In David Hackett Fischer’s book Washington’s Crossing, he tells of George Washington won at Trenton and Princeton, and how German troops came to America. In total, Fischer says twenty thousand troops from Hesse fought during the Revolutionary War, plus ten thousand from other German states.
Historical French and British documents show that the British had already approached Hesse about troops, but the price was too high. So they asked Catherine of Russia, who declined.
So did Frederick of Prussia, who wrote Voltaire and said that selling troops to the British was like “selling cattle to have their throats cut.” The Netherlands declined to rent their Scottish Brigade, and the British ignored the suggestion to have troops from Morocco brought in.
British Empire Forced to Pay High Price for Troops
So they returned to the Hessian idea despite the price, as they were the largest supplier of troops in the world and their only option left.
The image of ruthless and brutal foreign mercenaries was rather exaggerated as all three armies, American, British, and Hessian acted badly at times, and plundering was frequent in desperate times, not to mention crimes against the population such as assault, theft, and rape.
Frederich Wilhelm II, the Landgraaf of Hesse-Casal in central Germany, was a complex man. His land was very poor and rural, and soldiering was one of the few things that could be done with such an environment, according to Fischer.
Despite Supplying Mercenaries, Fredrich II Was Enlightened
He was an unusual ruler for the time, his ideas were centered on the European Enlightenment movement, and he corresponded with Voltaire, the French writer and philosopher. Fredrich believed in natural order and reason, and engaged in ambitious civil improvements, reduced taxes, built schools and universities, and many other advanced goals that made him very popular with the people.
Fredrich also restricted the use of torture in his realm, installed social welfare systems, reformed agriculture, built roads and infrastructure, a far cry from the gilded palaces and scorn for the people demonstrated by the French aristocracy.
He loved the army, and built a system that encouraged the people to join the military, which in turn became one of the most disciplined and sophisticated armies in the world.
Best Route to Success in Poor Area Was the Army
Fischer relates that a military tradition evolved that created strong bonds among the ranks, and one of the best ways to advance in an impoverished and struggling places like Hesse-Casal was to be a part of the military system.
Besides the military pay and travel, the soldiers did quite well taking booty and plunderer wherever they served, making far more in battle than they ever would back home in the hardscrabble life on farms in Hesse.
Fredrich would take the riches made by renting out the army and reinvest it by lowering taxes for the people, backing loans for infrastructure and other efforts that made the population support the military, as everyone benefited.
German Army in Hesse was the Largest in the World and Best Trained
The Hesse army was one of the largest in the world, and best trained. The officers had to study many subjects, including languages, engineering, and mathematics cartography, tactics, and logistics, and advancement was by merit.
Fredrich drilled soldiers himself at his castle, and encouraged the nobles to send their sons to join the army, which he thought of as a school. Many did, seeing the benefits of such rigorous training.
Harsh Discipline Enforced Obedience in Army
The discipline was brutal, with hanging and beatings with a cudgel to maintain order, unlike the British and American armies in general. This was a hint of the absolute obedience that manifested itself in the Nazi movement some 150 years later.
Press gangs roamed Hesse capturing men useful for the army, and conscripted them, often sending them overseas, not unlike the Royal Navy pressgangs.
Multi-Talented Hessian Leader was Adored by his Men
One of the most interesting Hessian officers that came to America was Colonel Rall, Fischer says. He was an excellent soldier with 36 years of experience in battle. His men were devoted to him for his loyalty to their welfare, he treated them with fairness.
Rall loved music, and had a regimental band with six oboists he conducted, along with an excellent vocal choir. America had few musical acts, and those hearing the Germans sing and play were amazed.
He died in the battle for Trenton fighting George Washington, whose irregular troops beat the highly trained Hessians. The Hessians were not drunk after, as rumored, simply exhausted from constant attacks by the rebels.
In the end, the Hessian soldiers were more complex than one might imagine when reading the typical accounts of their actions in America.
Fischer, David Hackett , Washington's Crossing, 2004, 577 pp, Oxford University Press
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