Napoleonic Basics The Prussian Army Part 1 1806 and before

Finally we get to the end of the major nations in our deep dive videos! I've done this one a little differently, usually it's separated in to infantry and cavalry, but because the Prussian army of 1806 was so different from that of 1815 I've separated this one by period.
This is part one, part two will look closer at the reforms of 1808 and the disaster of the battles of Jena and Auerstadt. Depending on how that one goes I might cover up to 1816 in that one, if not there'll be a part three
**Please note, at one point I say Napoleon didn't give out any battle honours at Jena, that was completely wrong! D'oh!. He made Davout Prince of Auerstadt. I don't know what I was thinking!**
As I don't actually own and Prussian minis the pictures of models here are not mine! If they are yours, please get in touch for a credit.
As always thanks for watching guys, see you int he next one!

[@chaddaniels6977]

The Jagers wore bicorne/tricorne like the line but with no white trim. It was the Fusiliers that wore the shakos.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Ah, my mistake! Thanks for the clarification, I'll pin this comment is that's ok?

[@Mrbird-pw2mg]

What exactly was the difference between the musketeers and fusiliers?

[@MrSchwarzeSonne]

​@@Mrbird-pw2mg During War of 4th Coalition Prussian musketeers were equivalent of French fusiliers - standard line infantry while Prussian fusiliers were light infantry. They were marksman's equipped with short rifles (with rifling barrels) and fights usually in skirmish loose formation in two-men teams - one with loaded musket guard his colegue while he was reloading. Of course, they also could fight in standard line. One and only Jaeger Rgt. was the same but chosen, elite version of Fusilier Btl. and have guard status. After 1809 and reorganisation of Prussian Army fusiliers and jaegers were reformed...

[@monkarlxd6596]

@@MrSchwarzeSonne during the reign of Frederick the Great the term fusilier refered to units raised after the conquest of silesia these units were often smaller than musketeer units and deemed less capabel

[@MrSchwarzeSonne]

​@@monkarlxd6596 Agree ... but what did you mean by that?

[@hannesmayer3716]

Frederick the Great had no children. His successor was his nephew Frederick William II., and his son Frederick William III. led Prussia against France in 1806. His wife Luise was not only very anti-french, she was very popular with the Prussian people, too. Greetings from Berlin

[@pw972]

Carl von Clausewitz wrote an extensive analysis of the war of 1806 with the title "Preußen in seiner großen Katastrophe" (Prussia in its great Cathastrophy)

[@ericcook5224]

The Seven Years War was 1756-63 by the way. Not the 1740's. That was the War of the Austrian Succession.

[@olavc.oevele1902]

Glad that I've found your channel. It's a hidden gem with really indepth readings. Thanks for those especially. I am a German and I really have difficulties understanding the german words included in this video. You may use Google Translate to have them read to you so you can take a narrower guess you to pronounce them.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Ha. That's a good suggestion! Hopefully I got better as the series went on

[@jonathanowen9917]

Excellent video on the Prussians of 1806. A couple of corrections: the period of 1740-1763 was marked by two world wars that Friedrich der Grosse (Frederick the Great) fought in. The first was the War of Austrian Succession (1740-48; of which the 1st Silesian War (1740-42) and 2nd Silesian War (1744-45) were a part) and the second was the Seven Years’ War (1754-63 ** the first two years of the war were fought in America and is known as the French & Indian War, officially the SYW picks up in 1756; the 3rd Silesian War (1756-63) is part of this conflict). The other correction is that the Battle of Rossbach was fought on November 5, 1757 and not in 1754, and it demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid deployed artillery and cavalry. Did you get around to posting photos of the Prussian Queen, her regimental uniform, and her coat - I didn’t see any images of them in the video itself and would like to look at them?

[@octaviogonzalezcabanas]

Excellent Content.. One of the best channels about Napoleonic Wargaming and History in my humble opinion!! Looking forward for more videos. I've seen it on another comment, but i will also mention that it will be fabolous to have some videos about Napolitans and Italian Troops, I wold also love to see some about what was happening on Greece / Ottoman Empire regions on the Napoleonic Period of time. Also As a very different but interesting subject, for your reading pleasure and maybe also for future videos , why not? I wold personally reccomend to you some reading about the British invasions on Argentina during the Spanish occupation. At the time Argentina was an Spanish Colony, and I found very polemic to say the least and also a very interesting period in Latin american history. I was also just a couple of years before the Spanish Peninsular Conflict With France. Also another interesting subject are the Argentinian Granaderos a Caballo (Horse Grenadiers, or Chaseurs a Cheval, also similar to some sort of Dragoons who wold wear Hussar Style garments in some ocassion) is an historic regiment who fought along side San martin and the Ejercito of Los Andes.. very interesting and rich subject to read and learn, and off course beautifull uniforms and colorfull figures for wargaming. Cheers from the big country from the south of.. south of America.. Argentina

[@CullodenPaintingStudio]

Excellent stuff again. There are some 28mm early Prussians available from Foundry, and a bigger range from Casting Room. Emperor Toad's Emporium has some for Valmy too. Great uniforms in these earlier periods.

