The Prussian army appeared in 1701. The royal armed forces defended the Prussian state until 1919. The foundation for the formation of the army was the regular armed forces that existed since 1644. Previously they were called the Brandenburg-Prussian army. More than a century and a half after its formation, the army became part of the German armed forces. The infusion happened in 1871. In 1919, the army was disbanded when Germany lost the First World War.
Relevance of the armed forces
The Prussian army became the trump card of Brandenburg-Prussia. Thanks to the emergence of new armed forces, it was possible to become one of the five most powerful countries of that century. The war with Napoleon ended in defeat, which provoked measures to modernize the armed forces. The process took place under the leadership of Scharnhorst. At that time, the army radically changed its appearance and structure. In history, it is customary to talk about the old and the new army. The old one existed until 1807, the newappeared this year and remained intact until 1919
The Prussian army, strengthened after the reforms, became a participant in the wars for freedom in 13-15 years of the 19th century. In many ways, it was these wars that determined the outcome of the measures to liberate Germany from the French. Starting from the period of the Congress of Vienna and up to the start of the wars of unification, it was the army in question that was the key restoration tool. In 1848, the Revolution was suppressed almost entirely by the might of the army in question.
Successes and Opportunities
Thanks to excellent order, the Prussian army became an important and powerful participant in the wars of liberation. The amazing successes achieved during that period became the main contribution that made it possible to defeat the enemy. Allied German troops defeated the French. The German Empire, which gained independence, began to form its armed forces precisely from the army in question, which was singled out as the core of the military forces. When the First World War began, the army lost its former autonomous legal status. The agreement concluded at Versailles required Germany to reduce the total number of soldiers in army units to one hundred thousand. From now on, the Prussian army is disbanded.
Today, historians say that this army was important because it played a very significant role in the social life of the state. For many researchers, these armed forces are the main example, the essence and the main indicator of militarism.
What did it look like?
To establish order in the Prussian army, since 1709, soldiers have been obliged towear a strictly unified uniform, the standard of which is determined by special regulations. For all servicemen, the caftan, aged in rich, dark blue, becomes the main outfit. It is worn by the rank and file. Such a jacket is laid for non-commissioned officers. Officers wear it too. For different ranks, the use of different materials for sewing uniforms is provided. Another difference is the tail cut.
Uniform includes leggings. At first, only white boots were used. In 1756 it was decided to change the standard shade to black. The military used shoes and shoes as footwear. Boots were allowed in the army, but they were worn by staff officers and army generals.
Lapels, lining layers, cuffs, collars were made, focusing on the color chosen for a particular regiment. To understand which regiment a person belongs to, it was worth paying attention to the shape of the cuff. The regulations declared who should have what shade of buttons, what stripes and embroidered elements should be on the uniform. The official part of the uniform included bandages around the neck. The role of a headdress for the bulk was played by a cocked hat. Grenadiers wore special caps.
Shape Features
Among the uniforms of the Prussian army, the options for officers adopted at that time attract attention. They always wore a harness and had their own scarf laid down by the regulations. Special rules established how and what kind of tie should be worn by those assigned to the officer corps. For officers, a unique design was developed for the embroidered pattern that was used to decorate the suits.
In 1742, new rules were introduced. WithFrom that moment on, only general cadres had the right to use a hat border made from an ostrich. To identify a non-commissioned officer, one had to examine the sleeves. Specific lapels, stripes, the presence of braid - all this immediately gave an idea of the rank of a person. Non-commissioned officers differed from the rest of the military in their set of weapons. A year before the introduction of this form, the guardsmen were allowed to use a harness.
Jägers who served in the army wore dark green clothes. Camisoles were made of textiles dyed in rich dark green. The culottes were complemented with black boots. In 1760 the form was changed. From now on, the military, serving as rangers, use boots, trousers.
Features of hostilities
As is known today, the Prussian order in the army under Paul 1 was regulated by the specific nuances of combat. In those days, linear tactics dominated throughout Europe. They gained popularity in the previous century, remained relevant for more than two centuries. In order to conduct military operations according to this pattern, the rulers needed soldiers who unquestioningly and very accurately wielded weapons.
