How did the Prussian Army Dominate Europe in the 1800s? | Animated History

Support this channel by checking our NordVPN exclusive deal at nordvpn.com/hi.... You can try it risk-free thanks to their 30-day money-back guarantee!
Official Steam Page: store.steampow... (Don't forget to wishlist!)
Gain Access Early: / ahinteractive
Official Development Channel: / @armchairhistoryintera...
Game Discord: / discord
Sign up for Armchair History TV today! armchairhistor...
Promo code: ARMCHAIRHISTORY for 50% OFF
Merchandise available at store.armchair...
Check out the new Armchair History TV Mobile App too!
apps.apple.com...
play.google.co...
Discord: / discord
Twitter: / armchairhist
Sources:
Barnard, Henry. Military Education in Prussia: Part II. of Military Schools and Classes of Special Instruction in the Science and Art of War in different countries. 1872.
Epic History TV. Battle of Jena-Auerstedt 1806: Napoleon Smashes Prussia. 2018.
Jones, Gareth. Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare. New York, NY: DK Publishing, 2015.
Kings and Generals, Battle of Königgrätz 1866 - Austro-Prussian War DOCUMENTARY. 2018.
Kings and Generals, Napoleonic Wars: Battles of Jena - Auerstedt 1806 DOCUMENTARY. 2018.
Locke, Samuel A. Multiplying an Army Prussian and German Military Planning and the Concept of Force Multiplication in Three Conflicts. 2020.
Realtimehistory, Welcome To Glory & Defeat - Why We Should Remember The Franco-Prussian War. 2021.
Realtimehistory, 1848 - The Year of (Failed) Revolutions I GLORY & DEFEAT. 2021.
Realtimehistory, The German Wars of Unification - Bismarck's Rise I GLORY & DEFEAT. 2021.
Realtimehistory, French and German Armies in 1870 - Dreyse and Chassepot Rifle Overview I GLORY & DEFEAT Week 3. 2021.
Realtimehistory, Bloody Victories - The Battles For Metz | GLORY & DEFEAT Week 6. 2021.
Seaton, Albert, and Michael Youens. The Army of the German EMPIRE, 1870-1888. Osprey, 1973.
Solka, Michael, and Pavlović Darko. German Armies 1870-71. Osprey, 2004.
Music:
Armchair Historian Theme - Zach Heyde
Waltz for Celia - Leimoti
Calm Before the Storm - Howard Harper-Barnes
Godfather - Medite
Across the Sea of Japan - Mandala Dreams
El Toque De Rafa - Andres Cantu
Boneyard Dance - Jon Algar
Desert Wasteland - Deskant
Isotopes 1 - August Wilhelmsson
Andersen Apparitions - Christian Andersen

[@TheArmchairHistorian]

Support this channel by checking our NordVPN exclusive deal at nordvpn.com/historyvpn. You can try it risk-free thanks to their 30-day money-back guarantee! Official Steam Page: store.steampowered.com/app/1679290/Fire__Maneuver/ (Don't forget to wishlist!) Gain Access Early: www.patreon.com/ahinteractive Official Development Channel: kzbin.info/door/DrTqCbgTmF5eM-oyzazzzg Game Discord: discord.gg/23nqyAz5z2 Sign up for Armchair History TV today! armchairhistory.tv/ Promo code: ARMCHAIRHISTORY for 50% OFF Merchandise available at store.armchairhistory.tv/ Check out the new Armchair History TV Mobile App too! apps.apple.com/us/app/armchair-history-tv/id1514643375 play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.uscreen.armchairhistorytv Discord: discord.gg/zY5jzKp Twitter: twitter.com/ArmchairHist

[@armaholic5949]

Do a video on the Greco-Turkish war of 1919, it was the last attempt to revive the Byzantine Empire and Christianity in Asia Minor, also the war that formed modern day Turkey.

[@antonious4132]

They dominated by sing the Preussens Gloria anthem while fighting 😏

[@tankdempsey9023]

I have one question is fire and maneuver gonna be free to play when it’s fully released?

[@julianshepherd2038]

While France and Germany are each others throats, Britain is safe. Whoops!

[@julianshepherd2038]

@@armaholic5949 the Byzantine empire ended in 1453. You can't revive something that has been dead for hundreds of years.

[@ryanelliott71698]

It’s hard not to admire after their defeat against Napoleon that they actually took their defeat to heart and tried to learn from their mistakes. Instead of playing the blame game that even now effects countries today.

[@maizen1403]

This, their defeat by Napoleon is very huge yet they endure it and learn. Finally they can be better thanks to that

[@induspherix]

Well stated. While I can point out a lot of tragic flaws in a militaristic Germany after Bismarck, the leaders of Prussia's transformation in the 19th century proved their ability to distinguish the effective solutions from the immaterial distractions. It almost seems like there is nothing more dangerous to the long term well-being of a nation as a dazzling success in leadership, because the following generation seems guaranteed to inherit all of the hubris with no guarantee of inheriting any of the phenom's genius.

