At the beginning of this period, the battalions of the Prussian Line usually fought in a linear formation three ranks deep, overwhelming the enemy with fire before a well-timed bayonet attack. By the end, the preferred formation was eight to 12 ranks deep. The responsibility for conducting the fire-fight was now given to the skirmish elements and the artillery. The formed battalions provided support for the fire line, and conducted the decisive bayonet charge. Whatever the change, the spirit and ability of the infantry remained consistently high throughout this bloody period.
At the beginning of this period, the battalions of the Prussian Line usually fought in a linear formation three ranks deep, overwhelming the enemy wit...
The origins of what would become the German General Staff of the late 19th and 20th centuries - probably the most professional military machine in the world - can be traced to the Prussian Army of the French Revolutionary (1792-1802) and Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). This concise study, concluding the author's series of five titles on the Prussian Army of 1792-1815, covers the staff; the reforms in tactical employment of all-arms brigades (which, contrary to received opinion, pre-dated the disasters of Jena and Auerstedt in 1806); the artillery and other technical troops; and regimental...
The origins of what would become the German General Staff of the late 19th and 20th centuries - probably the most professional military machine in the...
The battle of Leipzig was, in terms of the number of combatants involved, the largest engagement of the entire Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). It was the only battle of the wars in which all Allied armies (including even the Swedes) fielded troops against Napoleon. Peter Hofschroer looks at the run-up to this crucial encounter as well as the battle itself. A wealth of background information is chronicled, including the strategies of both sides and detailed information on each of the combatant forces. The numerous battles leading up to Leipzig are also discussed, providing a fascinating and...
The battle of Leipzig was, in terms of the number of combatants involved, the largest engagement of the entire Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). It was the...
Following the disastrous Russian campaign of 1812 during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), Napoleon found himself facing a new coalition of his old enemies. With incredible speed he raised an army of 200,000 men and marched to join the remnants of the old Grande Armee in Germany. However, he no longer faced the brittle enemies of 1805 and 1806 and at Lutzen on 2 May the inexperience of his new army began to show. Faulty reconnaissance by raw cavalry allowed Ney's Corps to be surprised by Wittgenstein's Russians. This book describes the last realistic chance Napoleon had to regain his empire by...
Following the disastrous Russian campaign of 1812 during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), Napoleon found himself facing a new coalition of his old ene...
The Battle of Waterloo has been studied and dissected so extensively that one might assume little more on the subject could be discovered. Now historian Peter Hofschroer brings forward a long-repressed commentary written by Carl von Clausewitz, the author of "On War."
Clausewitz, the Western world s most renowned military theorist, participated in the Waterloo campaign as a senior staff officer in the Prussian army. His appraisal, offered here in an up-to-date and readable translation, criticized the Duke of Wellington s actions. Lord Liverpool sent his translation of the manuscript to...
The Battle of Waterloo has been studied and dissected so extensively that one might assume little more on the subject could be discovered. Now hist...
For those interested in the actual appearance of the Prussian soldiers who fought at Ligny, Wavre and Waterloo in 1815, this colorful study combines the latest findings and expert analysis to cast new light on the fateful Waterloo campaign.
The Prussian Army of the Lower Rhine, led by Generalfeldmarschall Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher in 1815, played a - possibly the - vital part in the Allied victory at Waterloo, forcing Napoleon to divide his forces when Blucher's leading elements arrived to offer Wellington crucial support at a time when his Anglo-Netherlands army was doing no...
For those interested in the actual appearance of the Prussian soldiers who fought at Ligny, Wavre and Waterloo in 1815, this colorful study combine...
