Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Being a veteran and a patriotic German, Knötel took considerable pleasure in "doing" Prussians. When I left
the identity of any plates in my monthly contingent to his judgement, they were practically certain to be Prussian
one reason for this wide coverage of that army.
Considering the late 18th Century Prussian Army, that mysterious, wandering Welsh soldier of fortune, Henry
Lloyd, who had served both in and against it, described it as made up chiefly of foreigners of all nations, manners
and religions. Frederick the Great had drilled and disciplined it into a "vast and regular machine", but - were
Frederick removed - it probably would fall to pieces.
The Prussian Army that went confidently against Napoleon in 1806 was Frederick's army still in most regards
- a framework of foreigners, enticed into its harsh service, filled up with part-trained native Prussian reservists. A
few days fighting shattered it.
Thereupon Prussian officers began rebuilding it, with vengeance and conquest very much in mind. It became
a national force, the active army backed after 1813 by a landwehr of older men, and infused with a growing
national spirit. Prussia however was a poor nation with a limited armament industry; only lavish English subsides
enabled it to keep a strong army in the field through 1813-1814. By 1815 it was worn thin, armed with a mixture
of weapons from practically every European country. Its supply system never had been particularly efficient, and
the artillery was definitely inferior to the French.
Prussia was a predatory nation, eager to seize territory on any pretext or opportunity. Its soldiers were tough
fighters, capable - if well led - of great exertions, tautly drilled and disciplined. They also were arrogant in
victory, remorseless looters and brutal in their plundering. In 1815 Belgians complained that the Prussians
billeted on them were worse than Cossacks.
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