[@fatalshore5068]

Germany has a knack for taking its defeats to heart and learning from them. Look modern Germany and how far its come since ww2 in an introspective context. ❤ 🇩🇪

[@sanguisbumb6138]

If only they had taken their defeat to heart after WW1

[@Geeky189]

@@sanguisbumb6138 They did that's why Germany went into world war 2.Like the Germans suffered after ww1.The high reparations cost, the demilitarized Rhineland, the humiliation, the occupation of the Ruhr, the bad treatment of Germans ,Hyper inflation and the Allies refusing to back down on concessions during the crisis, the great depression , the weak government. There's only so much the average person can take before they turn to radicalism.Much less nationalistic people who once stood amongst the great powers of Europe. I am not justifying the atrocities of the nazis but there was no way to prevent a radical Germany with all these issues .The allies and the Weimar republic sort of paved the way for the nazis and are somewhat responsible for Hitler's rise in power.

[@ScorpoYT]

Let's take a moment to appreciate the improvement in the animation Quality

[@turbochad69]

Ye

[@turbochad69]

Agreed

[@not_funny_I_didnt_laugh]

Ye

[@not_funny_I_didnt_laugh]

Agreed

[@leondre9190]

Ye

[@nickfifteen]

8:51 _" September 3rd, 1814 saw a tectonic shift in Prussian society..."_ Or, dare I say, a _Teutonic_ shift?

[@SysKeyJS]

OHOHHHHHH

[@therootbeerenjoyer]

Don't let bro cook 💀

[@rustywenzlawe6287]

Nice dude

[@AustroHungarianEmpire1867]

Take my like, and leave.

[@SkippertheBart]

Eyy.

[@PakBallandSami]

Prussia’s modernized army discipline, resulted in a Prussian victory; the war was formally concluded on August 23 by the Treaty of Prague. The treaty assigned Schleswig-Holstein to Prussia

[@percy6070]

i always see you spamming the comments of a ton of history videos with stuff i can only assume is from wikipedia

[@PakBallandSami]

@@percy6070 hi iam sorry but your criticism is invaded iam sorry if it came out as I was doing something wrong I will improve my conduct on the online spaces most of the information I get are form other history channels videos and documentary films and online article's

[@hlibushok]

@@PakBallandSami You are like the A Guy Without A Moustache, but of polandball and historical documentaries.

[@PakBallandSami]

@@hlibushok thanks man

[@birbboi4683]

r u from pakistan sir

[@MrLlama-xf9hh]

Fun Fact: The US hired the Prussian officer Friedrick Von Stuben during the American Revolution because Generals like George Washington wanted to instill disciplinary standards, customs and courtesies, and infantry doctrine to the ranks. The US Army still holds many of these traditions to this day.

[@alexanderzippel8809]

and the parade in NY is probably the biggest insult one could ever give to a prussian (looking at these hundreds of BAVARIAN flags waved there)

[@EnigmaEnginseer]

@@alexanderzippel8809 Bavarian flags? At a parade in New York? What?

[@USAR8888]

Saw the giant statue of him at Valley Forge National Historic Park last year. Had never heard of him up until then. He definitely deserves more recognition. His drill and Prussian disciplinary efforts that he hammered into the Continental Army at Valley Forge were crucial in transforming them from a ragtag bunch into a more disciplined, European style army.

[@TheTarturo]

Additional fun fact: I am from his hometown, his statue was right in front of my school window. We were always amused by the americans coming every year to pay respect to his contribution, while not even we, from his hometown, knew who he was. Also it's "Steuben" with an additional "e".^^'

[@thelordofcringe]

@@TheTarturo there's even a small city named Steubenville in the US, where after the revolution, our entire military was stationed to fight off native American raids.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

Griffin may have overlooked a key detail on ‘how’. Prussia observed the American Civil War and noted how railways became quintessential in the Union’s operations and eventual victory. This led to Prussia to invest more into building more lines/networks of rail. Rails + their quicker mobilisation system (compared to stringent French camp reporting) made transport more effective.

[@EnigmaEnginseer]

Europe’s powers may not have had any real desire to enter the conflict but they certainly watched with interest. Unfortunately many came to the conclusion that the Americans were simply sloppy fighters and that any tactic of note they were using was unique to the terrain of North America and wouldn’t be of much use back in Europe. If you look at the later years of the American Civil War you can see the start of what would become the bloody warfare of World War One (specifically 1914).

[@lahire4943]

The Prussians didn't wait for the ACW to understand that railways would play a critical role in future conflicts, and we saw that during the Austro-Prussian War.

[@embreis2257]

if you only start understanding the impact of railways on war when monitoring the American Civil War, there wouldn't have been enough time to make adjustments and actually build the tracks etc when fighting with Austria about who is in or out of the new empire and getting France to 'agree' to a united Germany

[@birbboi4683]

he had stated those in other vids

[@alessandromangiapia7082]

So in 5 years they designed the strategy and built the whole railway network? Seems efficient, perhaps too much even for the Germans

[@saulgoodmangaming3460]

“Laws are like sausages, It’s best to not see them being made.” - Otto Von Bismarck

[@chheinrich8486]

Besides Otto von Bismarck, what is the point of thid quote?

[@szymonziolkowski5967]

Bismarck was a socialist. He gave workers state sponsored pensions.

