Osprey Men-at-Arms 240 : Frederick the Great's Army (2) : Infantry

Throughout the wars undertaken by Frederick the Great, probably his greatest resource was his infantry. It was essentially the creation of his father, Frederick William I, who lavished upon his army immense care and attention; not known for an ascetic lifestyle, Frederick William once remarked that 'the most beautiful girl or woman in the world would be a matter of indifference to me; but soldiers, they are my weakness!'. Consequently the infantry inherited by Frederick the Great was in a state of some perfection. However, it is a mark of the new king's determination that despite wars which almost destroyed both Prussia and its army (such as the Seven Years' War), he was able to maintain its numbers - even if the quality declined as the attritional campaigns took their toll. Philip Haythornthwaite examines the uniforms, tactics and organisation of Frederick's infantry in detail - a fighting force that contested battles such as Mollwitz, Hohenfriedberg, Kesselsdorf, Liegnitz, Burkersdorf and the siege of Prague, accompanied by illustrations by Bryan Fosten.

Contents

• Introduction
• Organization
• Tactics
• Uniforms
• Regiments
• The Plates