It all started with
Frederick William
(February 16, 1620 – April 29, 1688), Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of
Prussia.
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Also noticed in the Netherlands: The miraculous success of the Elector of Brandenburg over the Swedes in the Havelland |
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| One of Frederick William's long guys in his Prussian blue coat. |
His grandson
Frederick William I
(August 14, 1688 – May 31, 1740), King in (!) Prussia and the Elector of Brandenburg,
better known as the Soldatenkönig, made the Prussian
army one of the most powerful in Europe. The Soldier King's only concern was
the integrity of the widely scattered Prussian territory, which he wanted to
defend with a strong standing army that he increased from 38,000 to 83,000 men
during his reign.
Frederick William loved his soldiers, frequently calling them his
"children." Consequently, he cherished and spared them throughout his life so that he went down in history as roi militaire et pacifiste (military and pacifist king). This was particularly true for his long guys. In the procurement of his Blue Children
(minimum height of 1.88 meters), the otherwise miserly king spared no expense.
Enter
Frederick II
(January 24, 1712 – August 17, 1786), better known as Frederick the Great. Later he was nicknamed Der Alte Fritz ("The Old Fritz") by the
people. As a crown Prince Frederick wrote in his Antimachiavell of
1739:
Der Krieg ist ein solcher Abgrund des Jammers, sein Ausgang so wenig
sicher und seine Folgen für ein Land so verheerend, dass es sich die
Landesherren gar nicht genug überlegen können, ehe sie ihn auf sich nehmen
... Ich bin überzeugt, sähen die Könige einmal ein schonungsloses Bild von
all dem Elend des Volkes, es griffe Ihnen ans Herz
(War is such an abyss of misery, its outcome so uncertain and its
consequences so devastating for a country that the rulers of the land should
think more than twice before taking up war... I am convinced that if the
kings would once see a merciless picture of all the misery of the people, it
would touch their hearts). Frederick also introduced himself well to his
subjects when - shortly after he acceded to the throne in 1740 - he abolished torture as an instrument of
truth-finding in Prussia by cabinet order. Except were cases of treason and crimes against the majesty. A peaceful future
for Prussia seemed assured.
But in December 1740, the 28-year-old Frederick of Prussia launched the
first War of the Austrian Succession or Silesian War against Austria's even
younger 23-year-old Maria Theresa (1740-1780). The king explains
in his memoirs:
Ich war im Besitz schlagfertiger Truppen, eines gut gefüllten
Staatsschatzes und von lebhaftem Temperament: das waren die Gründe, die
mich zum Kriege mit Therese von Österreich, Königin von Böhmen und Ungarn
bewogen ... Der Ehrgeiz, mein Vorteil, der Wunsch, mir einen Namen zu
machen, gaben den Ausschlag, und der Krieg wurde beschlossen (I was in possession of powerful troops, a well-filled treasury, and a
lively temperament: these were the reasons that led me to war with Therese
of Austria, Queen of Bohemia and Hungary ... Ambition, my advantage, the
desire to make a name for myself were the decisive factors, and the war was
decided).
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Flute player Fritz at Sans Souci. Oil painting by Adolf Menzel (©Wikipedia) |
Fritz, a fife and a poet – as his father used to call him - had changed into one of the greatest warmongers in history. Friedrich Schiller as a
historian remarked: Ich kann den Kerl nicht lieb gewinnen (I cannot love this guy).
In all his wars, Frederick had his helpers. Five, cast in bronze, decorate the Zieten square near the subway station
Mohrenstraße in Berlin.
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Von Schwerin; Prussians, follow me! |
The oldest of the five is
Kurt Christoph, Graf von Schwerin
(October 26, 1684 – May 6, 1757), who was as Generalfeldmarschall, one
of the leading commanders under Frederick the Great. Serving in the Dutch
army, Count Schwerin had a military career before becoming a lieutenant colonel in the army of the duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1707. When he served Charles XII of Sweden, he was made a major-general. Schwerin joined the Prussian army and became lieutenant-general in 1734 and general of
infantry in 1739. He participated in the Silesian Wars and joined Frederick in Prague during the third
campaign in 1757.