[@chheinrich8486]

@@szymonziolkowski5967 made some socialist policies but he definitly wasnt a socialist, he was more a conservative

[@teddypicker8799]

@@chheinrich8486 Nothing wrong with socialist ideals. Scandinavian countries are the happiest in the world

[@spiderspyy]

@@teddypicker8799 scandinavians are not socialists… we do have social democratic values though, which is very different.

[@mheekkim2901]

1. Officers through skill and ability not nepotism or connections 2. Less corporal punishment more emphasis on tactics 3. Conscription with just reason 4. Advanced weaponry and its mastery. 5. Flexible chain of command, quick response. (mission type tactics-Auftragstaktik) - personal note

[@hungrymusicwolf]

'personal note' - sounds like you're planning to time travel and conquer some countries. Make sure to leave some interesting tidbits around for archeologists to discover later on, I'd like to see them on a youtube video one day.

[@takebacktheholyland9306]

Fun fact: This is also the foundation works of Hitler's blitzkrieg, comically enough

[@stephenheath8465]

also not mention in the video but the Prussian/German Non Comms were the best in the World right up until 1945

[@liberty.b.r]

@unknown2k229 No.

[@alliesnation]

nice thanks for the information buddy

[@grumblesa10]

"March divided, fight united" was copied from Napoleon's Corps. Each Corps was a self-contained mini-army: Infantry, cavalry, artillery and services; able to fight on its own, but could quickly join up with other corps for larger engagements. This made better use of what road networks there were, and also aided in foraging if magazines were not readily available.

[@conserva-chan2735]

I would love a vid on the Portuguese Colonial War. It is a criminally underrated and super fascinating war that lacks publicity.

[@justinheron1114]

Great idea!

[@NaturalBornLifeEnder]

Been asking for that as well. Had relatives of mine who were there

[@TheZestyCar]

@@NaturalBornLifeEnder Where exactly? Were they living in Angola or Mozambique? Were they civilians or actual soldiers?

[@NaturalBornLifeEnder]

@@TheZestyCar Both, one of my uncles was deployed in Guinea for two years, was fortunate enough to hear actual war stories

[@nixonhoover2]

@@NaturalBornLifeEnder How many innocents did he and his thuggish, european cohorts murder and rape while trying to fight for a decrepit portugal trying to hold on to imaginary glory?

[@lucasjleandro]

For me Prussia is the major example of "Learn from your own mistakes"

[@eliasadam2345]

I think when it comes to war, there is nothing a Prussian hates more than losing one.

[@Ami-jc2oo]

And the allies (excluding USSR and East Germany) after ww2 with West Germany. Even modern Germany and France get along well.

[@nikel-]

technically took the L to their heart and git gud

[@mercce6750]

"Because To- I mean Austria learns from their mistakes."

[@nightmarexgaming120]

@unknown 2k22 no

[@duzyszybkidorsz4834]

Fun fact: After his death in 1831, General Carl von Clausewitz was buried in the cemetery in Breslau (today's Wrocław). In 1971, at the request of the GDR authorities, the ashes of the general and his wife Marie Sophie were transferred to his hometown of Burg near Magdeburg, where they were buried in the Ostfriedhof cemetery, where he is to this day.

[@nrw64]

A German belongs to German lands. Breslau may be today polish but it's still has a German soul like all of these former German citys.

[@trafalgarlaw7109]

​@@nrw64 I get your point but on the other hand there isn't anything German left there and the new citizens probably won't be fans of him to put it that way. His new resting place has his own people and culture around and I think it's great to have it within the German borders

[@srccde]

@@nrw64 Unfortunately, the governments of certain countries have been quite forceful in expelling anything german left in the cities. For example, former Königsberg has *nothing* German left except what it says in the history books of a long gone age.

[@yonekduhyote]

@@srccde one day, it will be Germany removing every trace of Polish and Russian defouling their once great cities

[@srccde]

​@@yonekduhyote Then we will have proven that no one ever learns from history, happily repeating the same mistakes over and over again.

[@zavie3513]

Prussia's military is very interesting, excited to learn more about it!

[@yunleung2631]

Oh they’ll make you learn about it.

[@Mestari1Gaming]

KZbin out to get these annoying bots with their scam/virus links out of youtube's comment sections ASAP!

[@SStupendous]

Really love the new animations, though the few innacuracies, such as about 13:05 you've got recoilless systems on a gun that would actually be kicking back, defying physics, and at 10:10 you've got 1920s-looking artillery in place for "rifled cannon", instead of a realistic rifled cannon for the 19th century. At 4:44 you've got these guts in 1840s/50s-type fashion, wearing wigs as like it's the 1780s or something. There's a lot more innacuracies in the animations here, a little concerning, but they're really well-animated now.

[@cruzaider5339]

“They're just constructed in an unorthodox manner” - British military observer during the Franco-Prussian war

[@schwerenevonyildi1315]

That comment has the same energy as "they are just built different" but in 1800's style.

