Bill Protz
Volume VI # 2 arrived today. Please accept my congratulations for all the work you have put into the first two issues. The graphics, print, content and style are superb and a nice improvement. It was not easy handing the pen over to another, but I am very happy that I gave it to you. I am certain those SYWA members signing on again with you will be delighted not only for the above reasons, which are good enough in themselves, but also because of the fine camaraderie engendered. The latter, in the final analysis, may be the most important thing of all.
I wish you all the best in your new endeavor and ask that the membership give you all the support you need to meet deadlines, provide articles and inform you of news.
Dan McCaherty
I recently received the latest SYWA Journal and I would like to express my gratitude to you for assuming the role of editor. The Journal has had interesting articles and really looks professional. My compliments to you!
Having said that, I would like to know what your intentions are regarding coverage of the North American theater of the war. Like I said before, the articles you have printed so far have been very good, but my primary interest is the French & Indian War. I hope your plans include this aspect of the SYW. Another topic that Bill Protz used to devote editorial space to was living history events. I would like to see this continued in the Journal if possible. I participate in several F & I re-enactments each year, but it is always fun to read about the hobby and see what others are doing. (Editor:
I've lined up Paul Petri and Jim Mitchel to keep us apprised of their activities in Bill Protz's "Troupes des Levis" and I fully intend to provide coverage of events in North America. My knowledge of this segment is limited and so I would rather defer to other experts in the F & I War to write the articles. Issue content is driven by three factors: one, article submissions from readers; two, topics that interest the majority of readers; and three, failing a shortage of readers' articles, my ability to write articles. If we have to rely too much on my writing skills, then the European theater will be given preference, because that is my particular interest. This is not to say that I won't ever write F & I War articles; as a matter of fact, my campaign game and the new 25mm Old Glory figures are pushing me in that direction. However, at the present, my backlog of articles has not a single F & I War article. Does that indicate a lack of interest in the topic? I don't know, but I will gratefully accept contributions. Any volunteers?)
Jean-Marc Largeaud
After Dean West's comments on the French Army (Issue # 1) and Bill Amick and Don McHugh's letters in Issue # 2, I have considered that as a Frenchman and historian I had to enter in the field! It is obvious in France since the end of the 18th century that the French Army in the SYW had not been a very good one(it was not the first nor the last time in our history ... see the criticisms and the commentaries on necessary reforms in various contemporary-post 1763 books including, of course, Guibert; see also the story of the War by Napoleon).
Problems arise when military historians try to explain the reasons why. After the reading of "ancient" (18th century) books, (such as Pajol, Les Geuerres sous Louis XV, R. Waddington Histoire de la Guerre de Sept Ans , J. Colin L'armee francaise an XVIII Siecle) and of modem works (not only the excellent Kennett book, but recent French studies such as Histoire Militaire de la France tome 2, P.U.F., 1991; L. Bely Les Relations Internationales (XVIII siecle) Hachette, 1991...) it seems that the following explanations are of interest:
- 1) the average or poor quality of the French high command, with some exceptions such as de Broglie, Bourcet, perhaps Chevert;
2) the mixed quality of French troops (but unequal or mixed quality is not always synonymous with bad quality! L. Kennett, after discussion of severe critics written by St. Germain concludes: "by contrast there were countless instances in which the soldier could be seen at his best" (p. 87);
3) the divisions, animosities between nobles officers and non-noble officers (this is an important part of the explanation);
4) the lack of discipline amongst soldiers lW officers; but not general and not so disasterous as it seems; afterall, see what happened in Napoleonic armies as well as in other armies in the SYW;
5) tactical problems regarding the use of Cavalry and Artillery;
The results of the battles are well known: defeats at Rossbach, Quebec, Minden, Krefeld, Wilhemsthal (worse than Rossbach in terms of losses), victories at Hastenbeck, Sainte-Foy, Sandershausen, Friedberg... I leave the conclusion about what is the truth or not to an historian speaking about the battle of Quebec:
"C.P. Stacey has stated that since Wolfe was astride Quebec's supply line, which clearly he was not, nothing was left but for Montcalm to take the chance of a desperate stroke against an army for better than his own. Stacey also opines that no matter how Montcalm reacted to Wolfe's surprise landing, the French were doomed to defeat, 'so serious was the difference in military quality between the two forces.' This assertion begs the question why it was that 3,500 troops of that same French army that had been able to inflict such a crushing defeat on 15,000 British and American troops at Fort Carillon the preceding year. Or why the chevalier de Levis, again with that selfsame army, was able to defeat resoundingly the British under Murray on those same Plains of Abraham just seven months later. What we have here is a classic case of the argument that because something happened, it ipso facto had to happen, was in fact virtually preordained."
