Brandon Fisichella
@brandonf·276K subscribers·334 videos
"An Army with a State" - Prussian Militarisation in the 18th Century
Posted
February 22, 2023
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"Whereas some states possess an army, the Prussian army possesses a state." Depending on who you ask, this quote may come from Friedrich von Schroetter (a Prussian gov't minister), Honore Gabriel Riqueti (a leader in the French Revolution), or Voltaire (a fool) But regardless of its origins, the meaning of the phrase is quite clear.
Prussia has long been the poster-child for militarism in Europe. But how accurate is the accusation? Just how militarised was Prussian society, and what exactly does this mean in an 18th Century setting? In this video, I discuss the Prussian Cantonment system and how the Prussian army interacted with every-day civil society.
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The Frederick the Great Podcast I have an episode with:
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If you're interested in learning more about this topic, here are the sources I pulled from for this video:
"The Prussian Military State" by Dennis E. Showalter
- "Social Militarization in 18th Century Germany" by Peter H.Wilson
- "The Entire Army Says Hello: Common Soldiers' Experiences, Localism, and Army Reform in Britain and Prussia, 1739-89" by Alexander S. Burns
And here are some other books (free online) that may interest you:
- "Frederick the Great: King of Prussia"
- "Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia"
- "The Politics of the Prussian Army"
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Timestamps:
Intro 00:00
The Army & The State 01:37
A Cantonist's Life in the Army 12:48
The Militarisation of Society 20:44
Prussia's Reputation of Militarism 26:47
Conclusion & Credits 34:47
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