[@anadaere6861]

"We built stupid" The French after getting surrounded in Sedan

[@cruzaider5339]

@@schwerenevonyildi1315 Yeah basically

[@cruzaider5339]

@@anadaere6861 💀💀

[@saywhatnow2173]

@@anadaere6861 bruh

[@Saurabh10dps]

Its really a wonder to notice that the compulsory military conscription was actually a major factor in pushing heavy german emigration to the US in the 19th Century. This created an irony: even though Prussia grew economically very rapidly in the 19th Century but emigration to the US always kept increasing and increasing. Edit: One major factor pointing towards this push factor of military conscription is that Germans were a major immigrant group in the Americas, even though they had no colonies of themselves there. More Germans emigrated than the English or the French relative to population size, that too when the home country was witnessing an industrial boom !

[@etholus1000]

Yeah my great grandfather was Prussian and immigrated here to the US, leaving behind his homeland with his family and going straight to Ellis Island. I’m sure the compulsory military conscription was a big reason for that

[@NONO-oy1cu]

@@etholus1000 I don't understand why they're unwilling to serve in the military for a few years?

[@etholus1000]

@@NONO-oy1cu I mean I don’t know if that’s really why they left, I need to ask my aunt. But I mean the US had allot of jobs and opportunity at the time, and my great grandfather started a tailoring business when he got things going. So it probably could of just been a financial motive

[@NONO-oy1cu]

@@etholus1000 Yeah opportunities in the US was perhaps the reason.

[@albertoswald8461]

@@NONO-oy1cu , DROP BITCH!! GIVE ME 50!!! This is how I was greeted in boot camp. I was dumb enough to volunteer so my fault!!! But smarter people than me thought that they needed that like a hole in their heads!!! America is like, "Do what you want so long as you aren't breaking the law!!" Sounds like the better deal to me!!!😁

[@jacobmoore6236]

My great grandfather would be very happy to know his great grandfather (Scharnhorst) was mentioned in this video. This man rarely gets mentioned anywhere. Thank you so much for honoring him in this video, this subject and Gerhard’s story are both near to my heart.

[@klobiforpresident2254]

I know that it is then not about the men but Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Blücher definitely took me back to naval matters for a second. I suppose there at least his name lives on.

[@jacobmoore6236]

@@klobiforpresident2254 Yes that’s true. Not everyday you get warships named after you, very cool indeed.

[@henrikclausewitz8616]

👍

[@535phobos]

Scharnhorst gets rarely mentioned? He is one of THE big prussian reformers. That man got 2 capital ships named after him. Having him as an ancestor is honestly pretty cool

[@jacobmoore6236]

@@535phobos I agree, it’s cool to be connected to history. We all are

[@Galenus1234]

@18:00 To this very day Austrians may say "Not even the Prussians shoot that fast", if they want to tell someone to slow down to a more moderate pace of doing things.

[@sohrb]

1-see a problem 2-bring in experts 3-problem fixed so simple. and yet I can't imagine anything like this happening in my country

[@Ami-jc2oo]

What is your country? Out of curiosity.

[@tiagomonteiro130]

W​​ith modern politicians all over the World it can be literally everywehr.​@@Ami-jc2oo

[@PakBallandSami]

In 1804 Clausewitz was appointed adjutant to Prince August Ferdinand of Prussia. In this capacity, he took part in the Battle of Jena-Auerstädt (1806). In the wake of Prussia’s catastrophic defeat by Napoleon he and the prince fell into French captivity. With the Prussian army demolished and the prince captured, Prussia was forced to give up half of its territory in the concluding peace treaty. After their release at the end of 1807

[@letswaveabook3183]

¨No plan survives contact with the enemy¨ Interstingly, that same principle was one of the keys of success of Roman legions where centurions could allow their maniples to function indepently

[@Fatherland927]

And WW1. My grandfathers were Prussian, officers of the Saxon regiment, Western front. The most effective trench defenders and raiders, were Saxonian. Bavarians were feared for their accurate marksmanship, and the Prussians known for their discipline. My grandfather died in Passchendaele (counter-attack), his brother survived Flanders and Champagne, as a high ranking officer would.

[@yelan1918C1hans]

It's honestly cool seeing people with their stories coming here to tell them Except I don’t have them since I don’t even live nor have any relatives who come from USA/Europe

[@Unholyhybridgaming2022]

@@yelan1918C1hans my Italian great great grandpa on my mom's side of the family fled to america to escape the imminent italian belligerence in WW1, but when the USA joined, he enlisted and won not only citizenship but also a purple heart while in combat. My grandpa even has his standard issue gas mask to this day.

[@yelan1918C1hans]

@@Unholyhybridgaming2022 cool, mine were just average citizens from china and hong kong 😭

[@PineappleOnPizza69]

@@yelan1918C1hansmy family were just farmers from indonesia 😂

[@climax050]

Always had a fascination with Prussia's legendary reputation throughout the period, so glad to see you do a video on it to really see it all come to life and explained in such a great way! Edit: its interesting to see how the Prussians like everyone else basically copied the French to start, but instead of Napoleon's style of trusting his marshals and then taking overall command, they'd go almost the opposite way and put even more trust in their officers and commanders to do what they thought was right at the time, which Napoleon sort of did but always ended up taking back almost total control and doing it himself, interesting to see that change and how the famous German command flexibility and adaptability was born.

