Osprey Men-at-Arms 4 : The Army of the German Empire 1870-1888

The army of the German Empire was born out of the once great Prussian army that Napoleon Bonaparte had humbled at the battles of Jena and Auerstadt. The eventual defeat of Napoleon initiated a slow process of military reform that gained momentum during the pan-German and expansionist policies of King William I of Prussia and his chancellor Bismarck. This book charts the consolidation of Prussian power and details the structure of the new imperial army that was created after the triumph of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The political climate of the time is summarised, and the structure of the army is investigated. Uniforms and equipment are also examined in full detail. Text by Albert Seaton with illustrations by Michael Youens.

Contents

• Introduction
• Prussia's Greatest Warrior
• Prussia's Demoralization and Decay
• Prussia's Military Reforms
• Europe in the Mid-nineteenth Century
• Von Roon's New Army
• Denmark the Casus Belli
• The Army of the North German Confederation
• Prussia's South German Allies
• The Franco-Prussian War
• Structure of the Army
• The Plates