Prussianism comprises the practices and doctrines of the Prussians, specifically the

militarism Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values. It may also imply the glorification of the mili ...

and the severe discipline traditionally associated with the Prussian ruling class.

History

Prussianism had its origins with the rise to the throne of Frederick William I in 1713, who laid the foundations for a professional and stable army; a legacy that was continued by his son

Frederick II the Great Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...

, who formed an organized and effective army, and later by the latter's nephew Frederick William II. Prussianism was based on the

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

militaristic caste of the Prussian

Junkers Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG (JFM, earlier JCO or JKO in World War I, English language, English: Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works) more commonly Junkers , was a major German aircraft manufacturer, aircraft and aircraft engine manufactu ...

, having as a fundamental basis a vertical, centralized, paternalistic and iron discipline. Its ideological underpinning consisted of a combination of the markedly aristocratic, warmongering, and expansionist

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

ideology, traditionalism, conservatism, and

of the time. It was this philosophy that largely influenced the attitude of Prussia and later

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

in historical processes such as the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, the

unification of Germany The unification of Germany (, ) was a process of building the first nation-state for Germans with federalism, federal features based on the concept of Lesser Germany (one without Habsburgs' multi-ethnic Austria or its German-speaking part). I ...

and the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Sociologically, in addition, Prussianism was expressed in the so-called " Prussian virtues", influencing various relevant aspects of German culture. Among the most important theorists and exponents of Prussianism are Karl von Clausewitz,

Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...

, and Oswald Spengler. Prussianism also had an influence in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

, during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, especially in the military circles of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

, and

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

. In Chile, relations with Prussia date back to the end of the 19th century when a German mission, under the command of Emil Körner, began the process of modernization and professionalization of the Chilean Army. These contacts were maintained and intensified during the first half of the 20th century, during which there was a process of "Prussianization" of Chile's military officers, NCOs and soldiers, even influencing the other armed forces branches, the

Chilean Navy The Chilean Navy () is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense (Chile), Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso. History Ori ...

and

Chilean Air Force The Chilean Air Force () is the air force of Chile and branch of the Chilean military. History The first step towards the current FACh is taken by Lieutenant Colonel, Teniente Coronel training as a pilot in France. Although a local academy was c ...

, this can be seen during the Great Military Parade of Chile. In Argentina and Bolivia the Prussian model was also used as the basis for military professionalization in those years.

References

{{Reflist

External links

"The Peril of Prussianism" by Douglas Wilson Johnson
1917, via Library of Congress 1713 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Culture of Germany German nationalism Political terminology in Germany Kingdom of Prussia Militarism Frederick William I of Prussia Conservatism in Germany

History

See also

References

External links