[@warbrain1053]

@MONICA------ 👇💋 burn, heretic. The Inquisition of the Imperium of Man declares you as heretic and embodiement of Chaos. Sentence : Exterminatus Bot btw)

[@lc9245]

But it's precisely because the coalition avoided fighting Napoleon and focusing on his marshals that Napoleon was soundly defeated. Either they were able to see past that, or they realised the strength of Napoleonic army mobilising the entire population, and the corps system was the only efficient way to field large armies on the field at the same time effectively.

[@kayzenl7911]

@@lc9245 actually not true, the coalitions forces start to win many battles because the french didn’t have the cavalry anymore to chase the army after the battle. So they couldn’t score massive wins.

[@younesbarakat1395]

@@kayzenl7911 also the coalition forces started to win cause they literally outnumbered him 2 to 1 every battle.

[@BountyFlamor]

Napoleon was running short on veterans, too, as time went on.

[@znalniaskas]

The Austro-Prussian war is probably the big turning point before the war with France. When the Austro-Prussian war happened many people at the time actually picked the Austrian army because they had much more combat experience over the last few decades. In the end them going all in on close combat after their loss at Solferino (mainly because of the uneven terrain that allowed the French to advance and charge without taking significant losses) spelled desaster against the well trained Prussian army with it's superior firepower. The Austrian officers also had a bad rep, apparently they prefered spending time in casinos gambling than working on their tactical prowess, even if these kind of claims should always been taking with a grain of salt.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

Next video should be: Why Austria’s army were not up to standards constantly.

[@VictoireOuMort]

It is not exactly easy when everyone speaks a different language lol

[@kernelsanderzz]

@@VictoireOuMort wrong. Diversity is a strength ™️

[@alvinlin8140]

@@kernelsanderzz you kidding or are you actually woke

[@ninofromkitchennightmares1497]

@@kernelsanderzz in civilization Not when your fighting a war with a German officer trying to speak to the Hungarian officer communicating to the Ukrainian Czech Slovak Romanian Croatian Serbian Italian and polish counterparts

[@vedsingh2108]

@@ninofromkitchennightmares1497 yeah lmao

[@jacksonlee6760]

We don't usually hear enough about the things that went on in the 1800s in Europe. Glad that you share some of this with us Armchair.

[@emiltholander2906]

I still remember the Prussian-inspired standards from military basic training in Sweden in 2017. "Det ska vara Preussiskt!" our sergeant commanded us, "It shall be done in the Prussian way!". This was often shouted when we were tasked with lining up equipment or weapons on a long line on the floor, for inspection. I swear to god, the line was straighter than a needle, and the equipment was uniformally posted down to the smallest strap on the combat vest.

[@PakBallandSami]

“Palmerston likes to put his foot on their necks! Now, no statesman must triumph over an enemy that is not quite dead, because people forget a real loss, a real misfortune, but they won’t forget an insult. Napoleon made great mistakes that way; he hated Prussia, insulted it on all occasions, but still left it alive. The consequence was that in 1813 they rose to a man in Prussia, even children and women took arms, because they had been treated with contempt and insulted.” ― Leopold I

[@charlestonianbuilder344]

leopold? is that the king of belgium who ruled over congo? idk if he is though

[@TheGoldenRoman]

@@charlestonianbuilder344 that was Leopold the second

[@KaiserIkhwan]

19:04 i like how napoleon approves prussian artillery lol

[@emrekarsidag188]

As a reader of clausewitz’s master piece, I could easily say that it is also a philosophic success. I’ve never knew that war and philosophy could ever be tied together before.

[@aldrindetablan4358]

Man, von Moltke the Elder is so underrated in military history.

[@paradoxaddict8978]

he was the second Napoleon

[@The_whales]

Uses previously used tactics from enemy, breach loading rifles, the real time commander orders and refuses to elaborate further

[@Miniwargaming101]

The systems for reserves and mass conscription were certainly present in the Prussian army before 1814 - well before, in-fact, having variations leading back to the time of Fredrick Wilhelm I in 1733. The reforms of 1814 did, however, as you said, require compulsory service of all able-bodied men of 20 years or older, which massively increased the size of armies Prussia could muster in the decades to come. (It also formally removed any previous exemptions, such as those held by certain provinces, or the sons of foreigners living in Prussia.) However, it was the reforms following Prussian defeat in 1807 that set into motion the eventual 1814 decision. After the Treaty of Tilsit limited the Prussian army of a measly 42,000 men (which was, to be simply put, a number Napoleon felt confident he could defeat when the Prussians inevitably rose up against him again) the Prussian Military Reform Commission (consisting of many of the Prussian commanders discussed in this video, among others) discussed the ideas of adopting a revised system of reserves and one of mass conscription (called the Landwehr). While the idea of the Landwehr was ultimately shut down then (mostly by more conservative generals), the 'Krumper system' was put into place, wherein active-duty soldiers would be progressively relieved of duty and replaced with fresh recruits - leaving these well-trained men in "reserve," in all effect, while training new men to the same standards. Later in 1811, before Prussia's involvement in the invasion of Russia, each infantry regiment was ordered to form a fourth battalion - camouflaged on paper as "supply" or "training depot" battalions in order to not arise French suspicions. These additional battalions would later balloon into full regiments of their own before the onset of war again in 1813. Furthermore, following the defeat of the French in 1812 by Russia, Clausewitz (who was now serving with the Russian army) drew up the plans for the implementation of the conscription of the Landwehr - which was quickly adopted in preparation for the oncoming war. This all allowed Prussia to cheat the very treaty they had signed, and (Landwehr not included), allowed Prussia to muster a further 37.000 well-trained troops above the 42,000 Napoleon had limited them to just 6 years prior. Landwehr then included, this came to the described metric of 6% of Prussia's population - an impressive force which caught Napoleon completely off-guard, and certainly contributed to the defeat of Napoleon's army at Leipzig and the many battles leading up to it. PS: Following the 1814 reforms, many of the reserve infantry regiments that had been formed under the above-described system were made into fully-fledged active duty (and thoroughly battle-hardened) infantry regiments. Some of these newly christened regiments then fought in the battles of Waterloo.

