FACTION PREVIEW No. 1

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PRUSSIAN FACTION & UNITS PREVIEW

The Kingdom of Prussia (German: Königreich Preußen) was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. The new Kingdom of Prussia was very poor—still having not fully recovered from the devastation of the Thirty Years’ War—and its territory was scattered across over 1,200 km (750 mi): from the lands of the Duchy of Prussia on the south-east coast of the Baltic Sea, to the Hohenzollern heartland of Brandenburg, to the exclaves of Cleves, Mark and Ravensberg in the Rhineland.
In 1740, King Frederick II (Frederick the Great) came to the throne. Using the pretext of a 1537 treaty (vetoed by Emperor Ferdinand I) by which parts of Silesia were to pass to Brandenburg after the extinction of its ruling Piast dynasty, Frederick invaded Silesia, thereby beginning the War of the Austrian Succession.
To the east and south of Prussia, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had gradually weakened during the 18th century. Alarmed by increasing Russian influences in Polish affairs and by a possible expansion of the Russian Empire, Frederick was instrumental in initiating the first of the Partitions of Poland between Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1772 to maintain a balance of power. The Kingdom of Prussia annexed most of the Polish province of Royal Prussia, including Warmia; the annexed land was organized the following year into the Province of West Prussia. The new territory connected East Prussia (the territory previously known as the Duchy of Prussia) with the Pomeranian province, uniting the kingdom's eastern territories.
After Frederick died in 1786, his nephew Fredrick William II continued the partitions, gaining a large part of western Poland in 1793.

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The Seven Years' War was a major military conflict that lasted from 1756, as a result of the French and Indian War that erupted in North America in 1754, until the conclusion of the treaties of Hubertusburg and Paris in 1763. It involved all of the major European powers of the period.
Because of its global nature, it has been described as the "first World War". It resulted in some 900,000 to 1,400,000 deaths and significant changes in the balance of power and territories of several of the participants.

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In the Battle of Leuthen fought on 5 December 1757 Frederick the Great's Prussian army used maneuver and terrain to decisively defeat a much larger Austrian army under Charles of Lorraine, thus ensuring Prussian control of Silesia during the Seven Years' War.

Prussian flag:

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Prussian campaign map:

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Frederick the Great:

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Frederick II (24 January 1712 – 17 August 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740–1786) from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was Frederick IV of Brandenburg. He became known as Frederick the Great (Friedrich der Große) and was nicknamed der alte Fritz ("Old Fritz"). Upon ascending to the Prussian throne, he attacked Austria and claimed Silesia during the Silesian Wars, winning military acclaim for himself and Prussia. Near the end of his life, Frederick united most of his disconnected realm through the First Partition of Poland. Frederick was a proponent of enlightened absolutism.

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PRUSSIAN ARMY:

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The Prussian Army (German: Königlich Preußische Armee) was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.
The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War. Elector Frederick William developed it into a viable standing army, while King Frederick William I of Prussia drastically increased its size. King Frederick the Great led the disciplined Prussian troops to victory during the 18th century Silesian Wars and increased the prestige of the Kingdom of Prussia.

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By the end of Frederick William I's reign, Prussia had the fourth-largest army (60,000 soldiers) in Europe, but was twelfth in population size (2.5 million). This was maintained with a budget of five million thalers (out of a total state budget of seven million thalers).
Frederick II immediately disbanded the expensive Potsdam Giants and used their funding to create seven new regiments and 10,000 troops. The new king also added sixteen battalions, five squadrons of hussars, and a squadron of life guards.
The first garrison began construction in Berlin in 1764. While Frederick William I wanted to have a mostly native-born army, Frederick II wanted to have a mostly foreign-born army, preferring to have native Prussians be taxpayers and producers. The Prussian army consisted of 187,000 soldiers in 1776, 90,000 of whom were Prussian subjects in central and eastern Prussia. The remainder were foreign (both German and non-German) volunteers or conscripts. Frederick established the Garde du Corps as the royal guard. Many troops were disloyal, such as mercenaries or those acquired through impressment, while troops recruited from the canton system displayed strong regional, and nascent national, pride. During the Seven Years' War, the elite regiments of the army were almost entirely composed of native Prussians.
By the end of Frederick's reign, the army had become an integral part of Prussian society and numbered 193,000 soldiers. The social classes were all expected to serve the state and its army — the nobility led the army, the middle class supplied the army, and the peasants composed the army. Minister Friedrich von Schrötter remarked that, "Prussia was not a country with an army, but an army with a country".

