Bloomsbury Prussian Army Soldiers and the Seven Years' War: The Psychology of Honour

The army of Frederick the Great of Prussia is generally known as an efficient fighting machine based on brutal and strict drill procedures that led to broken but fearless soldiers as well as glorious battle victories. Today, this stereotype of Prussian Army punishments is still part of our language, when we call situations of public exposure or the fear of unjust public criticism running the gauntlet. Prussian Army Soldiers and the Seven Years Warfundamentally challenges this interpretation. This book analyses the mentalities of the men who established Prussias great power status. It draws on a vast array of primary sources, especially rare letters by the soldiers to their families written on the battlefield. The authors show that the soldiers were feeling individuals like loving husbands, vulnerable little brothers, deeply religious preachers and sometimes even adventurers. All these individuals were united by one idea, which made them fight efficiently: honour. The different elements of the Prussian soldiers concept of honour are analysed here. Nevertheless, the soldiers were under extreme pressure during their training, on the march and in battle. They talked astonishingly frankly to their families about fear, the loss of friends and the presence of death surrounding them day by day. Some of the most impressive sources for this book were written by the regimental chaplain Küster, who could probably be called the first modern military psychologist. For the first time, the book presents an English translation of 12 letters of common Prussian soldiers from the Seven Years War. Review Rather than being of interest only to military historians, this book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the social and cultural backgrounds of Prussian soldiers in the eighteenth century, as well as their psychological emotions in battle ... the Möbiuses' book is thoroughly well researched and provides an anglophone audience with access to a great wealth of Prussian primary source material. - Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies [A] valuable work for those studying the social history of eighteenth-century. - British Journal for Military HistoryPrussian Army Soldiers is an invaluable contribution to new military history. The authors succeed in doing what is almost impossible: providing an intimate glimpse into the mindset and emotional experiences of eighteenth-century Prussian enlisted soldiers ... This fascinating study provides a glimpse into the psyche of Prussian soldiers and is essential reading for those studying military history, especially during the era of Frederick the Great.- H-WarIn sum, the book is a very interesting and convincing invitation to further develop a more interdisciplinary comprehension of history. - H-Soz-Kult "Prussian Army Soldiers will be an important work ... [It] will quickly find a place on the reading lists of graduate students and potentially advanced undergraduates as well." - Journal of the Seven Years' War Association"Prussian Army Soldiers is a salutary effort to give a voice to common soldiers in the armies of ancien régime Europe. It will engage and instruct serious general readers and advanced undergraduates and inspire specialists in military history to continue on its distinctive path of source-based research." - Michigan War Studies Review"This study will delight specialists in the field of eighteenth-century military history, as well as appealing to historians generally interested in German history and the development of the Prussian state." - Journal of Military History "This is an important work on the psychology of combat. It will be essential reading for military historians of the 18th century, and it also speaks to many current concerns of social and cultural historians, such as masculinity, nationalism and the emotions." --Matthew McCormack, Professor of History, University of Northampton, UK"This book is long overdue. Thanks to Katrin and Sascha