensely in the laborious practices of the battlefield to improve combat/tactical efficiency and have strict military discipline instilled upon them so that they may work, march and fight as a coherent unit, subservient to a single will -

They will rise early and finish late, but have a long lunch break midday - Sundays are half days  

- de Mercy will drill them in the art of marching, of turning, of changing quickly from column formations to line formations and back again, and particular attention will be given to improving rates of fire and especially accuracy; the same applies for artillery and Calvary units 

To Sweeten the deal, all Imperial troops in Trent are to receive extra food rations throughout their training period