The Historical Background of Prussia’s Unique Military Prussia was unique in that, more than in any other country, the army developed a life of its own, almost independent of the life of the state. The distinctive military history of Prussia was developed early on it its history from the origins of the Teutonic knights and brought to a level of perfection throughout the reigns of Frederick William the Great Elector, Frederick William I and …showed first 75 words of 1802 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1802 total…lives on in the German army. The forced conscriptions of the House of Hohenzollern is evident in the two years of military service required of young German males. The first soldier was the Hohenzollern ruler; the army was a creation of the dynasty and a symbol of its’ strength. The dynasty may not have survived but the military innovations and concepts it achieved live on in modern armies as the legacy of the Prussian kingdom.