Link to the Show / Show NotesFrederick the Great, King of Prussia, is considered the best commander
of the European Enlightenment. Despite possessing relatively few
people and resources, he transformed the tiny Prussian state into a
great military power (which arguably wouldn't be brought down until
1945). Strategically, he modernized the Prussian military into a
well-trained, well-disciplined unit. He taught them to fire faster,
march with more precision, and deploy artillery quicker. Tactically,
he employed oblique tactics which massed all units on one side of the
battle line in order to sweep through the enemy forces one at a time
(instead of all at once). This allowed Frederick to achieve victories
against numerically-superior enemies at Hohenfriedberg, Rossbach, and
Leuthen.
For more information, read:
Frederick
the Great by Gerhard Ritter
Frederick
the Great by Giles MacDonogh
Frederick
the Great by Christopher Duffy
Military Blunders by Geoffrey Regan
Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler
Extreme War by Terrence Poulos
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine
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