#Prussian history

[gilsart]

a small redraw c: he's wearing pink and lilac and he stares into your soul

[ripstefano]

“Poor Blucher went mad for some time. He had shown off before some of our ladies, and got a fall from his horse and a blow on his head. This gave him all sorts of strange fancies. When I went to take leave of him, he positively told me he was pregnant! And what do you think he said he was pregnant of? – An elephant! And who do you think he said had produced it? – A French soldier!…”

- Recounted by Wellington to Stanhope, unknowingly exemplifying the dangers of directly translating your language to English without any context.

There’s a bit of a comedic story involving a Prussian diplomat during the War of the Third Coalition, Prussia being one of the main boss enemies during the early revolution was dragging its feet to declare war this time. Finally about to do it, the diplomat arrives just in time to hear the result of the battle of Austerlitz, and instead congratulates the French.

Queen Louise being one of Napoleon’s biggest haters on the continent is another funny little quirk about the Prussians.

As for their uniforms? The reference book really only covered the later army, but you can get a feel of the military practicality present. Overcoats, blankets, blues and grays, the Russo-German legion was dripped out a bit. The cavalry wasn’t too bad either.

From Blucher’s Army, 1813-15.

[thebeesareback]

Frederick, the potato king

I am not a monarchist. I do, however, occassionally look at monarchs and think, huh, they seem pretty cool. Meet Frederick the Great.

Frederick ruled Prussia from 1712 to 1786. During this time he:

was woken up by a cannon each morning, because his father wanted him to be a military leader

wrote "Anti-Machiavel", a rebuttal to Machiavelli's The Prince

was gay

married a woman to keep his father happy, then separated from her, gave her a palace and visited her once a year for her birthday

was friends with Voltaire

was king of Prussia but wrote exclusively in French. Frederick was a bit of a Francophile, mostly because his dad hated the place

introduced potatoes and turnips to Prussia, and was known as "Der Kartoffelkönig". Potatoes were initially unpopular, so Frederick had them planted and guarded so they looked expensive and desirable. However, the guards were told to let people steal the potatoes

his head was permanently tilted to one side because he spent so long playing his flute

opened the first veterinary school in Prussia

gave everyone free entry to the opera

sheltered Jean-Jacques Rousseau

was bad at spelling (a relatable icon) (also, he was writing in French, and French spelling is even more ridiculous than English)

drank eight cups of coffee each day, mixed with mustard and peppercorns. The cannon alarm clock was discontinued after his father died, so I guess eight cups of coffee would probably be just as effective for waking one up

his lasts words were "cover the dog, he's shivering".

wanted to be buried with his greyhounds. This didn't happen, but now he had a nice gravestone and people leave potatoes there

[fritz-on-a-blitz]

Hans Heinrich von Katte wasn't known for his... Fatherly love, but at least he can now serve the kingdom in a kinda inaccurate 1741 cuirassier uniform!

Buon fucking giorno everyone!

Pose credits: Pinterest

[goodsped]

Negotiations of the Franco-Prussian Treay of Tilsit, 6th July 1807

[mbenguin]

HAAAIII from a blücher fan from another..... Where do I find / read his memoir 💔💔??

Finally...someone on this platform with taste... You should be able to find them quite easily with a quick search on book archive websites (Internet Archives, Project Gutenberg, etc. etc...) or order them with your local libraries if you're that committed. Here are some I've been meaning to get around to reading:

- The Life and Campaigns of Field-Marshal Prince Blücher (The definitive Blücher Bible, everyone say "thank you Gneisenau") - Blücher: Scourge Of Napoleon (Usual jazz + has a bunch of details about his life post-Waterloo) - Blücher And The Uprising Of Prussia Against Napoleon (Contextualises Blücher during the French occupation of Prussia) - Memoirs of Prince Blücher (Had tidbits in the first three chapters but is technically about the fourth prince of Wahlstatt-- a treat for the WWI girlies if you will...) - And this RPF novel that features a bunch of other figures from that period

[karl-jensen]

Preußischer Heersanitätskorps - Prussia

Also an OC named Franziska Schäffer.

