Development of the Prussian Military Establishment (General Scharnhorst as a Model 1786 – 1813)

Abstract

     The Prussian military establishment was one of the most venerable in Europe, due to the precision and rigor of its foundations. This naturally benefited the Kingdom of Prussia.

    The Prussian army underwent extensive reforms after its defeat at the hands of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, which necessitated further development. A number of officers excelled in this endeavor, leading to Prussia's return to the battlefield. Perhaps the most influential of these officers, whose reforms played a major role in restructuring the Prussian army, was General Scharnhorst. King Frederick William III tasked him with managing military reform and assigned him several positions, including Minister of War and Chief of the General Staff.

    His most notable reforms included increasing the number of Prussian army troops, implementing conscription, and establishing a permanent Prussian General Staff. He also implemented a comprehensive reform of the military education system in Prussia, establishing the Military School for Officers. Scharnhorst participated in the campaigns of 1813 when Prussia declared war on France on March 16, 1813. He was the chief of staff of that army, and the battle raged near Letzen. He was shot in the leg and killed on June 28 in the Gruppe Gurchen incident. He never fully witnessed the development of his reforms, particularly the General Staff system he created, which led to Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo at the hands of General Blücher and his chief of staff, Gneisenau