[@KenOfthewest]

Really interesting, as always. It would be great if Victrix, or Perry Miniatures would produce the Infantry with various head options, to cover this period! Keep up the good work!

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

That would be so cool! Maybe even wargames Atlantic...

[@anthonysaviourfalzon6072]

I have always been so focused on the 1815 to 1815 period that I never really took a look at the early war stuff. This video is really a breath of fresh air for me. Thanks. (I hope you will do a series about different rule systems in the future).

[@anthonysaviourfalzon6072]

I meant 1812 to 1815 - typo!

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

If I play them I will!

[@pw972]

Finally Prussians. No offense is taken by mispronunciation and hello to you as well. Thank you very much for another great video.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Thanks for your patience!

[@vanpallandt5799]

as ever great and now one of my favourite views on KZbin. Have you done the Italians and Neapolitans? I also am interested in the French sponsored Spanish Army though probably both the latter 2 armies are ones where the painting will last longer than they stay on the table.

[@martinradcliffe4798]

Wow- bit of an epic! More info than you can shake a stick at- excellent.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Lemonhead209]

Fantastic work, really enjoyed it, I love the touch of Grand epic you give to each nationality.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Thank you so much 😀

[@Tounushi]

I wonder if anyone would know about this, but I've been trying to figure out the origin of Litzen. What I've figured out so far: The insignia we know today as Litzen or Kragenspiegeln are used by numerous armed force in Europe as an indication of the soldier belonging to a Guards regiment. To this day Swedish, Norwegian and Dutch life guards regiments use it, the Italian Guards Grenadier Regiment uses a singlet version with a button. And Russian officers have a singlet in gold bullion on their parade uniforms and the Kremlin guard have doubles. German and Russian empires used it for Guards regiments until the end of WWI. Weimar Republic universalized the double Litzen for the whole army, since its numbers were so curtailed. "Want to reduce our army, fine! Now all our soldiers are guardsmen!" The use in guards regiments in Germany starts some time after 1806, after Russia starts supporting Prussia. Some time earlier I can find those outrageously tall collars sporting two single litzen, occasionally the same on the front of the coat, decorating the button holes. Anything earlier than that is a maybe from British uniforms with lace or bullion decorating 18th century button holes, sometimes being repeated on falling collars. These laces are usually folded to be rectangular and with a button through them. My theory: the folded ends became exaggerated a bit and they just happened to be selected for Russian imperial guardsmen units. The collar laces lost their buttons and the coats lost their laced button holes. The Litzen became abstracted and just continued on that road, becoming a fashion item among Coalition forces. Military fashion is weird. Even the US had troops whose uniforms were based on Algerian dress because such troops were supposedly badass. Same with Hussars and their jackets. Litzen, I think, are in the same vein because of "hey, badass troops have these, let's have them too for badass cred!" And then because Weimar Germany universalized them, everyone automatically thinks "GERMANS!" when seeing double Litzen. So I wonder if anyone has any concrete info on what we'd recognize as litzen before the 19th century.

[@desktopgrenadiers4321]

Can’t wait for the next one. Keep up the great work 😀

[@septimus64]

lots of interesting information.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Thanks dude!

[@philRminiatures]

One of the most beautiful armies, much better then in 1815 imho, great video, splendid uniforms...👍👍

[@davidcollins2648]

The late Prussian uniforms are hideous imo thus my complete lack of interest in painting any but cavalry perhaps.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Couldn't agree more!

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Absolutely David, they're so...utilitarian... :D

[@pw972]

The uniforms of the New Prussian Army show the transition from the army that was to the new one that is. Also the uniforms looked the way they were because of the financial constrains Prussia was in before 1806 and even more so after the peace of Tilsit. There was also the sentiment in the Prussain military, after 1806, that the more pompos the uniform, the more lacking the performance of the army. The transition from the stile of the Army of the Kindom of Prussia to the New Prussian Army was a concious decision as well as an economic one. It is also often said that the uniforms of the 1780s onward were simplefied versions of the uniforms of the Prussian army of the 7 years war. This supposedly happend because of the same financial constrains why the material of the uniforms was of a lesser quality and the army was equipped with cheaper weapons in comparison to Freikorps units, private regiemnts and the guard regiments.

