So we are doing this campaign game with Soldier Emperor. Im running Prussia, and so in the early part of the game Ive got to deal with those linear rules. Well got me to thinkin. Letts say there is no Jena-Aurstadt debacle, when, if ever, would the prussians adopt the new concepts of fighting and shake out the political 'spider webs' of those old commanders. Did Prussia's army need to be destroyed to be fixed?
Crazy 'What if ' alt history question.
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Posted 2 years ago #
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That's always been my take on it, yes. Napoleon handed them a defeat so staggering that real, thoroughgoing reform was the only option, and the disgrace of the leadership was so total that very few people were in a position to oppose it.
It always amazes me that even after 1807 there was still a fairly important contingent of Prussian aristocrats who were comfortable with the status-quo-ante. Problematically, King FW3 was comfortable with them - both as men and as "thinkers." In fact, his wife had to force a new cabinet upon him, by conniving with Stein behind FW3's back.
It's not just military science that's at issue; it's social rank and prestige, as well. Those old Warrior Families were the monarchy's most powerful constituents.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Michael Leggiere's book on 1813 ('The Franco-Prussian War in Northern Germany, 1813') has some interesting stuff on this - on the actions required by individual Prussian generals to prompt the Prussian establishment into liberating themselves, and the battles necessary to introduce the middle classes into the military.
lower classses serve in the regular army units, but middle clases have to be encouraged into Landwher - which the establishment were thoroughly opposed to as it was a potentially destabilising measure.
a book well worth looking at.
Posted 2 years ago #
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