Equally important was the ability of such people to march in formation. It was possible to count on success only if the military was disciplined, impeccable, combat-ready, no matter how acute the moment of collision with the enemy. To get such warriors at your disposal, they had to be brought up first. For this, special military institutions were opened. Such existed in all European powers of that period, but the Prussians were considered exemplary. The main task of the upbringing and educational event was the formation of a military weak-willed submission to the words of a higher rank.
Historians, analyzing the Prussian order in the army under Paul 1, especially the conduct of battles in Germany, Russia, France and other powers, studying the experience gained by the military in the 17-18 centuries, came to the conclusion that a very large role in that the moment was played by a typical German feature of the mentality - pedantry. Largely due to this, training aimed at training a fighter to obey his superiors became the main idea of the prevailing military education. However, it was doubly justified. Today, historians know that an impressive percentage of those who served in the Prussian army got there by being kidnapped, while the kidnappers did not pay attention to the morality of the person and his ability to serve.
The story moves forward
There were not enough soldiers, the Prussian army needed new recruits. In 1780, they found another way to replenish the ranks. Rebels, anti-government agitators who fell on trial were also preparing to bear their duty to the Fatherland in the ranks of the army formation.
To control such a contingent, the only option was to use cane discipline. In fact, discipline was provided by two key components. Drilling, training for combat in those days in Germany was improved to the maximum level, so the soldiers were considered almost virtuosos in their field. The charter strictly established even the smallest and seemingly insignificant details - including the number of steps taken per minute in the ranks. The charter regulated how many shots should be fired per minute if an officer was in command. The second aspect was the already mentioned "stick" discipline. This name was not chosen by chance. Every non-commissioned officer in his position always carried a stick with him. When accepting a position, he pledged to use the item as soon as the occasion arose.
There was a right to beat with a stick to death someone who violated discipline. The captain's ardor was usually limited to the need to find a new person to replace the one who died or became crippled. By the charter and rules, every company was obliged to be fully staffed, and compliance with this rule was unquestioning.
Discipline and sacrifice
In 1713, the Prussian army received new opportunities to maintain order in its ranks. The commanding staff received gauntlets at their disposal. So called flexible rods of great length. The company was armed with such products, lined up one after the other, and the convict had to pass by his colleagues. The number of passes by colleagues was determined by the form of punishment. There are many cases when such events ended in the death of the convict.
In the Prussian army of the 18th century, service was considered lifelong. The soldier was in the ranks until his state of he alth became such that the person was recognized as unfit for further service to the Fatherland. As historians have established, studying the materials that have survived since that time, most of the soldiers served from a decade to 15 years. In 1714 they came up with a vacation system. If a person served 18 months, he could get 10 months to rest. This applied only to those who were from the section that completed the company - and this is about a third of the army. There was no ration for the vacation period, no salary was paid, and there was no need to serve on guard duty. People who received such leave became known as Freiwachters. All of them were subordinate to the military department, so no farmer could arbitrarily attack a person or somehow prevent him from resting, could not control a soldier. While on vacation, the military still used the uniform - this was required by the Charter.
According to modern historians, during the period when Frederick took control of the army, these armed forces were the most powerful among all European ones. Their year after year of training, military maneuvers gathered many foreign spectators who wanted to personally admire the impeccable drill. It is known that the Russian emperors were fans of the Prussian army system of the 18th century, organized by the great king.
Years go by
The Prussian army of Frederick the Great was staffed with personnel of varying degrees of training, but experienced soldiers who had already been trained were at a special price. Such people were gladly left in the companies, but the problem of shortage persisted: in each company, only a small number of military men could act as a model for the younger ones, againrecruited. Experienced military men more often remained in the army due to social shutdown. If a veteran could not continue serving in his former position, he was assigned an allowance. It amounted to a taler and was issued at the disability fund. After the end of the second Silesian War, the king ordered that a special house be built in Berlin for the maintenance of those who became disabled during military service. Similar houses were created in the harbor of Charles, Stope. The metropolitan institution opened on November 15. It was intended to accommodate 631 people. Of the total number of places for officers, 136 were assigned. Another 126 places were intended for women who served and controlled the situation.