[@vanpallandt5799]

better uniforms but as Jena showed, completely outclassed...as said the later uniforms are probably the most boring going

[@jean-charlesblanc8454]

the Prussians withdrew at Valmy, the French did not attack, the Prussians fought on till 1795 - not without success, the Prussian army undertook a myriad of reforms starting after the death of Frederick II - like introducing light infantry battalions, trained for skirmishing and being formed in two ranks, then added Schützen to each infantry battalion, armed with a rifled musket and increased their Jäger units up to 12 companies (armed with jäger rifles) The Prussian Army of 1806 fought very differently to the 7YW. Jena and Auerstedt was lost to poor leadership and not by tactics nor soldiers nor muskets, the Nothardt muskets were the best of the Napoleonic Wars.

[@jean-charlesblanc8454]

@@ColonelHoganStalag13 Hopefully you had a laugh then in case it was amusing. What do you know about the Nothardt musket? It was lighter than the older models, it had a smaler caliber to reduce wieght to be carried for the amunition, the ball was cast for a tighter fit, its ballistics was so good that even the Schützen in those units which got this musket and handed in their rifled carbines, the butt had a hollowing for the cheek as for the French musket, it had a flash guard, a self priming pan and a cylindrical ramrod - the gun maker which constructed this musket was awarded with a good sum of money and an order. Alas only 8 battalions were equipped with this excellent musket. Would the Prussian won the campaign with it? Most unlikely due to catastrophic leadership failure. Those muskets in stock were captured by the French and distributed for their Allies. The New Prussians were not only using British muskets, but also Austrian, French, Swedish and what not elxe because Prussia was a very poor state and lacked the financial resoruces to equip their armies in 1813 - when it expanded rapidly. In case of more interested compare its performance at the shooting trials of Scharnhorst in comparison to other muskets.

[@owensnowdon496]

Great video keep them coming

[@RJLbwb]

Probably Napoline didn't being one upped with Prussians by Davout aka the Original War Nerd

[@BocageTiger]

Great video; thank you for posting!

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Thanks for watching!

[@jamestaylorstudios28]

Your Deutsch is better than most Brits. Well done, and a fantastic and informative video!

[@Cameron4077]

I have numerous German ancestors who lived through these times and is there anyway to find out if any were in the Prussian Army? is there a national database somewhere to contact? thanks!

[@scabbarae]

I'm neither a Black Powder player nor a Napoleonics expert, but from what's presented in this video, for general wargaming I'd be inclined to give the Prussians a morale boost to most of their troops, but a command penalty to the generals. That way, each unit fights well on its own against the enemy directly in front of them, but the commander has a harder time activating and ordering his units around the table as a whole.

[@danielmccarthy4062]

Thanks again. Another interesting video.

[@imhollywood101]

Great channel keep it up!

[@geebards]

I'd limit the infantry movement to the movement of their battalion guns. Presuming they require a small limber and horses, that means a multiple move roll of say 3 would require a battalion to wast the first move on the gun limbering, then either a single move at the distance of artillery and then either another move with the gun remaining limbered or spending that third move to allow the gun to unlimber again. Perhaps also deny them attack column formation? I'd experiment. BTW - excellent episode!

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Good ideas! Thanks man, glad you enjoyed it

[@jamesbarbour327]

Casting Room does some great 1806 Prussian army. Also in our games we have a house rule that Prussians can't deploy in attack columns. Also we add a greater random breaking factor for Prussian hussars, which were usually used to mask dragoon and cuirasseur charges. Apparently they would draw the first volley and then deploy to the flanks. Many Prussian hussars did this prematurely (Auerstadt particularly), so we include this idea as well. GREAT VIDEO! Are the Prussian infantry pictured in it yours?

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Not my minis, I dont actually own a single Prussian! 😂 if I did collect them though I'd deffo go 1806. Sounds like some really interesting rules there!

[@jamesbarbour327]

@@NapoleonicWargaming WHY NOT???

[@pw972]

Fredrick the great had no children. His nephew Fredrick Wilhelm II became king after him and Fredrick Wilhelm III was his son. Prussia wanted to join Russia and Austria but was then not doing so because of the defeats of Ulm and Austerlitz. Some other of the reasons why the army stagnated was the devestation of the 7 years war, the cutting of fundings for the Army by Fredrick Wilhelm II and his waste of the nations finances through his endevours.