[@gandalfthegrey2592]

source?

[@emonsuparman9248]

Dreaming if 6% of Germany people today is "Army" like people of Prusia in early 1800s, today Germany will have almost 5.000.000 troops!!!

[@ordotectonicus8585]

10:10 beautiful rendition of Preßeun Gloria in the background

[@dimitrypetrenko3470]

14:55 this was badass

[@drunkardhu6517]

6:02 "Our men are running from the battlefield! Shameful display!"

[@aerinax8203]

the level of cinematography in the opening really grabs your attention and demands you hold it outstanding work on my favorite part of the mid to late 1800s

[@StevanEC]

The Zoom meeting in 6:18 with that backgrounds hahaha.

[@AlecuBeldiman68420]

Every day The Armchair Historian posts a video is a good day

[@The_Blue_Ender]

Very true

[@lahire4943]

Prussian victory during the Franco-German War of 1870 was largely caused by a far better mobilization system, which led to the German army being twice the size of the French army at the beginning of the war. Moreover, Prussian political unity was instrumental in making those military reforms. Indeed, Napoléon III had given too much power to parliament, which proved terrible when he tried to reform the French army following the Austro-Prussian War, as the Niel law was rejected, mainly by Republicans. But people think the war was a cakewalk for the Germans, whereas some battles were absolute butcheries like Spicheren, Woerth, Mars-la-Tour or Gravelotte, the graveyard of the Prussian guard. The Germans lost at Gravelotte on a single day more than 5,200 killed. The deadliest battle of the American Civil War, which lasted three days, cost the Union 3,155 killed. In the end, numerical superiority and better artillery won the day.

[@felixjohnsens3201]

It always more costly to attack, than to defend.

[@donaldcarey114]

As events in Ukraine show, artillary was a huge factor - the Prussian artillary outranged the French.

[@lahire4943]

@@nathangg8429 ? 20,000 German losses at Gravelotte. It's the French who lost 8,000 killed or wounded.

[@dannypickering5623]

U are way off on the numbers of the American Civil War numbers

[@brittakriep2938]

The ,prussian' army? The army of the german states had been may be 65% prussian soldiers. You totally have forgotten the soldiers of Bayern, Sachsen, Württemberg, Baden, Hessen- Darmstadt, Oldenburg, Mecklenburg- Schwerin, Mecklenburg- Strelitz, Sachsen- Weimar- Eisenach, Anhalt, Braunschweig, Sachsen- Altenburg, Sachsen- Meiningen, Sachsen- Coburg- Gotha, Schwarzburg- Rudolstadt, Schwarzburg- Sondershausen, Waldeck- Pyrmont, Lippe- Detmold, Reuß- Greitz, Reuß- Schleitz, Hamburg, Bremen and Lübeck.

[@arnabmahapatra8021]

Another masterpiece.Thanks for all the efforts you put in!!!

[@BonesofSmite]

Moltke predicted the increase in need of NCOs and junior officers. Genius

[@donaldvandergriff2196]

Moltke the Elder is one of histories understudied but greatest generals.

[@israeltovar3513]

When he said "to crush their enemies", I immediately thought of an elderly Moltke saying "see our enemies driven before us, and hear the lamentations of the women"...

[@tonygriggle5569]

Man, this animation is getting out of hand. Looking at the animation in a video like the Siege of Vienna, it honestly dosent look like the same channel. It's insane, keep going.

[@arnbo88]

The Dreyse needle rifle also had the advantage in that the infantryman could reload while in a prone position. This made him less of a target than his muzzle loading counterparts.

[@spiffygonzales5899]

Reload EASIER while prone. You can reload a muzzle loader prone, it's just much much harder

[@stephenheath8465]

This was the end of upright Infantry fighting going back to the days of Antiquity

[@williamburroughs9686]

15:30 This strategy looks very much like Napoleons strategy when he divided his army into cores.

[@wilhelm2462]

Another advantage of the needle gun was that you can reload it while laying on the ground

[@etholus1000]

Yeah it was a huge leap forward to modern combat. Proud that my ancestors were the ones to perfect it during that time period

[@wilhelm2462]

@@etholus1000 you are french?

[@polygonalfortress]

One should be able to load a muzzle loader in another position other than standing, though it wouldn't be as efficient as the latter method.

[@GeFlixes]

Fun Fact: The German Bundeswehr uses Auftragstaktik to this day, now integrated in the bigger philosophy of "Inerre Führung".

