The Drillmaster of Valley Forge

This book, written by Paul Lockhart, was recommended and loaned to me by my friend, fellow Toastmaster and history enthusiast Howard Brandt. This book is about Baron von Steuben, a German/Prussian officer who was headed to greatness under Friedrich der Große (Fredrick the Great) and was personally tutored by him in the art of warfare in Prussia's elite military school. Steuben bravely and efficiently had his mettle tested as a leader in battle in European wars, but then something went wrong, his career was ruined by a backstabbing fellow officer and Steuben found himself unemployed and begging for work for several years in Europe. When the American Revolution broke out, Steuben, like so many foreign officers, finagled his way into the Continental Army by lying about his rank and wealth back in Europe. He actually was of noble birth, but his family was very poor. But in America, where one could start over, he actually became the great general that he claimed to be and deep down most have known himself to be. His contribution to winning the American Revolution and setting up the American military to become a future world power can hardly be overstated. When Steuben arrived at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78, he found a hungry and ragtag army that had lost all pride in itself. Steuben knew that by teaching them discipline and drill, as only he knew how to do it, would instill pride and efficiency into the Army that would allow them to hold on, gain the respect of the French and eventually win the French over as an ally, which in the end helped us defeat Great Britain. The pride and discipline weren't just for show. The Army after Steuben's drills would not panic on the field of battle, could easily use complicated maneuvers to change positions and could retreat in an orderly, military manner, which inflicted maximum casualties on the Redcoats, even when they won a battle.

Steuben was great with the American troops, he recognized that these weren't Prussian peasants who would do what he asked without question. He used a mixture of harsh, scary discipline along with humor and was known for his efficient use of English curse words, learning them as he went, much to the delight of his men. He also understood that to be a leader and a good officer, you would have to suffer and drill with your men, a practice the British found abhorrent and which the Americans only changed because of Steuben's insistence. Steuben's men in the end did their best for him, because he took good care of them and gave them what they needed.

Steuben wasn't just a good drillmaster, he literally wrote the book on army regulations that taught all American officers how to drill their troops and conduct battle in a uniform manner. He also conceived of the idea for the American military academies and finally it was Steuben who came up with a model for the peacetime army using large numbers of militia to supplement a small standing army (he borrowed this in part from Switzerland).

In the end, Steuben's contributions are overshadowed by other foreign officers such as Lafayette and he is little researched, but in my opinion, it was indeed Steuben who put the backbone, knowledge and pride into the Continental Army at a time when it was desperately needed. I highly recommend this book if you like to read revolutionary war history.