Back at it again with another Guts and Blackpowder OC. This time, its a Surgeon from the Kingdom of Prussia. Franziska Schäffer is a young woman who tried to sneak into the Army by disguising herself as a man only to be with her lover in the battlefield; Her small bust and short stature (plus her seemingly deep voice) made her look and sound like a young adult. To add to her disguise, she trimmed her hair to match up with the rest of the soldiers. She is a member of the Preußischer Heersanitätskorps, but wishes to be part of the 1. Garde Regiment zu Fuß where her lover is in. She also is an excellent cook who wishes to open up a restaurant once the Blight has ended.

Schäffer first appeared in the events of Kaub where she was miraculously reunited with her lover in a church (starting area). They are joined with a German Chaplain as well as Several Russian and French Soldiers.

Franziska could possibly be a historically accurate character since there were some women who snuck into the ranks of the Prussian Army by crossdressing as men. Eleonore Prochaska (seen in the character sheet) is a perfect example of one.

[pub-lius]

Why don't you have any detailed posts about Steuben smh do better

AW FUCK NO MY REPUTATION!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE THE GAY HISTORY PERSON IF I DONT HAVE A DETAILED POST ABOUT STEUBEN!!!! i have to fix this...

Early Life

Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Baron de Steuben was born on September 17, 1730 in Prussia. He joined the Prussian army at the age of 17, so he got a real early start.

Note: I've written his name here as "Baron de Steuben", as this name is from a French record, however he is typically referred to as "Baron von Steuben", as "von" is the translation of "de" from French to Prussian, and they both mean "of" in English. I just wanted to clarify that for the sake of my own linguistically correct sanity

Steuben began his service in the French and Indian War (or Seven Years War if you're a dirty European) as a second lieutenant, and was then wounded at the Battle of Prague, a Prussian victory. Then, he joined General Johann von Mayer's adjutant and principle staff officer in a special detached corps.

Then, he was promoted to first lieutenant and wounded AGAIN at the Battle of Kunersdorf, which was a Russian and Austrian victory. He was then transferred to general headquarters as a staff officer in the position of deputy quartermaster (this is important!!).

He was taken prisoner when Major General von Knoblock surrendered at Treptow, and was released after a year in 1762. He was promoted to captain and then became an aide-de-camp to Frederick the Great, which is as metal as it gets. He joined the King's class on the art of war, where he learned even more super cool military leadership skills.

Life Between Wars

Steuben met St. Germain in Hamburg (a notoriously great place to meet people). If you aren't in the know like I clearly am, St. Germain would eventually be the French Minister of War during the American Revolution. They'd meet again in France when Steuben was serving as Grand Marshall to the Prince of Hollenzollern-Hechingen, and if that sounds made up to you, it's because you don't even know him like I do.

Steuben continued looking for military work, but those European assholes (the British, French, and Austrians) rejected my man for no good reason (probably because he was gay or something). It was during his stay in France where he heard of the rowdy Americans across the pond.

St. Germain introduced Baron von Steuben to Silas fucking Deane and Benjamin "Slim Shady" Franklin, but they weren't able to promise Steuben anything but some regurgitated American propaganda, since, by this time, they were already getting yelled at by Congress and Washington for allowing too many incompetent Frenchmen into the Continental Army. They told him that the only way he could assist in the American fight for independence would be to go to America and present himself as a volunteer to Congress (like Lafayette ended up having to do).

This obviously pissed off Steuben since he was actually experienced trying to get a job, because its not fun being an overqualified, unemployed gay man in 18th century Europe. But still, he settled for being a volunteer, and set out for America, his passage being paid for by the French government.

WHAT THE FUCK IS A KILOMETERRRRRRR

Steuben traveled to America with his Italian greyhound, Azor, and his two assistants, Louis de Pontiere (ADC) and Pierre Ettienne Duponceau (military secretary). They arrived in New Hampshire on December 1, 1777. They were almost arrested upon arrival because Steuben had a blond moment and mistakenly dressed them in red uniforms instead of blue. They traveled through Boston to York, Pennyslvania, arriving on February 5, 1778.

