Innovation and Evolution:
Prussian Military Reforms of the 19th Century
The concept of war as a static and unchanging occurrence is an outdated and dangerous miscalculation. More accurately, war is a fluidic, evolving and shifting phenomenon constantly reinventing itself, rendering stagnant, inflexible principles potentially disastrous. Consequently, as students of war and future players in this transforming theatre, the study of eras of significant development is an extremely relevant pursuit. Recognizing the need for adaptation and the creation of doctrine is now a prerequisite for any effective modern commander. War is unpredictable in nature and particularly so in current theatres of operation, in which change is rapid and volatile. Examination and deliberation on periods of past development in the conduct of war is an immensely important necessity in the development of flexible, capable and competent officers. One such example to investigate is the period of distinct development in post-Napoleonic Prussia. The enhancements made in this period were a response to the disastrous defeats suffered during the Napoleonic Wars, as well as the recognition of the deficiencies in Napoleon's system of war, and a need to improve upon it. Prussia's ensuing military and state reorganisation and restructuring revolutionized the art of war in 19th century Europe. The affects of this reformation were lasting and noticeably effective, as illustrated by the impressive Prussian victories during the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. The onset of this period was the recognition of the critical problems of command and logistics facing commanders of the immense armies of the Napoleonic period. The P...
... middle of paper ...
...Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1994
Hawthornthwaite P. & Fosten B. Napoleon's Specialist Troops. 1st Ed.
Osprey / Reed Consumer Books Ltd., 1988
Hebitch, Dan. "To what extent was Napoleonic warfare made possible by solving the problem posed by logistics?", 2004
Karl Hoffman, "Auftragstaktik: Mission - Based Leadership", Engineer, Vol 23, Issue 4
December, 1994
Marbot, M.D. Memoirs du General Baron de Marbot, III,Paris, Plon, 1892.
Marshall-Cornwall, J. Napoleon As a Military Commander, Clowes and Son Ltd, London, 1965.
Millotat, Oberst. Strategic Studies Institute U.S. Army War College. Understanding the Prussian-German General Staff System. 1992.
Paret, Peter. Makers of Modern Strategy. Princeton University Press: New Jersey, 1986
Shanahan, William. Prussian Military Reforms 1786-1813. Columbia University Press. New York, 1945
It is far easier for us in the present than it was for those at Gettysburg, to look back and determine the path that the leaders should have taken. As students, studying battles such as this, we have the advantage of hindsight, knowing the outcome. Nonetheless, we can still learn valuable lessons from it. To do so, this analysis will explore some of the decisions of the leaders at Gettysburg, and how they were affected by the operational variables. This essay will scrutinize some of the leaders at Gettysburg, and the impact of their actions. The outcome of this analysis will show that what was true in 1863 is still true today. While many variables are vital to a successful army on the battlefield, none should be neglected. Each variable discussed in this examination will prove to be important, but the information battle will be paramount in the battle of Gettysburg.
Most high school students can 't wait for their school year to be over because they feel exhausted by the seven long periods of classes and not to mention boredom. John Taylor Gatto, a former New York State Teacher of the Year wrote an article called "Against School." Gatto criticizes the school system for their inability to meet the students’ expectations and for putting limits on their ability to learn. The children feel neglected, and the teachers feel helpless because they have to work with students who are not interested in the materials they are given. Gatto mentions how US high schools have become affected by adapting to the Prussian education system. According to Gatto, the purpose of high school is to manipulate the student 's mind
During 1870-1914 there was a substantial growth in standing armies (Class notes, 4/4/11). Many men were ready to go to war. Many countries including Germany and France doubled the size of their armies. The arms race then developed which was almost like a contest to see which co...
In order to receive a victory in the Battle of the Bulge, General Patton used Mission Command Analysis in order to understand how he can be successful for this mission. The first thing of understanding t...
Field, Frank. British and French Operations of the First World War. Cambridge (England); New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
Introduction “Leaders have always been generalists”. Tomorrow’s leaders will, very likely, have begun life as specialists, but to mature as leaders they must sooner or later climb out of the trenches of specialization and rise above the boundaries that separate the various segments of society.” (Gardner, 1990, pg. 159). The. In a recent verbal bout with my History of the Military Art professor, I contended that the true might of a nation may be inversely proportional to the size of its military during peacetime.
