Prussian Absorption of U.S. Lessons in the Military Uses of Railroads
Abstract
The introduction of the railroad into military operations in the mid-nineteenth century allowed armies to maneuver and extend operations in locations that previously would have been inaccessible to large formations of soldiers. The United States' prosecution of the Civil War set the standard for using this new technology to support operations. Other nations observed the American example, including Prussia, which also had substantial rail assets and a strategic capability gap that locomotives could fulfill. This thesis examined three campaigns of the mid-nineteenth century, the U.S. capture of Atlanta in 1864, the Prussian invasion of Bohemia in 1866, and the Prussian invasion of France in 1870. These three case studies illustrated that the U.S. Army's experiences in the Civil War offered valuable lessons in using railroads that could have addressed strategic risks assumed by Prussia in the prosecution of its wars with Austria and France. However, differences in geography, limitations in time, lack of experience, and divergent approaches to war meant that Prussia only appreciated and absorbed those lessons in part and resorted to past expedients rather than full adoption of the American model.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 10, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1210300
Entities
People
- John P. Kelley
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College