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Heeressoziologie

The Age and Length of Service of the Old Prussian Soldier

Looking at today’s circumstances one is easily tempted to imagine the Old Prussian soldier as a relatively young person. That this does not correspond to reality is shown by the surviving source material. Contemporary documents rather attest a comparatively high age and length of service and show that there were quite a lot of old men in the regiments.

Heeressoziologie

The Old Prussian Non-Commissioned Officer Corps - Insider Views of an NCO Group

Between the privates and the officers stood the non-commissioned officers as an intermediate link in the vertical structure. If one considers the Old Prussian army as a social formation, from the beginning of the 18th century a separation between the (senior) officer corps and the NCO corps can be observed, which was also reflected clearly in the fact that the Articles of War of 12 July 1713 applied only to NCOs and privates, i.e. no longer to the officers. With the reservation of officer positions for the native nobility as a means of its statization, the first third of the 18th century saw a social decline of the NCOs, who now together with the privates comprised the ranks. Nevertheless, in this precise system of superiority and subordination they, as holders of the lowest ranks and functionaries, had a weighty significance; the framework and conditions of existence of this NCO group therefore deserve to be the subject of consideration.

Heeressoziologie

Laeso et invieto militi - the Old Prussian system for the care of disabled soldiers

Laeso et invieto militi = Inscription above the portal of the Berlin Invalidenhaus.

Heeressoziologie

The Old Prussian Military Medical Service

The essay originally appeared in the Zeitschrift für Heereskunde (1994, pp. 13 ff., without headings and illustrations).

Heeressoziologie

Lutherans, Reformed and Catholics - a Contribution to the Religious History of the Old Prussian Army

The essay originally appeared in the Zeitschrift für Heereskunde (1990, p. 52 ff., without headings and illustrations).

Heeressoziologie

Foreigners in the Old Prussian Army

The replacement system of the Old Prussian Army, which combined the canton system and recruitment1, resulted consequently in a composition of natives and foreigners; the rank-and-file therefore consisted of two completely different components.

Heeressoziologie

Welfare Measures for Soldiers' Wives and Children in the Old Prussian Army

The essay was originally published in: Zeitschrift für Heereskunde, No. 328 November/December 1986, p. 139 ff. p. 139 ff.

Heeressoziologie

Notes on the Height of the Old Prussian Soldier - Tactical Background, Requirements and Practice

The essay was originally published in: Zeitschrift für Heereskunde, No. 354 March/April 1991, pp. 43 ff.

Heeressoziologie

Friedrich Christoph von Saldern - a nobleman of the Mark of Brandenburg.

The essay already appeared in the Zeitschrift für Heereskunde, 1994, pp. 137 ff.

Heeressoziologie

The Freiwächter in the Old Prussian Army

The essay was originally published in: Zeitschrift für Heereskunde, No. 360 March/April 1992, p. 32 ff.

Heeressoziologie

The provisioning system in the Seven Years' War.

Heeressoziologie

The Prussian Army under Frederick William I (1713 - 40) - Chapter 6 - The Technical Troops

Artillery was, alongside infantry and cavalry, the youngest of the three arms, although its origins in Prussia go back to the 14th century. The handling of the firearms and cannons was initially performed by masters who gradually formed their own guild. Only under the Great Elector (1640–88) was the artillery subordinated to officers and thus turned into a regular military formation. On 1 Jan. 1672 the Great Elector issued an “Articuls-Brieff vor die Artillerie-Bediente in denen Chur-Fürstlichen Brandenburgischen Vestungen” [1], which, in addition to the oath formula for the gunsmith, contained detailed requirements and rules of conduct for the artillery personnel. In 1683 one bombadier and four gunner companies were established, and thus the artillery actually first emerged as an independent arm. King Frederick I also promoted the artillery and on 20 Dec. 1697 appointed Margrave Philip of Brandenburg‑Schwedt (1669–1711) as Generalfeldzeugmeister and Chief of the Artillery. He strove for its organization and training. Under his aegis the artillery received service regulations. These were confirmed by the King on 15 Mar. 1704 and in 12 articles regulated the internal affairs of the arm [2].