Prussian Army Soldiers and the Seven Years' War : The Psychology of Honour

The army of Frederick the Great of Prussia is generally known as an efficient fighting machine based on brutal and strict drill procedures that led to broken but fearless soldiers as well as glorious battle victories. Today, this stereotype of Prussian Army punishments is still part of our language, when we call situations of public exposure or the fear of unjust public criticism running the gauntlet. fundamentally challenges this interpretation. This book analyses the mentalities of the men who established Prussias great power status. It draws on a vast array of primary sources, especially rare letters by the soldiers to their families written on the battlefield. The authors show that the soldiers were feeling individuals like loving husbands, vulnerable little brothers, deeply religious preachers and sometimes even adventurers. All these individuals were united by one idea, which made them fight efficiently: honour. The different elements of the Prussian soldiers concept of honour are analysed here. Nevertheless, the soldiers were under extreme pressure during their training, on the march and in battle. They talked astonishingly frankly to their families about fear, the loss of friends and the presence of death surrounding them day by day. Some of the most impressive sources for this book were written by the regimental chaplain Küster, who could probably be called the first modern military psychologist. For the first time, the book presents an English translation of 12 letters of common Prussian soldiers from the Seven Years War. Cover Half Title Title Copyrights Contents List of Illustrations and Table Acknowledgements Introduction Current state of research Sources and methods 1 Drilling on the Job: About a Soldier’s Brain ‘The men’: Origin, recruitment, beliefs and expectations for the future Linear tactics: Forming the men’s instincts Shocking with cold steel: Psychological warfare 2 Between ‘Emasculating Fear’ and ‘Heat’: Emotions and Psychology in Combat The men’s reflections: The soldiers who wrote about their emotions Sheltered by the Almighty: How should one read the sources? The soldiers’ letters and their emotions in battle Statements about soldiers’ emotions in combat Prague and the ‘Little War’: Successfully formed instincts? 3 The Components of Prussian Honour: What Made the Men Fight? The honour of professionalism and the soldiers’ estate Religion National and cultural concepts Gender and honour The soldiers’ interactions with their officers Music: The fine-tuning of military honour Material incentives Discipline by force 4 Summary Appendix I Sources: Regulations, military history and theory, journals Reglements and orders Military history and theory Appendix II Twelve Prussian Soldiers’ Letters from the Seven Years’ War The letters Glossary Bibliography Index "The army of Frederick the Great of Prussia is generally known as an efficient fighting machine based on brutal and strict drill procedures that led to broken but fearless soldiers as well as glorious battle victories. In analysing the mentalities of the men who established Prussia's great power status, Prussian Army Soldiers and the Seven Years' War fundamentally challenges this interpretation. Drawing on a vast array of primary sources (including the writing of regimental chaplain Küster, who could probably be called the first modern military psychologist) and presenting the first English translation of 12 letters of common Prussian soldiers from the Seven Years' War, this book shows that the soldiers were feeling individuals. They were loving husbands, vulnerable little brothers, deeply religious preachers, and sometimes even bold adventurers. All these individuals, however, were united by one idea which made them fight efficiently: honour. In Prussian Army Soldiers and the Seven Years' War, the different elements of the Prussian soldiers' concept of such honour are expertly analysed. The result is a nuanced, sophisticated, and much-needed psychological history of Frederick the Great's army"--Bloomsbury Collections. The army of Frederick the Great of Prussia is generally known as an efficient fighting machine based on brutal and strict drill procedures that led to broken but fearless soldiers as well as glorious battle victories. In analysing the mentalities of the men who established Prussia's great power status, Prussian Army Soldiers and the Seven Years' War fundamentally challenges this interpretation. Drawing on a vast array of primary sources (including the writing of regimental chaplain Kuster, who could probably be called the first modern military psychologist) and presenting the first English translation of 12 letters of common Prussian soldiers from the Seven Years' War, this book shows that the soldiers were feeling individuals. They were loving husbands, vulnerable little brothers, deeply religious preachers, and sometimes even bold adventurers. All these individuals, however, were united by one idea which made them fight efficiently: honour. In Prussian Army Soldiers and the Seven Years' War, the different elements of the Prussian soldiers' concept of such honour are expertly analysed. The result is a nuanced, sophisticated, and much-needed psychological history of Frederick the Great's army