Warfare was in a state of transition. Older commanders and generals in the French and British militaries were very cavalry and infantry focused. These commanders believed that cavalry, infantry, and artillery would assure victory in any circumstance, against any foe. They clung to the static tactics of the bygone World War I era. World War I had been fought primarily on French soil, and the military as well as the government never wanted that to happen again, therefore they wanted to reinforce their main border against any future German. Little did they know that only twenty two years later they would be bested by German forces in a way that would shock the world. This research will be analyzing many important assumptions, oversights,...
Claus Telp, The Evolution of Operational Art 1740-1813: from Frederick the Great to Napoleon (New York: Routledge, 2005) 7.
Frederick the Great exploited the advantages of military evolutions and revolutions to develop a powerful nation-state, Prussia, through the exploitation of economic and social policies forced Prussia advantage of superiority and employed their society norms upon others. The implement of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery assisted with the revolutionized Prussia to military superiority through the delivery of lethal strikes and unwavering means to survive. In conjunction with economic and social policies, the incorporation of increased military professionalism fostered forces that were more disciplined and utilized tactics, enabling military evolutions and revolutions to become more innovated. As Parker stated, “Prussia was thus a state
Current military leadership should comprehend the nature of war in which they are engaged within a given political frame in order to develop plans that are coherent with the desired political end state. According to Clausewitz, war is an act of politics that forces an enemy to comply with certain conditions or to destroy him through the use of violence. A nation determines its vital interests, which drives national strategy to obtain or protect those interests. A country achieves those goals though the execution of one of the four elements of power, which are diplomatic, informational, military and economical means. The use of military force...
We are introduced to historical work done by North America, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, France, Central Europe, and some minor reference to Poland and Russia. The three main divisions of the text are a gamut of information about the late 19th and early 20th century. It is during this time that Iggers talks about Leopold Ranke and the influence of his brilliant ideas. “It was Ranke's aim to turn history into a rigorous science practiced by professionally trained historians” (Iggers, 2005). Ranke initially introduced the ...
There were long periods of peace in Europe between 1715 and 1792. There was sporadic warfare "against the Turks and small-scale fighting in Poland." The chief source of conflicts between major states was the disturbance caused by the rising military power of Prussia under the leadership of Frederick the Great. The War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48) and the Seven Years' War (1756-63) both originated in Frederick's expansionist ambitions and provided him with opportunities to establish a reputation as an outstanding military leader. During this time, warfare changed. The sieges and fixed fortifications which had been so prevalent, were now on the decline. Instead, thoughtful commanders worked on combining infantry, cavalry, field artillery, and light skirmishing troops. This aggressive style of fighting was marked by sweeping maneuver...
Bibliography:Corley, T.A.B., Democratic Despot A Life of Napoleon III. 1961. Barrie & Rockliff, London.Guerard, Albert, Napoleon III A Great Life in Brief. 1966. Alfred A Knopf, New York.Kent, George O., Bismarck and His Times. 1978. Southen Illinois University Press, Carbondale.Howard, Michael, The Franco-Prussian War The German Invasion of France. 1962. The MacMillian Company, New York.Maurice, General J.F., The Franco-German War. 1900. Swan Sonnenschein and Co., Lim., London.Sempell, Charlotte, Otto von Bismarck. 1972. Twayne Publishers, Inc., New York
Because the leaders and commanders of WWI forever changed the nature of war, it influenced the later Nazi leaders decisions, and forced the next set of Allies to adapt to an entirely new concept of total war as i...
Samuel B. Griffith’s translation of “Sun Tzu: The Art of War” is an inside look at military practices of today. I did not find one technique that is not or would not be utilized in modern military maneuver, leadership, or training. The most astounding fact is that the Art of War was written well over two thousand years ago, even at the most conservative date. Although most of the techniques in this text are already in practice today, the value of “The Art of War” is a never-ending treasure chest of knowledge, and it deserves a place as a required reading for anyone seeking knowledge about war fighting or the history of war.