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UNITS PREVIEW:

1. Musketeer, early 18th century (King Louise Assurbanipal)

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2. Grenadier, early 18th century (King Louise Assurbanipal)

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3. Grenadier, Leibgarde, early 18th century (King Louise Assurbanipal)

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4. Musketeer, Leibgarde, early 18th century (King Louise Assurbanipal)

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5. Pikeman (King Louise Assurbanipal)

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6. Musketeer, IR in v. Meyerinck (gary)

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7. Musketeer, IR Prince Moritz von Anhalt (gary)

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8. Musketeer, IR v. Knobloch (gary)

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9. Musketeer, IR No. 8 Amstell (gary)

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10. Musketeer, IR No. 23 Forcade de Biaix (gary)

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11. Musketeer, IR No. 32 v. Treskow (gary)

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12. Grenadier, IR No. 6 Lange Kerls - Potsdam Giants (pollux578)

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13. Grenadier, SYW (King Louise Assurbanipal)

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14. Grenadier, IR 1 Glasenapp (gary)

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15. Musketeer vom Frei-Btl. des Majors Quintus (gary)

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16. Favrat'sches Freicorp (gary)

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17. Guard Jaeger Battalion (gary)

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18. De le Noble'sche Freicoprs - Freijaeger (pollux578)

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19. Leibgarde, early 18th century (King Louise Assurbanipal)

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20. Garde du Corps (King Louise Assurbanipal)

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21. Cuirassier, SYW (King Louise Assurbanipal)

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22. Cuirassier, KR No. 1 Buddenbrock (gary)

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23. Dragoon, No.6 Dragoons Müllendorf (gary)

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24. Dragoon, SYW (King Louise Assurbanipal)

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25. Hussar, HR 5 - von Ruesch (pollux578)

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26. Hussar, Leib-Husaren-Regiment (danova)

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27. Bosniack (King Louise Assurbanipal)

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28. Foot Artillery (gary)

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29. Horse Artillery (gary)

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30. Fusilier, soon - new model (King Louise Assurbanipal)
31. Grenadier, Frei-Corps, soon - new model (King Louise Assurbanipal)
32. Garrison infantry, soon (Salvo)

Screens of battles:

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Sources:

Websites & uniform's plates:
http://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=Main_Page
http://www.grosser-generalstab.de/tafeln/knoetel.html
http://leuthenjournal.com/leuthenjournal/Index.html
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypld...itle_id=269277

Books:
L'uniforme Et Les Arms Des Soldats De La Guerre En Dentelle - Tome 1
L'uniforme Et Les Arms Des Soldats De La Guerre En Dentelle - Tome 2
Uniformology - Flags and Uniforms of the Electorate of the Palatine
Uniformology - Brandenburg-Prussia's Army under King Frederick I
Uniformology - Knotel
Frederick the Great's Army (1) Cavalry (Men At Arms)
Frederick The Great's Army (2) Infantry (Men At Arms)
Frederick the Great's Army (3) Specialist Troops (Men At Arms)
Seven Years' War 1756-63 (Essential Histories)

Screens: Salvo, King Louise Assurbanipal, PrisonNeo, gary, MorganH, Geronimo2006

FACTION PREVIEW No. 1 - PRUSSIA