You are aware, gentlemen, that Prince Karl of Lorraine [the Austrian commander] has succeeded in taking Schweidnitz, defeating the duke of Bevern and making himself master of Breslau, while I was engaged in checking the advance of the French and imperial forces. A part of Schleswig, my capital, and all the military stores it contained, are lost, and I should feel myself in dire straits indeed if it were not for my unbounded confidence in your courage, your constancy, and your love for the fatherland, which you have proved to me on so many occasions in the past. These services to me and to the fatherland have touched the deepest fibers of my heart. There is hardly one among you who has not distinguished himself by some conspicuous deed of valor, wherefore I flatter myself that in the approaching opportunity also you will not fail in any sacrifice that your country may demand of you.
And this opportunity is close at hand. I should feel that I had accomplished nothing if Austria were left in possession of Schleswig. Let me tell you then that I propose, in defiance of all the rules of the art of war, to attack the army of Prince Karl, three times as large as ours, wherever I find it. It is here no question of the numbers of the enemy nor of the importance of the positions they have occupied; all this I hope to overcome by the devotion of my troops and the careful carrying out of my plans. I must take this step or all will be lost; we must defeat the enemy, else we shall all lie buried under his batteries. So I believe - so I shall act.
Communicate my decision to all the officers of the army; prepare the common soldier for the exertions that are to come, and tell him that I feel justified in expecting unquestioning obedience from him. Remember that you are
Prussians and you cannot show yourselves unworthy of that distinction. But if there be one or other among you who fears to share with me any and all danger, he shall at once be given his discharge without reproach from me.
[The solemn silence with which this speech was received and the glow of enthusiasm reflected in the faces of his hearers convinced Frederick that he had produced the effect he desired. With a gentle smile he continued:]
I was convinced that no one of you would wish to leave me; I count then, absolutely, on your faithful help and on certain victory. Should I not return to reward you for your devotion, the fatherland itself must do it. Return now to camp and repeat to your troops what you have heard from me.
[Then, becoming once more the stern ruler, he announces the punishment that awaits the slightest hesitation in following orders.]
The regiment of cavalry that does not immediately on the receipt of orders throw itself upon the enemy I will have unmounted immediately after the battle and make it a garrison regiment. The battalion of infantry that even begins to hesitate, no matter what the danger may be, shall lose its flags and its swords and have the gold lace stripped from its uniforms.
And now, gentlemen, farewell; erelong we shall either have defeated the enemy or we shall see each other no more."
10th May 2012
Reblogged From eurohist
Notes: 13
A much better quality video of the English Civil War thing.
OKay watch this, it may help. BUT IT CANNOT REPLACE REAL STUDYING.
GO STUDY
Move the bar at the bottom of the screen to any date and browse all the wars of history. Clicking the info button next to the name of a war will bring you to a summary of that war and also zoom in on the location.
The jacket of Archduke Franz Ferdinand the day of his assassination. Click for Source.
Remember that this was the spark of World War I.
Little girl near an unexploded shell after a bombardment in Nancy, France, 1916.
“The Peg Leg Department of the Surgical Appliances Association in London, allied with the American Red Cross, where all splints and similar appliances for American soldiers on this side of the water were made. The workers were all women, who have become highly skilled in their unique war work. They supplied both the American and British armies with all kinds of splints and surgical appliances, many of which have been invented or improved by the women themselves. The peg-legs were a specialty of the Association, being fitted to men for use while their stumps are healing and until a regular artificial limb can be fitted. After many efforts the Association has got the manufacture of peg-legs down to such a fine point that the average cost was only about $2.25.”
What makes the photo for me, though, is the face of the man being fitted with the prosthetic.
Vice-Admiral of the White, Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
(He’s probably been featured before, but the more the merrier!)
Granted, this is an early portrait from when Nelson was just a young captain, but the man was adorable till the day some French bastard fatally shot him through the spine at Trafalgar. Look at that face. What a doll. Where Wellington’s (another historical hottie) supremacy was on land, Nelson’s was at sea. He was a visionary captain and admiral, inspired with a strong sense of duty and zeal for King and Country that lived long in the hearts of the British people. He survived the loss of his right arm at Santa Cruz and blinding in his right eye — and he still managed to look good. In fact, it is believe his blind eye gave us the phrase, “to turn a blind eye”: at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, Nelson’s superior displayed flags suggesting a withdrawal. Unmoved by this caution, Nelson lifted the telescope to his blind eye and said “I really do not see the signal.” The battle was a success. Of course, one cannot forget his passionate love affair with Emma, Lady Hamilton, the famous beauty and ambassadress and George Romney muse. She was one lucky lady to have so devoted a lover — perhaps only the nation of Great Britain held a bigger piece of his heart than she.