In Steuben's letter of recommendation, Franklin mistranslated Steuben's rank to "His Excellency, Lieutenant General von Steuben, Apostle of Frederick the Great", which made him seem way more distinguished than he was. As a result, he was presented a much higher rank by Congress.

Steuben was ordered to report to Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge, where he arrived on February 23, 1778, and was described by a soldier as "a perfect personification of Mars."

Steuben's good first impression also had an effect on Washington, who appointed him temporary Inspector General, and it was in this position that he had his largest impact on American history, and changed the course of the war

Why Every Army Should Have Gay People, An Essay by Publius

Baron von Steuben began his transformation of the Continental Army by writing training drills, overriding the regional trainings of the state militias into a unified and universal regimen. There was a significant language barrier, however, as Steuben originally wrote the drills in French, which were then translated into English by Duponceau, John Laurens, and Alexander Hamilton. Then, they were given to the brigade inspectors, who made the copies which were then copied to be delivered to each officer. There was definitely a more efficient way to do this, but you know. It was also Valley Forge.

General Washington's Life Guard and some men from each state (totalling around 120 men) were used as a model to show the rest of the army how they were supposed to go through the drills. As they trained and demonstrated the drills, Steuben was writing new ones, only a few days ahead, which is a massive time crunch. This was done intentionally to make the drills as simple as he could, so the training of the army was dispersed in a rapid, orderly fashion. This man was a genius, I can't emphasize it enough.

The officers in the British army, which was the standard for Americans in many respects, would allow the sergeants to drill the men, but Steuben said fuck that, I'm gonna do it myself. This made many American officers uncomfortable because the men developed a bond with him because of how talented he was (and the fact that he was funny and used profanity in multiple languages), and along with the fact that Steuben's office seemingly had no limitations, this caused them to complain to the big boss, Washington. To make them feel better, Washington issued orders on June 15, 1778 to govern the Inspector General's office until further word from Congress.

The reformed Continental Army showed off their swag on May 6, 1778 when they celebrated the news of the Franco-American Alliance, which impressed soldiers, officers, and civilians. More happy news came when Steuben was given his commission from the Congress as Inspector General, with the rank of Major General.

It was at the Battle of Monmouth when the new training of the Continental Army was able to take what would have been a losing battle for the Americans to a technical draw. Steuben was actually almost killed/taken prisoner (depending on the mood of the British) during this battle because he was wearing so many metals of honor that he glimmered in the sunlight, and was spotted by the British. He was fine, though.

General von Steuben went to Philadelphia in the winter of 1778-79 to write his book of regulations, referred to as The Blue Book. Lieutenant Colonel Francois de Fleury, a volunteer, assisted in writing it. It was with the assistance of ~Benjamin Walker~ and Duponceau that the blue book was translated into English, which is why we know Walker as being important! And the fact that he and Steuben totally boned! Anyway, Captain Pierre Charles L'Enfant was illustrated it, and the book was used all the way until 1814.

After the war

General von Steuben rejoined the Continental Army in April of 1779 to serve through the end of the war. He was an instructor and supply officer for General Nathanael Greene's southern army from the beginning of the southern campaign until Yorktown. Steuben commanded one of three divisions in the Continentals at Yorktown. He assisted in demobilizing the army in 1783, and resigned his commission in 1784, which is actually the latest I've heard of a Continental General resigning his commission!

Steuben continuously petitioned Congress for financial compensation for mesothelioma (not really) and fuck ass Congress only gave him a part of what he was owed, which was pretty typical. But! New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia all gave him land grants, which he sold portions off to have enough money to live. So, he retired from NYC to his land holdings to live the remainder of his life.

Oh, and fun fact, Steuben was present at one of the riots in New York that Alexander Hamilton tried to stop, and they both had bricks thrown at them. It might have been the Cadaver Riots, but I could be wrong since I didn't feel like double checking.

Steuben never married, and instead lived with Benjamin Walker for a long period of time. He died on his 16,000 acre farm tract in the Mohawk Valley of New York on November 28, 1794.

Homosexuality

The source I used for this does not mention his homosexuality at all, but I'm going to, because the last thing you'll ever see me do is pretend like gay people didn't exist or are "unprofessional" to talk about in history.