The above text comes from "The Battle of Quebec: A Reappraisal", W.J.Eccles, Essays on New France , Toronto, Oxford University Press, 1987, p. 127; F & I wargamers should read not only this chapter, but the entire book. Voila! and good wargaming to all the fellow members of the SYWA!
(Editor: as Jean-Marc and Dean West point out, there are many examples of French military success during the mid-18th century; one need only compare Marshal de Saxe with his British contemporaries to see that the French did not have a monopoly on poor commanders. I can't say for certain, but I suspect that the British infantry was successful in spite of its leadership, due to the high quality of its officers at the regimental level and below. In fact, British, or more correctly, allied successes did not occur until Ferdinand of Brunswick assumed command of the allied forces in Western Germany. As for us anglophiles, I also suspect that our opinions are strongly influenced by British authors such as Fortescue, Skrine, Fitchett and Carlisle who all tend to be wildly nationalistic in their pro-British interpretations of history. Sadly, those of us who do not read German and French have no access to the other point of view, and our opinions are influenced by the English-text books. I hope that we can get more input from our European members and shed further light on the French and Austrian points of view.).
Hugh Davie
With reference to the possible Duffy tour of Central Europe, I would be interested in hearing of any developments. Recently, I was looking up the strengths of British Cavalry squadrons during the SYW and found it rather difficult to fmd any sources that gave any indication of numbers. Finally I had to wade through a number of regimental histories to fmd this information. I was looking in books such as Savory, Rogers, Fortescue, and so on.
I find it surprising that there are excellent books on Austrian, Prussian and Russian armies and other countries covered in Pengel & Hurt, but no similar single source exists for the British Army in its several theaters of operations. Uniform plates are common, but there is only patchy coverage of its society and organization, though, of course, Savory covers the military operations. Anyway, I hope to send you a short article on the British Cavalry at some future date.
(Editor: I suspect that the logistics will delay the tour until next year,but look for a update in the next issue).
Peter Wilson
I've been trying to track down a German work through inter-library loan here. This is proving a very slow and uncertain process. Perhaps a US member has a copy or could procure a photocopy. I'll either pay for a photocopy or swap other material. The book in question is by Otto Elster, Geschichte Der Stehenden Truppen Im Herzog Braunschweie-Wolfenbuttel, 2 volumes, Leipzig 1899 and 1902. It was reprinted by LTR Verlag (Bad Honnef) in 1982, but I've been unable to locate this reprint, which, I understand, is not of very high quality.
( Editor: Peter, you might try contacting Bob Ruman at Articles of War bookstore in Skokie, IL. (see advertisement] Bob frequently purchases German language textbooks from Germany and seems to have a lot of contacts with booksellers in that country. If any other readers have a lead on these books, then please contact Peter at the above address. Peter is one of the SYWA's best resources when it comes to research from German language text and hopefully one of us can help him out. By the way, look for Peter's articles about the plot to kidnap Frederick (1741) and the Battle of Hennersdorf, both in the September 1993 issue.).
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© Copyright 1993 by James E. Purky
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