The Studnitz Wars: The Wartime Journals of a Prussian Cavalry General 1849-71

The journal of Prussian Major General Benno von Studnitz was originally published in 1891 in a very limited German language edition. Now, translated and edited by his great-grandson, the General's journal appears for the first time in English. Spanning the years from 1849, when as a young cadet he was involved in fighting 'the rebellious mob' (as he put it) in Breslau, Silesia, the journal also vividly recounts his experiences and actions as an officer in the German–Danish War of 1864, as well as the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, where he was involved in the battles at Dornbach, Kissingen, Aschaffenburg, Tauberbischofsheim, and Gerchsheim. He then fought through the entire Franco-German War, where he participated in the battles at Vionville, Metz and Ladon, Seris, Bellevue, Vendome, Monnaie, Montoire, St. Amande, Le Mans, Coulie, Beaune de la Rolande, Couteulle, and Jouanville.

After a long and successful career of thirty-seven years in the Prussian Cavalry, Studnitz retired as a Brigade commander and wrote his memoirs, calling upon the journals he had written during the actual events. Studnitz met and interacted with many of the interesting personalities of the late 19th Century in Germany, such as the future Emperor Frederick III, which encounters are described in an open, honest and witty style. While concentrating on his wartime experiences, his journal also follows Studnitz in the peacetime Cavalry, giving the reader a little-known (to English readers) insight into the daily life of a high-ranking Prussian officer. Not just some ponderous dry tome recounting facts and figures, Studnitz brings to life a vital period of European military history, recounted by an officer who as a participant was intimately involved and actually there.

REVIEWS

… A fascinating read, recommended.” The Foreign Correspondent