Created for the veterans of the Prussian army by Frederick the Great, the House of Invalides acted as a shelter for the needy. Here a person could count on a roof over his head, on food, full supplies, wardrobe items. The social system included the provision of medical care. If a non-commissioned officer was injured, if the injury bothered the officer, the commander, such persons could count on completely free medical care. Of course, all disabled homes opened at the direction of the ruler were clearly military, which formed a specific atmosphere. People who were here on vacation wore full uniforms and regularly stood guard.
Positions and future
If during the service in the Prussian army of Friedrich a person received the rank of officer, but became unfit to continue serving the Fatherland in the ranks of the military, he could hope for a governor's position. Another option was the post of commandant. Such vacancies opened only from time to time. You could count on serving in the fortress. If there was no suitable place for an officer, one could count on receiving financial assistance from the state. The generals received state thalers in quantities from one thousand to two. Staff officers could count on several hundred. Lieutenants, captains received less generous financial support. At the same time, there were no generally recognized laws and rules approved by the ruler, according to which money was issued. Any supply was considered an individual favor.
Women and the Army
It is known that the Prussian army of Friedrich 2 united a huge number of men, and not every one of them was able to return home. There were a lot of widows left with children in those days. In order to somewhat smooth the social situation, the ruler of the state ordered the officers to be active - these officials had the opportunity to take children under their patronage. If the deceased had a son of sufficient age, one could count on serving in the army.
Because in those days the problem of widows and orphans turned out to be exceptionally large-scale, in 1724 a special army house was opened, where orphans of soldiers who died while serving the Fatherland were taken. At first, the house existed to receive orphans of the royal guard. Over time, conditions became milder, a variety of orphans of soldiers found shelter in such an institution. The area of the house was constantly increasing. In the 42nd house, for the first time, they expanded, and in the 71st, the building was changed. In the 58th in careorphanage were no less than two thousand children.
Genius or eccentric?
It is known that at one time Lomonosov almost ended up in the Prussian army. This is due to his outstanding physical qualities - the Russian scientist was of exceptionally prominent growth. What is the secret here? Well, let's turn to Friedrich's eccentricity - this quality is forever inscribed in history. It has long been known that outstanding people are often strange, and sometimes even crazy - and at the same time brilliant. The great Prussian king was just that. He went down in history as the creator of an incredible giant army that had no analogues on the entire planet. Thanks to his fundamentally new views on the economy and politics, this ruler improved the state of the country and achieved impressive progress in various areas. His efforts have changed taxation, social systems. He revised the features of the formation and work of medical and educational institutions.
Friedrich became famous for how he expanded the army ranks. He abolished the compulsory service. When the ruler only received the ability to control the state, there were 30 thousand people in the army, soon there were already 80 thousand. Mostly the state was formed by hired servants. Motley farmers turned into a well-coordinated fighting force, terrifying all opponents. The Prussian "Army of Giants" was of particular interest to the public. It is known that the king had a weakness for tall people. The ruler himself, as historians have established, had a height of 1.65 m. Attracted by the height of some soldiers, the king decided to create a separate regiment from them. When it is formed, the regiment will be given the name Potsdam Giants.
Unique Regiment
Previously, the uniform of the Prussian army of Frederick the Great was described. The dress standardization requirements for most soldiers were made more difficult for those who wanted to serve in a specialized unit. There was another standard requirement here - impressive growth. As modern researchers say, they didn’t expect special training, a particularly powerful form from candidates, the only limitation was height - 180 cm or more. At that time, such a height was considered exceptional. The king believed that a tall military man is always better than an ordinary one. The tallest of those who served was measured - they counted 2, 18 m. This regiment was the pride of the king, it was shown to foreign guests more often than others. Many said that the world had never seen or known anything like it before. It was noted that those accepted into the regiment were incredibly disciplined, well trained, and at the same time incomprehensibly high. It is believed that people from different countries were taken to the service, and annually at least a hundred people arrived from Russia alone. Some were bought.