Wikipedia describes his hero's
death:
On May 6 followed the Battle of Prague; leading on a regiment of the left wing to the attack with its color in his hand, von Schwerin shouted, "Let all brave Prussians follow me!" after which he was struck and killed
by a cannonball.
James Francis Edward Keith
(June 11, 1696 – October 14, 1758) was a Scottish soldier and a Jacobite taking part in a failed attempt to restore the Stuart Monarchy in Britain. Wikipedia further knows:
When this failed, he fled to Europe, living in France and then Spain. He
joined the Spanish and, eventually, the Russian armies and fought in the
Anglo-Spanish War and the Russo-Swedish War. In the latter, he participated in the conquest of Finland and became its viceroy. Subsequently, he participated in the coup d 'état that put Elizabeth of
Russia on the throne. He later served in the Prussian army under Frederick the Great as
Generalfeldmarschall, where he distinguished himself in several campaigns. He died during the Seven Years' War at the Battle of
Hochkirch.
Hans Joachim von Zieten
(May 14, 1699 – January 26, 1786), also known as Zieten aus dem Busch, was a cavalry general during the reign of Frederick the Great at the Battles of Hohenfriedberg and most notably at Torgau. When the battle seemed already lost, he came out of the bushes with his horsemen, conquered the main Austrian battery, and had their cannons turned against them. That brought the decision. After engaging in a reputed 74 duels and fighting four wars, he died in his bed at 86.
Hans Karl von Winterfeldt (April 4, 1707 – September 8, 1757) served as a general under Frederick the
Great. In Wikipedia, we read:
As one of the king's trusted confidantes and advisors, he had considerable autonomy over the available staff. Winterfeldt developed the first "modern" program of military intelligence gathering. He negotiated the Convention of Westminster, in which Britain and Prussia aligned their interests. Winterfeldt fell victim to his own bravery in a skirmish at Moys near
Görlitz on September 7, 1757. His wound proved fatal, and he died on September 8.
Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Seydlitz
(February 3, 1721 – November 8, 1773) was a Prussian cavalry general. He became legendary throughout the Prussian Army for his leadership and reckless courage. Wikipedia knows:
During the Seven Years' War at the Battle of Rossbach, his cavalry was instrumental in routing the French and Imperial armies. His cavalry
subsequently played an important role in crushing the Habsburg and
Imperial left flank at the Battle of Leuthen. Seydlitz was wounded in battle several times. After the Battle of Kunersdorf in August 1759, he semi-retired to recover from his wounds, charged with the protection of the city of Berlin. Von Seydlitz enjoyed the company of women and died from syphilis at Ohlau in
Silesia in November 1773.
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Von Steuben in Potsdam |
Baron von Steuben started as a Prussian and later became an American military officer. Wikipedia knows:
Von Steuben served as Inspector General and a Major General of the
Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was one of the fathers of the Continental Army in teaching them the essentials of military drills, tactics, and discipline. He wrote Regulations for the
Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, the book that served as the army's drill manual for decades. He served as General George Washington's chief of staff in the final years of the war.
Napoleon showed off the formerly glorious Prussian army in the Battle of Jena and Auerstedt on October 14, 1806. On his way to Berlin, the emperor took up quarters at the Potsdam City Palace on October 24.
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| Napoleon at Frederick the Great's tomb |
Later, he visited the tomb of Frederick the Great with his generals in the Garrison Church. On this occasion, the emperor ought to have said, "Découvrez-vous Messieurs! S'il était encore vivant, nous ne serons pas ici (Uncover your heads, Gentlemen! If he were still alive, we wouldn't be here)."
And Prussia's Queen Luise lamented, "We have fallen asleep on the laurels of Frederick the Great, who, the master of his century, created a new era. We have not progressed with it, and therefore it overtakes us."
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