An Army Without a Country: Prussia’s Cult of the Military and the Road to World War One

Summary: Almost no society worshipped its military as much as the German state of Prussia in the 1700s-1800s (outside of ancient Sparta). Prussia was famously described as not a country with an army but an army with a country. That's because during the 18th century when other European states spent 20-30 of their annual budget on the military, the Prussian army regularly accounted for as much as three-quarters of public expenditure — even in times of peace. And this expenditure was widely accepted in all levels of Prussian society. <br><br>In this episode we will look at:<br> • How Prussia was a hinge point between medieval and modern armies<br> • How militaries evolved from aristocratic officers who treated enlisted men like slaves into the army being a great equalizer that unites a nation.<br> • Why Frederick the Great was a military genius that Napoleon worshipped. <br> • Why the Prussian military was the forge that created Germany and created a militaristic society that led to World War One.