[@faelger9473]

"Die wahrheit ist dem menschen zu zumuten" ist the most important and truest thing Bismarck has ever said. And the most overlooked and ignored thing on earth.

[@markpiper6382]

10:15 I saw some early alpha videos on Fire and Maneuver. The song that plays here is actually the in-battle theme for Germany. Nice touch

[@EmperorCaligula_EC]

It should be added that some of the idea like the "Auftragstaktitk", giving officers a broader autonomy to decide ad hoc became THE major contribution to military strategy in the world, thereafter.

[@dothoncho671]

14:48 best momment

[@TEO14444]

6:10 OHHHHHHHHHHHH WHO LIVES IN THE PINEAPPLE UNDER THE SEA

[@bumpermanthesecond615]

Napoleon III: Look! I'm trying my best to fight those allermange with your glorious tactics! Are you proud of me yet?? Napoleon I: I'd rather be proud of those allermange more than you imbecile...

[@scpguy1381]

Good job dude your the best at history on the platform

[@yabode6633]

“Ponderous and predictable” sounds familiar from Epic History TV. Great video Griffin ! Always wanted a video like this.

[@bradleysnipes6608]

“Fire and maneuver. That’s the name of the game… Fire and maneuver.”

[@Frankoaks277]

"The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions but by iron and blood." ~ Otto Von Bismarck

[@KeyserSozex]

13:42 😂 looks a spirit came to visit you. An orb passed across the screen, low right to left.

[@victorfinberg8595]

Couple really important points 1) March divided, fight united. much better than divide your forces and lose 2) the importance of low unit initiative

[@stephenheath8465]

Point 1 You better have great battlefield Inteligence to pull it off

[@victorfinberg8595]

@@stephenheath8465 sure. in those days, that role was done by light cavalry

[@aarondemiri486]

more history videos on the military history of Prussia is always welcome

[@talleywa5772]

Prussian doctrine was also absolutely instrumental during the American revolution. Organizing the Continental Army from a scrappy group of rag tag hunters and riflemen into a well drilled and capable fighting force.

[@powerist209]

4:34- And I think the inspiration behind Battletech's "social generals" in Steiner lore, where Steiner's (space Germans) questionable officer corps tends to hold back its industrial might in military dominance.

[@zulubeatz1]

Thank you for this much needed description of something so important to any Military history fan.

[@HeavyLefty]

Very well done documentary. Love the early Prussian history (before Bismarck I mean), the rapid growth of the Prussian might after the Napoleonic wars is crazy, even before them aswell actually.

[@inkognitovondarmimpo3990]

Man the details in the animation are sooooo strong. Even while marching the soldiers blink with their eyes. Respect for that

[@Valen7141]

The Chad officer at 1:50 walking as if he isn't literally being bombed

[@TheMightyCrucibleKnight184]

Armchair historian: "and reclaim its honor" Zuko: where?!

[@becauseno9375]

Underrated

[@BestGorillaJoke]

Can't wait for the game to be out fully, I'll definitley be picking up the early access

[@l-nolazck-rn24]

9:37, omg, I love how the map looks, like, you should one day make steam mods so maps from EU4, Victoria II, CK3 and HOI4 would look like that fr

[@yrsjhydjmdhyt]

Napoleon wasn't at Auerstedt; it was Davout.

[@bloodswornaburmesehistorian]

Ahh Clausewitz. Everytime I quote him, people think it's from Sun Tzu. Those two were the backbone of my Strategy and Defense Studies class. I still cannot help but hear the words "Schwerpunkt" (Centre of Gravity) whenever I look at any map.

[@LamiNalchor]

The notion that Germany and thus Prussia "plunged Europe" into WWI had been refuted a long time ago.

[@closetglobe.IRGUN.NW0]

How?

[@LamiNalchor]

@@closetglobe.IRGUN.NW0 Any expert would tell you that Germany by no means to blame for WWI.

[@Kertz.]

Awesome video with lots of information, also loving the improvement in quality and the use of memes as well! Excited for your game to come out, I’ll definitely give it a shot! Keep it up!

[@FlyxPat]

The army was ok relative to its enemies - the leadership of the Austrian and French armies was lacking - but the real reason it won was the favourable diplomatic conditions Bismarck created for it. The negative outcome of these wars was an expectation that the Prusso-German army could win at 1:1, which led political leaderships far inferior to Bismarck to risk worse than 1:1 odds in 1914 and 1939, with calamitous results.

[@flipjonah2348]

The gameplay looks so good! I love how it captivates the animation style of your videos

[@henningmess522]

That is a nice overview and I realy like the fact that you have mentioned the Auftragstaktik. On the other side I was missing the development of the general staff in its form, also developed by Scharnhorst if I am not mistaken and what was fast copied by other nations after the Franco-Prudsian war.

[@7636kei]

Admit it, hard not to chuckle-if not outright laughing out loud-at the sight of four guys having a zoom meeting in the bloody aughties of the 19th century XD

[@VexingWeeb]

10:00 ayo the prussian theme from fire and maneuver that song is so lit

[@jecemarsthebvgelvezon7694]

I really need to look into Prussia's history more cause every time you say Scharnhorst and Gneisenau I always think of them as battleships instead.