[@williamjones7718]

The SYW was far more dynamic and deadly than presented here. See Christopher Duffy.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

I'm not a 7YW guy, but l think we'll have to agree to disagree ;)

[@mr.crispe4195]

Your gonna paint that ? What kind paint you gonna use Sir?! Keep up the goodwork Sir!

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

I use mostly Games Workshop paints because that's what I'm used to! I hear very good things about vellajo though

[@harveygerndt1874]

In 1806 Prussian Hussars were in big regiments that IIRC fought as 2 battalions. So 12 regiments in 1806 would've been 24 manoeuvre units.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Ah, that's great to know!

[@damjan4435]

Frederick the Great fanboys, assemble

[@TeutonicEmperor1198]

Am I late?

[@SonOfSalop]

Davout wants to know your location

[@damjan4435]

@@SonOfSalop we want to know his location, actually.

[@davidcollins2648]

Our bespectacled iron Marshal Davout was named the Duke of Auerstadt. Why did you say he (Napoleon) didn't give out any honors?

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Oh he absolutely was! I got that one super wrong!

[@TheSgruby]

For Prussian Uhlans in 1806, title Towarzyszy means "comrads" in polish. In old polish military system soldier with his retinue was called Towarzysz.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Awesome. See that's why I do this channel, for little things like this info. Thanks man!

[@chaddaniels6977]

There was more than one regiment. A second unit, called the Towarzysz battalion, was about half the size of the Towarzysz regiment.

[@anglophone412]

The king was no Fredericks son but rather His nephew

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Ah, thank you!

[@justinskol597]

Great video! When you are saying what you would give them, for tabletop are you referring to black powder 2nd rules?

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Thanks dude! I am yeah, those are the rules I play the most, all the videos here are based around that set

[@sdporres]

So good

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Thanks man! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidcollins2648]

Do you have a book you would recommend as a source for pre 1806 Prussian uniforms? Great video as always.

[@pw972]

Knötel Uniformenkunde has the uniforms of all european armies between 1770 to 1939 in there is everything you could ever wish for. The books (3 of them) are about 1000 Euro each. So use this uniformenportal.de/index.php?/category/102/start-340 . Its all in german but you should be able to still understand what Nation it is.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

The Osprey Men at Arms series are always excellent, and Digby Smith did a book called 'The French and Prussian Armies at War 1806-07. (www.wargamesillustrated.net/the-french-prussian-armies-at-war-1805-1806/) Finally, and my absolute top pick if you can find it is www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Histoire-Collections-JENA-AUERSTAEDT-THE-TRIUMPH-OF-THE-EAGLE-Napoleonic-BOOK-/202260778736 The text isn't great (it's basically Google translate form the French, but the images are fantastic!)

[@davidcollins2648]

@@pw972 Great link, thanks!

[@davidcollins2648]

@@NapoleonicWargaming Thank you very much!

[@davidcollins2648]

Stupid question: were the Prussian Leib Gard Cuirassiers the same as the Saxon unit of the same name?

[@jorgemagan3409]

Ooooh .the Monster of Elba !

[@rhysnichols8608]

Idk if it was for comedic affect, but your description of earlier 18th century of 2 lines taking turns to fire at each other, is pretty inaccurate! While there was much less light infantry combat and a mor methodical approach (to get perfectly formed units to fire as many muskets as possible increasing damage out put) it was still much more aggressive and tactically considered than you described lol A common tactic was for a company to advance in line, rapidly the front rank would fire a volley, the second rank would run forward about 20 paces, fire a second more devastating volley, then the whole unit would charge with bayonets, meanwhile the enemy is either spamming volleys as fast as they can, or firing and counter marching backwards to better defensive positions, not just standing their like gentlemen! it wasn’t too different from Napoleonic fighting, the technology was largely the same, muskets with 3 shots per minute fire rate, all tactics stemmed from this technology. The main difference was artillery was less powerful and accurate, and light infantry wasn’t used as much due to weapons being a bit less accurate, however by the end of the 7 years war light infantry and more rapid less methodical deployments were becoming common. Cavalry used to prefer to carousel in a large circle firing pistols and acting as skirmishes, however by the mid 1700s this had been largely abandoned in favour of charging with steel.

[@Mrbird-pw2mg]

I think Napoleon made Davout duke of Auerstedt

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

He did. I had a super brain fart 🤣

[@Mrbird-pw2mg]

@@NapoleonicWargaming no Problem. BTW Napoleon actually said „he must be seeing double“ because Davout had glasses

[@b1laxson]

The 3 downvotes are from Napoleon I, II and III.

[@NapoleonicWargaming]

Hahaha

[@pw972]

Use rules for 7 years war armies and give some generals a low Staffrating

[@lennartkaiser2809]

💪😍