If you say that Alexander Hamilton was gay, you have to say Steuben was, and vice versa. Rumors of homosexuality followed Steuben from Europe all the way to America, and play a large role in why he relocated many times, and never seemed to have a permanent home until the end of his life. This was a form of unofficial exile that many queer people faced in times where their existence was illegal. As soon as your name was associated with possible homosexuality, you couldn't get comfortable anywhere.

But von Steuben wasn't brought down by this, and you've gotta respect that. He threw elaborate parties starting almost as soon as he arrived at the Continental Army. If you're new to the amrev community here, this is what we mean by "flaming shot/pantless parties", because they had shots of liquor that they would light on fire, and in order to get in, at least part of your breeches had to have been missing. While straight men did attend these parties, the subtext in discussions about them seem to imply that they were also a gathering place for queer men.

These parties continued, and some familiar faces were there, such as Duponceau, Walker Hamilton, Laurens, and, later on, Charles Adams. However, I'm not going to speculate on who was fucking who, though it has been largely accepted by historians that General von Steuben and Benjamin Walker were lovers, and I personally think there is substantial evidence to support this when you align their personal correspondence with the close proximity they maintained throughout their lives.

General von Steuben is a figure that is very important to many queer people as a conspicuous queer man in history who had an undeniable impact on the course of American history. Portrayals of Steuben in media typically disregard this, however more and more biographers are discussing his homosexuality and the significance it plays in queer history. So, I'll end this post by saying this: Steuben is just as significant in American history as he is in Queer history, and it is irresponsible to pretend like he isn't.

Source:

National Park Service- Valley Forge

British Battles.com- Battle of Kunersdorf

George Washington's Indispensable Men by Arthur S. Lefkowitz

John Laurens and the American Revolution by Gregory D. Massey

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

Anyway, thank you for giving me an excuse to talk about Steuben lol. I didn't previously know much about his life before the American Revolution, so I was very happy to learn. I actually bought a biography about him not long ago, The Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army by Paul Lockhart, but I haven't read it yet. If anyone has, pls let me know if it's good or not. After Massey and Chernow, I'm practically on my hands and knees begging for a male author to treat queer history seriously. Anyway, thank you for the ask! I'm going to go watch the george washington mini series for steuben content

[enlitment]

Now I know Dante lived in the 14th century but this is clearly about Voltaire and Fritz. To me.

[edwardian-girl-next-door]

Victoria, Princess Frederick William of Prussia, March 1859

Victoria was the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She is pictured here with her first child, future Emperor Wilhelm II, agd. about two months.

[gilsart]

scribbling

[ripstefano]

“Prussia was hatched from a cannonball”

-Napoleon

But not to diss the Prussians as much as I did in the prior post, it’s pretty hard to mess up a good cavalry uniform. Here are some over the span of ~20 years.

From Prussian Cavalry of the Napoleonic Wars: 1792-1807 + 1807-1815.

[only-fhans]

The only way I can picture this happening

Translation:

Frederick II trying to convince the prussian people to eat potatoes:

🎶"these potatoes made by us

are perfect with cutlets, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside

They are sweet and salty at the same time

When you eat them your heart goes toot toot 🚂🎶✨"

Thanks to all the time I waste on tik tok I made this

[eloisyw8]

"The flying circus and a man from Prussia, The sky and a plane, this man commands his domain, The western front and all the way to Russia"

🔖| The Red Baron - Manfred von Richtofen

extra:

Heard somewhere eddie literally named his plane "blue baron" , he's definitely a fan

[goodsped]

look at these idiots

[vikkicomics]

Vincent and his red-tailed hawk Flosshild, lines only, concept art for Moth. A young man and his hawk was a very popular subject for portrait paintings in traditional Japanese woodblock art, which leant inspiration for this piece. This is set in Japan, 1907, when the Japan was still employing Prussian officers to modernize their military.

A young man in a pickelhaube visiting a Buddhist temple, as is shown behind him, creates a striking contrast between Pacifist and Militarist symbols, as well as between Eastern and Western aesthetics and philosophies. Both are condemned by the English-speaking establishment, we are permitted to be neither Pacifists, nor Militarists, everything we do now is expected to be motivated by plutocracy.