[@mpersad]

A very well researched and animated video of the rise and victories of the Prussian Army. Their victories over Austria in 1866 and France in 1870 were precursors to the tactics that would be used by the united states of a German state in her later wars of the 20th Century. Excellent video.

[@tposingjesus5491]

“How did the Prussian Army Dominate Europe in the 1800s” The Prussian army 1803 - 1815: *intense sweating

[@NR-rv8rz]

Didn't Napoleon praise two of his Generals for reversing one of his orders while in the field and going on the attack rather than withdrawing? I believe the situation was that one general was to withdraw his troops from a particular line and another was to move in and replace them and as they met up they discussed it and decide to attack together and they succeeded. I think it was at the battle of Leipzig and as far as I know, Napoleon was pleased with this and praised them.

[@aze94]

I have heard the opposite: Napoleon was inclined to micromanage and prone to flying into a rage when his subordinates went against his "perfect strategies". Although this was fine when he was personally in charge of an army that he could lead directly due to his talent at that level.

[@NR-rv8rz]

@@aze94 Yeah I was just referring to one isolated incident.

[@TorianTammas]

Napoleon expected initiative from his Marshalls that commanded corps but not below that level. This is ths different to Austrgstaktik where even a Lieutenant or even a platoon leader can seize initaitive.

[@polygonalfortress]

@@TorianTammas I wonder why Napoleon wouldn't support such initiative at a lower level, considering how much success such tactics they made for the prussians later in the 19th century.

[@jacquesstrapp3219]

@@polygonalfortress It was about command and control. A general has little control of a battle if subordinates do not follow orders exactly. Many battles have been lost such as Agincourt when the French knights attacked impetuously through their own crossbowmen or Little Big Horn where Custer disobeyed orders to scout for the Indians and attacked without waiting for the 3 columns of troops that were converging to destroy them. Initiative can be a good thing if it's not rashness but there is a fine line between the two.

[@kermiurpal9206]

Cant Wait for Fire and Maneuver to come out im very excited! It seems to be coming along very well.

[@looinrims]

5:40 Napoleon’s army wasn’t there, it was only French III Corps, Napoleon didn’t even know what had happened until after the victory

[@MMadesen]

Its not meant that literally. Napoleon was the french emperor, so the french army was Napoleons army at the time. Regardless of which regiment he directly commanded.

[@nicolasmarazuela1010]

I would argue that Fredrick's father Fredrick Wilhelm "The Soldier King" laid down the base for Prussia's army. Different to other monarchs, he invested the majority of the incomes in the army rather than in the state. Also under his reign the drafting system was made more efficient and he began with a system of meritocracy with his officer corp (although they were still part of the aristocracy). Many of the reforms build up on this base.

[@kashxavi]

I love these Prussian 1800s videos, truly awesome!

[@hashbrownz1999]

As someone nearly completely unfamiliar with the Napoleonic era but very familiar with the classical European period, It's cool to see how similar all of Prussia's reforms were to Roman reforms in response to major military defeats.

[@scpguy1381]

Just when I though “ this animation is so good now and can not possibly get better” I was wrong

[@williammancuso4509]

Really cool episode with the drawings n all especially with the parts like at 9:46

[@MartyMcSpooky]

Can't wait for Fire and Maneuver!

[@pokefan-ix7sh]

The Royal Prussian Army served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the core mercenary forces of Brandenburg 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 a victory during the 18th-century Silesian Wars and greatly increased the prestige of the Kingdom of Prussia. The army had become outdated 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 Bonaparte 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, aside from Austria, 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.

[@danieleriksson5587]

That is some damn dedication. Going as a kid and memorizing your foes defenses and then wait 20-30yrs before you can utalize your knowledge.

[@phillydcinematics2543]

The last video was a bit odd, but you surpassed yourself doing this one, the faces are incredible! Kudos!!!

[@HotheadLad]

This is genuinely one of your best videos. Well done.

[@omarmatouq3855]

On a different note, I would love to see another squad vs squad video, but with a more modern setting like US squad vs NVA/Vietcong, Iranian squad vs Iraqi squad, russian squad vs chechen squad, ect.

[@banatul6367]

You know you are a true chad when you reference your own game

[@nacht2377]

von Moltke's plans really sound similar to Napoleon and his Speed Game. Using quick Mobilization to surprise the enemy, grouping into small Groups/Corps then Unite to absolutely obliterate the enemy, and the Speed makes it easier for the supplies and Artillery to move fast

[@yousufmirza5328]

You really need more views, nice video!

[@saturnv2419]

The irony was because of this "military focus" culture, Prussian Army and later the German Empire fall to notice the importance of logistics. Moltke the elder mentioned the possibility of trucks and automobiles as supplement to railroads when not in German territory was ignored. Few in German military culture failed to notice the importance of logistics, instead focusing on the troop speed and "living out of the land", both of which will backfired on them in the two world wars.

[@spiffygonzales5899]

I don't see how it backfired in WW1

[@saturnv2419]

@@spiffygonzales5899 It caused very bad publicity around the world, it also failed to provide enough supply for the German right wing to surround Paris.

[@stephenheath8465]

Crazy as late as WW2 The German Army still use Horse Powered Vehicles for Logistics