The Prussian Army of the Lower Rhine 1815

For those interested in the actual appearance of the Prussian soldiers who fought at Ligny, Wavre and Waterloo in 1815, this colorful study combines the latest findings and expert analysis to cast new light on the fateful Waterloo campaign.

The Prussian Army of the Lower Rhine, led by Generalfeldmarschall Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher in 1815, played a - possibly the - vital part in the Allied victory at Waterloo, forcing Napoleon to divide his forces when Blucher's leading elements arrived to offer Wellington crucial support at a time when his Anglo-Netherlands army was doing no more than holding its own on the defensive. During this campaign Blucher's army presented an enormously diverse appearance, since its units had been issued clothing and equipment from many sources, and many of them were still wearing the distinctly hard-worn kit they had been issued over two years before at the start of the 1813 Wars of Liberation.

Written by a leading authority, this book delves deeply into original sources - including eyewitness accounts, and regimental histories known only to German scholars - to recreate the actual appearance of specific units, rather than simply copying generic uniform regulations. The text details who the men that served in these units were, how they were organised and drilled, and their previous service; what specific elements of the army looked like in 1815; their march to the battlefield; and what they did when they got there.

Peter Hofschroer is a qualified historian and linguist specializing in the Napoleonic Wars. His two volume work 1815: The Waterloo Campaign received the 1999 Napoleonic Society of America Literary Award. He is a well-known contributor to various academic and hobby magazines, is a fellow of the International Napoleonic Society and has been twice awarded the Bismarck Memorial Medal. His previous works for Osprey include Leipzig 1813. The author lives in Gaishorn am See, Austria.