The Prussian army appeared in 1701. The Royal Armed Forces defended the Prussian state until 1919. The regular armed forces that existed since 1644 became the foundation for the formation of the army. Previously, they were called the Army of Brandenburg-Prussia. More than a century and a half after the 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.
The 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 was led by Scharnhorst. At that time, the army radically changed its appearance and structure. In history, it is customary to talk about the old and new army. The old one existed until 1807, the new one appeared this year and remained intact until 1919.
The Prussian army, which intensified after the reforms, became a participant in the freedom wars in the years 13-15 of the 19th century. In many ways, these wars determined the outcome of measures to liberate Germany from the French. Starting from the period of the Congress of Vienna and up to the start of the unification wars, it was the army in question that was the key restoration tool. In 1848, the revolution was suppressed almost completely due to the power of the army in question.
Success and Opportunity
Thanks to the excellent order, the Prussian army became an important and powerful participant in the liberation wars. The amazing successes achieved during that period were the main contribution that made it possible to defeat the enemy. Allied German forces defeated the French. The German Empire, which gained independence, began to form its armed forces precisely from the army in question, which was allocated to 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 demanded that Germany reduce the total number of soldiers in army units to one hundred thousand. From this moment, the army of Prussia 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, essence and main indicator of militarism.
What did it look like?
In order to establish order in the Prussian army, from 1709 they obligate soldiers to wear a strictly uniform uniform, the standard of which is determined by special regulations. For all servicemen, the main outfit becomes a caftan, designed in a saturated, dark blue color. It is worn by ordinary people. Such a jacket is intended for non-commissioned officers. It is also worn by officers. For different ranks, the use of different materials for sewing uniforms is provided. Another difference is the full section.
The 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 shoes. 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 shelf. To understand which shelf a person belongs to, it was worth paying attention to the shape of the cuff. The regulation declared to whom to which shade of buttons were laid, which stripes and embroidered elements should be on the form. The official part of the uniform included bandages on the neck. The role of a headdress for the bulk was performed by a cocked hat. The grenadiers wore special hats.
Shape Features
Among the uniforms of the Prussian army, the options adopted at that time for officers attracted attention. They always wore a sword belt and had their own scarf set by the regulations. Special rules established how and what tie should be worn as an officer. For officers, they developed a unique design of an embroidered pattern that decorated the costumes.
In 1742, new rules were introduced. From that moment on, exclusively generals were entitled to use a hat border made of ostrich. To identify the non-commissioned officer, one should 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 earlier, the introduction of this form guards were allowed to use a sword belt.
The huntsmen who served in the army used dark green clothing. Camisoles were made from textiles dyed in saturated shaded green. Pantaloons complemented with black boots. In 1760 the form was changed. From this moment, the military, serving as rangers, use boots and trousers.
Features of military operations
As it is known today, the Prussian order in the army under Paul 1 was governed by the specific nuances of warfare. In those days, linear tactics prevailed throughout Europe. They gained popularity in the previous century, remained relevant for more than two centuries. In order to conduct hostilities in such a pattern, the rulers needed soldiers who unquestioningly and very accurately owned weapons.
No less important was the ability of such people to step in formation. One could count on success only if the military were disciplined, impeccable, combat ready, no matter how acute the moment of a collision with an adversary. To get such warriors at their disposal, they had to be educated 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 to form a military spineless submission to the words of a higher rank.
Historians, analyzing the Prussian order in the army under Paul 1, the peculiarities of fighting 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 typical German feature played a very large role at that time mentality - pedantry. Largely due to this, training aimed at training a soldier to obey superior, became the main idea of the prevailing military education. However, this was doubly justified. Today, historians know that an impressive percentage of those serving in the army of Prussia got there when they were abducted, while the abductors did not pay attention to the morality of a person and his ability to serve.
History moves forward
There weren’t enough soldiers, the Prussian army needed new recruits. In 1780, they found another way to replenish the ranks. The rebels, anti-government agitators who were put on trial, were also prepared to incur debt to the Fatherland in the ranks of the army.