The uniform of the Prussian army aroused the admiration of contemporaries for its thoughtfulness, beauty and conciseness, but in the case of a specialized unit, everything was even more beautiful. For this regiment, the best form possible was provided. In addition, each soldier had a hat. The height of the headdress reached 30 cm, due to which every serviceman seemed to be even taller. Admitted to this regiment receivedthe best equipment, they were en titled to the best food. Some believe that the people who served here were spoiled sissies who lived an easy life, since they were not sent to the front. Some have called this regiment "toy soldiers" designed to entertain the eccentric owner of a powerful kingdom.
Is it that simple?
While the Seven Years' War fell to the lot of ordinary soldiers, the Prussian army was losing soldiers on the fronts, the Potsdam Giants were in a peaceful area. It seemed that they lived well - one can only envy. But such people did not have one iota of freedom. The owner forced the pets to go on the march with the Moors, with the bear, plates. This was done to entertain the royal person. It was not uncommon for members of the regiment to dance humiliatingly or be used for royal portraits. Some sources claim that the owner tried to stretch his soldiers to make them even taller.
However, despite such living conditions, others volunteered to become members of the company. It was enough to say about the wages and possible benefits that the military received. No less attractive was the idea of a career. Some people just got scammed. Cases of abduction are known - even children who were taller than their peers. It is believed that the king experimented with breeding, hoping to breed "a breed of tall people."
Continuation of the story
As you know, in 1740 the eccentric ruler died. By this time, his specialized regiment numbered 2, 5-3,2 thousand people. This military unit absorbed a lot of money, but did not bring any benefit to the fighting. In fact, they were the toys of the king. After his death, the son of the founder of the regiment ascends the throne. He immediately sends the giant soldiers to fight, but their complete incompetence is quickly revealed. They decide to disband the regiment. This happens after the defeat at Jena.
World War II and Prussia
Although by this time the Prussian army as such no longer existed, the name itself was preserved only in memory. When it was necessary to choose a name for military events, the USSR authorities remembered the term and decided to start the East Prussian operation of the Red Army. This was a strategic offensive, one of the most important by the time the Second World War ended. The operation began on January 13, ended by April 25 of the last year of the war. Three fronts supported by the B altic Fleet took part in it. The command of the fronts was entrusted to Rokossovsky, Chernyakhovsky, Baghramyan.
Disbanded in the 19th century, the Prussian army left an indelible mark on history. In many ways, it was she who became the base of Germany's military power in the future. The army does not exist after the First World War, but the former successes of the power gave Hitler certain hopes for the best outcomes of the Second World War. In addition, towards the end of this conflict, when it became clear that it was impossible to defend victory, Hitler was still striving with all his might to preserve the East Prussian zones. For this reason, the East Prussian offensive operation of the Red Army was considered so important for the Soviet government. Especially important eventstook place near Koenigsberg, where even before the start of the war they formed strong fortifications, seven lines of defense, six areas with special protection.
About numbers
Although the Soviet command of the army in the East Prussian operation was represented by the best military figures of that era, certain concerns still existed. The German troops had 580,000 soldiers, 8,200 guns. There were more than seven hundred tanks alone. Approximately the same was the number of aircraft. The Red Army at that moment had about 25,000 guns, 3,800 tanks, about three thousand aircraft; more than one and a half million soldiers were involved in the fighting. The main goal of the army command in the East Prussian operation was to cut off the enemy from the main German forces, followed by complete destruction.
The operation included several additional front-line soldiers. 32 enemy divisions were divided into three groups. During that period, the battles were especially bloody, but the Soviet soldiers were able to completely eliminate the enemy. It took a little more than a quarter of a year for Soviet soldiers to violate the defenses of the Nazis and advance to the B altic Sea. The fiercest battles made it possible to break the 37th division. The power of the Soviets extends to the eastern Prussian regions. From now on, the north of Poland is free from the Nazis.
