Prussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, German: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Prussia as a European power.
| Prussian Army | |
|---|---|
War ensign of Prussia | |
| Active | 1701–1919 |
| Country | Kingdom of Prussia |
| Allegiance | House of Hohenzollern |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Land forces |
| Size | Ranging between 70,000 and 700,000 during the period. |
| Garrison/HQ | Potsdam |
| Patron | King of Prussia |
| Engagements | War of the Spanish Succession Great Northern War War of the Austrian Succession War of the Bavarian Succession Second Schleswig War Austro-Prussian War Franco-Prussian War World War I |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Frederick William I Frederick the Great Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz Gerhard von Scharnhorst Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg August Neidhardt von Gneisenau Carl von Clausewitz Kaiser Wilhelm I Moltke the Elder Albrecht von Roon Friedrich Karl Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz Paul von Hindenburg August von Mackensen Erich Ludendorff Erich von Falkenhayn |
The Prussian Army had its roots in the core mercenary forces of Brandenburg-Prussia during the Thirty Years' War of 1618–1648. Elector Frederick William developed it into a viable standing army, while King Frederick William I of Prussia dramatically increased its size and improved its doctrines. King Frederick the Great, a formidable battle commander, led the disciplined Prussian troops to victory during the 18th-century Silesian Wars and greatly increased the prestige of the Kingdom of Prussia.
The Prussian army had become outdated and under-resourced by the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars, and France defeated Prussia in the War of the Fourth Coalition in 1806. However, under the leadership of Gerhard von Scharnhorst, Prussian reformers began modernizing the Prussian Army, which contributed greatly to the defeat of Napoleon during the War of the Sixth Coalition. Conservatives halted some of the reforms, however, and the Prussian Army subsequently became a bulwark of the conservative Prussian government.
In the 19th century, the Prussian Army fought successful wars against Denmark, Austria, and France, allowing Prussia to unify Germany, establishing the German Empire in 1871. The Prussian Army formed the core of the Imperial German Army, which was replaced by the Reichswehr after World War I.