To control such a contingent, the only option was the use of "stick" discipline. In fact, discipline was provided by two key components. Masting, preparation for combat combat in those days in Germany was improved to the maximum level, so 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 in a minute in the ranks. The charter regulated how many rounds should be fired per minute if an officer commands. The second aspect was the already mentioned “stick” discipline. This name was not invented by chance. Every non-commissioned officer has always carried a stick with him. Accepting the position, he undertook to use the subject, as soon as there was a reason.
There was the right to beat with a stick to the death of one who violates discipline. Captain ardor was usually limited by the need to find a new person to replace a dead or crippled person. By 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 at their disposal the gauntlets. So called flexible rods of great length. The company was armed with such products, lined up one after another in a line, 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 life-long. The soldier was in service until his state of health became such that a person was recognized as unsuitable for further service to the Fatherland. As historians established, studying materials preserved from 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 applies only to those who came from a company that completed the company - and this is about a third of the army. There was no ration on the vacation period, no salary paid, no need to serve on guard. People who received such a vacation, began to be called freyvakhterami. All of them were subordinate to the military department, so no farmer could attack a person in any order or somehow prevent him from resting, he could not control a soldier. While on vacation, the military still used the uniform - this was required by the Charter.
According to modern historians, at a time when Frederick took control of the army, these armed forces were the most powerful among all European forces. Their year in 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 system of the Prussian army 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 completed training were at a special price. They were left with pleasure in the companies, but the problem of the lack remained: in each company, only a small number of military men could act as a model for the younger ones recruited. Experienced soldiers more often remained in the army due to a social stop. If the veteran could not continue to serve in his former position, he was assigned benefits. It was a thaler and was issued in a wheelchair cash register. After the end of the second Silesian war, the king ordered a special house to be set up in Berlin for the maintenance of disabled people during military service. Similar houses were created in the harbor of Karl, Stop. The metropolitan institution opened on November 15. It was intended to accommodate 631 people. Of the total number of places for officers, 136 were allotted. Another 126 places were reserved for women who served and controlled the situation.
Created for veterans of the Prussian army of Frederick the Great, the home of the disabled acted as a haven for the needy. Here, a person could count on a roof over his head, on food, full supply, wardrobe items. The social system included the provision of medical care. If the 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 invalid homes opened by order of the ruler were clearly military, which formed a specific atmosphere. People on vacation here wore a full uniform, regularly stood up on guard.
Positions and Future
If during his service in the Prussian army of Frederick, a man received the rank of officer, but became unsuitable for continuing to serve the Fatherland in the military, he could hope for a governor post. Another option was the position of commandant. Such vacancies only opened from time to time. One 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 government thalers in an amount from a thousand to two. Staff officers could count on a few hundred. Lieutenants, captains received less generous financial support. However, there were no universally recognized and approved by the ruler laws, rules according to which money was released. Every provision was considered an individual grace.
Women and the army
It is known that the Prussian army of Frederick 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. To somewhat alleviate the social situation, the ruler of the state ordered the officers to be active - these officials had the opportunity to take children under patronage. If the deceased had a son of sufficient age, one could count on military service.
Since in those days the problem of widows and orphans turned out to be extremely large-scale, in 1724 a special army house was opened, where they took orphans of soldiers who died during service to the Fatherland. At first, the house existed to receive the royal guard orphans. Over time, the conditions became milder, a variety of orphan soldiers found refuge in such an institution. The area of the house is constantly increasing. In the 42nd house was expanded for the first time, and in the 71st the building was replaced. In the 58th, no less than two thousand children were in the care of an orphanage.
A genius or an eccentric?
It is known that at one time he almost ended up in the Prussian army of Lomonosov. This is due to his outstanding physical qualities - the Russian scientist was exceptionally prominent. What is the secret? Well, let us turn to Frederick's eccentricity - this is his quality forever inscribed in history. It has long been known that prominent 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, which had no analogues on the whole planet. Thanks to his fundamentally new views on the economy and politics, this ruler has improved the state of the country and has made impressive progress in various areas. His efforts changed taxation, social systems. He revised the features of the formation and work of medical, educational institutions.
