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 political and military power and within Germany. The Royal Prussian Army had its roots in the core mercenary forces of Brandenburg–Prussia during the long religious strife of the Thirty Years' War of 1618–1648. Elector Frederick William (1620–1688, reigned 1640–1688), developed it into a viable standing army, while King Frederick William I of Prussia (1688–1740, reigned 1713–1740), dramatically increased its size and improved its doctrines. King Frederick the Great (1712–1786, reigned 1740–1786), a formidable battle commander, led the disciplined Prussian troops to victory during the 18th century Silesian Wars and greatly increased the prestige and military reputation throughout Europe and among the hodge-podge array of various German states kingdoms, duchies, principalities and free cities of the leadership in the East of the rising Kingdom of Prussia. However the Prussian Army had become outdated and under-resourced decades later by the beginning of the late 18th century into the early 19th century era to meet the challenge from the west beginning in the political and social upheaval in the French Revolution of 1789–1793, overthrowing of the French monarchy, execution of Louis XVI, and the Royal House of Bourbon. The continuing strife spilling over French borders of the following French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802), and then the Napoleonic Wars, and rise of the First French Empire of France under Napoleon I (1769–1821), defeated Prussia in the War of the Fourth Coalition in 1806–1807. However, under the subsequent leadership of Gerhard von Scharnhorst (1755–1814), Prussian military reformers began modernizing the Royal Prussian Army, which contributed greatly to the later final defeat and exile of Napoleon I during the War of the Sixth Coalition. Conservatives halted some of...