This book review examines Jay Luvaas's edited compilation Frederick the Great on the Art of War (Da Capo Press, 1999), which assembles Frederick the Great's own writings on military strategy and tactics. The review situates Frederick within the broader context of Prussian and German history, drawing on historians such as Gordon Craig, Michael Howard, and Roger Chickering. It assesses Frederick's detailed military guidance — ranging from troop positioning to logistics — and considers the relevance of his writings for understanding Prussia's rise, its triumph in the Seven Years War, and the distinctive German military tradition that followed.
Luvaas, Jay (Editor). Frederick the Great on the Art of War. New York: Da Capo Press, First Da Capo Press Edition, 1999.
Germany is such a powerful nation-state today, and played such a decisive role in shaping the map of Europe during the twentieth century, that it is easy to forget it is a land with a fairly recent birth date. Germany was forged over the course of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries as a result of the mighty Prussian military regime. At the helm of these forces during the conception of Prussia — the region that was to give birth to the men who created the core military backbone of the modern German state — stands the Prussian general and ruler Frederick the Great.
Frederick is widely considered one of the greatest generals ever to have lived, and his writings on the reasons for his success are compiled in Frederick the Great on the Art of War. Not an author in the conventional sense, Frederick's musings about war are assembled here to give insight into how he formulated his strategy over the course of his most famous and unexpected triumph: Prussia's victory during the Seven Years War.
Prussia was, as detailed by historian Gordon Craig, later to become one of the most important influences upon the European continent. The foundation of the militaristic Prussian state was considered to be the founding political moment that began what might be said to constitute "modern" German history. Prussia's success under Frederick allowed for the creation of the state that was to be so influential over the course of the twentieth century and beyond (Craig, 1964).
Frederick's efficiency and attention to detail are remarkable, encompassing everything from how soldiers should be positioned during long marches to the placement of cannons. His military advice covers subjects as varied as the tactical positioning of cavalry in relation to the front lines of foot soldiers and how much bread and alcohol is required to keep troops strong in body and spirit. Much of this advice is, of course, largely obsolete for modern generals. However, it does give the reader important information about how warfare was conducted during the period, and why Prussia — and later Germany — was so famed for its meticulous approach to battle.
Frederick's attention to detail and his ability to make maximum use of a small fighting force also give insight into how the statesman Bismarck was later able to command the much smaller Prussian Army and overcome France, as chronicled by Michael Howard in The Franco-Prussian War. Frederick stresses how mental acumen on the part of a general can overcome numerical disadvantage.
Historians such as Roger Chickering imply that the divided nature of Germany was one of the reasons for its later defeat in World War I, but read in conjunction with Frederick's writings, the reasons that Prussia became such a powerhouse — and temporarily overcame such internal cultural divisions — become clear. As a result of his prowess, Frederick triumphed over French, Russian, Saxon, Swedish, and Austrian armies. Fighting skillfully on multiple fronts is an important facet of his approach.
Contrary to the reader's initial assumptions, Prussia was the underdog during this period, at a time when warfare was a highly regimented and rule-governed practice. Frederick had to find ways to deploy a multitude of different armaments and divisions of the army and to vary his methods of attack. Attacking by night and by surprise was a key element of his approach.
"Frederick's focus on generalship over politics"
According to Ludwig Reiners's Frederick the Great: A Biography, even the opposing Austrian emperor acknowledged Frederick's genius: "When the King of Prussia speaks on problems connected with the art of war, which he has studied intensively and on which he has read every conceivable book, then everything is taut, solid and uncommonly instructive. There are no circumlocutions; he gives factual and historical proof of the assertions he makes, for he is well versed in history… [He is] a genius and a man who talks admirably" (Reiners, 1960, excerpted on Wikipedia).
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