Frederick became famous due to the fact that he expanded the army. He canceled the compulsory service. When the ruler only gained control over the state, there were 30 thousand people in the army, and soon there were already 80 thousand. Mostly the staff was formed by hired employees. Motley farmers turned into a coherent fighting force that terrified all opponents. Of particular public interest was the Prussian Army of the Giants. It is known that the king had a weakness for tall people. The ruler himself, as historians 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
The uniform of the Prussian army of Frederick the Great was previously described. The requirements for standardizing clothes for most soldiers were complicated in the case of those who wanted to serve in a specialized unit. There was another standard requirement - impressive growth. As modern researchers say, they did not expect special training, especially of a powerful form, the only restriction was growth - 180 cm or more. At that time, such a height was considered exceptional. The king believed that a high military man was always better than usual. The highest of those who served was measured - they counted 2.18 m. This regiment was the pride of the king, he was shown to foreign guests more often than others. Many said that the world had not seen and did not know before. They noted that the members of the regiment were incredibly disciplined, well trained, and incomprehensibly high. It is believed that people from different countries were hired, and annually at least hundreds of people came from Russia alone. Some were bought.
The form of the Prussian army was admired by contemporaries for its thoughtfulness, beauty and conciseness, but in the case of a specialized unit everything was still more beautiful. For this regiment provided the best form possible. In addition, each soldier had a hat. The height of the headgear reached 30 cm, due to which every servant seemed even more tall. Taken in this regiment received the best equipment, they relied on the best food. Some believe that the people who served here were spoiled sissies who lived an easy life because they were not sent to the front. Some called this regiment "toy soldiers" intended to entertain the eccentric owner of a powerful kingdom.
Is it that simple?
While the Seven Years War fell on ordinary soldiers, the Prussian army was losing soldiers on the fronts, the Potsdam Giants were in a peaceful area. They seemed to live well - one can only envy. But freedom of such people was not one iota. The owner forced the pets to go on a march with the Moors, with a bear, plates. This was done to entertain the royal person. Often, regiment members humiliatingly danced or were used for royal portraits. Some sources claim that the owner tried to stretch his soldiers so that they became even larger.
However, despite such living conditions, others volunteered to become participants in the company. It was enough to say about wages and possible benefits that the military received. No less attractive was the idea of a career. Someone was simply deceived. There are known cases of abduction - even of children who are superior to their peers. It is believed that the king experimented with reproduction, hoping to breed "a breed of tall people."
Continuation of a story
As you know, in 1740 the eccentric ruler passed away. By this time, his specialized regiment totaled 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, these were the king’s toys. After his death, the son of the creator of the regiment ascends the throne. He immediately sends the giant soldiers to fight, but their complete disability is quickly revealed. Make a decision to disband the regiment. This happens after a defeat on Jena.
World War II and Prussia
Although by this time the army of Prussia as such did not exist, the name itself remained only in memory. When it was necessary to choose a name for military events, the USSR authorities remembered the term and decided to begin 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 was over. The operation began on January 13, ended by April 25 of the last year of the war. Three fronts supported by the Baltic Fleet took part in it. Fronts were entrusted with command of Rokossovsky, Chernyakhovsky, Baghramyan.
The Prussian army disbanded in the 19th century left an indelible mark on history. In many ways, it was she who became the base of German military power in the future. The army does not exist after the First World War, but the previous successes of the power gave Hitler certain hopes for better outcomes of the Second World War. In addition, by the end of this conflict, when it became clear that it was impossible to defend the victory, Hitler still strove 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. Particularly important events took place near Koenigsberg, where even before the start of the war strong fortifications had been formed, seven lines of defense, six areas with special protection.
About numbers
Although the Soviet army command in the East Prussian operation was represented by the best military leaders of that era, certain concerns still existed. German troops had 580,000 soldiers, 8,200 guns. Only tanks were more than seven hundred. The number of aircraft was approximately the same. The Red Army at that time 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 objective of the command of the army 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. 32 enemy divisions scattered into three groups. The battles were especially bloody at that time, but Soviet soldiers were able to completely eliminate the enemy. A little more than a quarter of the year it took the Soviet soldiers to violate the defense of the Nazis and advance to the Baltic Sea. Fierce battles allowed to break the 37th division. The power of the Soviets extends to the eastern Prussian regions. From this moment, the north of Poland is free from the Nazis.