Frederick's Orders

At various times in his military career Frederick the Great seemed on the cusp of a major defeat, yet always to find ways to extricate himself a secure a victory for himself and his lands. Frederick has long been considered in the pantheon of military leaders for his strategic and tactical prowess. His instructions to his generals have long been considered a starting point to understand the military mind of this leader. We present an annotated and illustrated version of Frederick the Great's 1754 Instructions to his infantry and cavalry. Included in this volume are maps that provide a background to his battles, a biography of Frederick and some of his generals, and an explanation of 18th century warfare as well as illustrations of his troops.

Autorentext

Frederick II (24 January 1712-17 August 1786) was King in Prussia (1740-1786) from the Hohenzollern dynasty. He is best known for his brilliance in military campaigning and organization of Prussian armies. He became known as Frederick the Great and was nicknamed Der Alte Fritz ("Old Fritz"). Interested primarily in music and philosophy and not the arts of war during his youth, Frederick unsuccessfully attempted to flee from his authoritarian father, Frederick William I. Upon ascending to the Prussian throne, he attacked Austria and claimed Silesia, winning military acclaim for himself and Prussia. Near the end of his life, Frederick physically connected most of his realm by conquering Polish territories in the First Partition of Poland.