AP war

Moltke elder

Prussian staff college - 1820’s
Chief of general staff - 1857-88
Worked closely with Bismarck - PM, and Van Roon - Minister of War

General staff

Formed in 1812 after humiliating defeat to Napoleon
120 junior officers, 50% pass rate, best 12 advance to GS
Trained in: Map reading, war gaming, war theory, war tactics

Moltke’s reforms

GS officers had to have a specialty outside or war e.g. Rail or Politics
Linked the GS to the development of rail
Created scientific, rail and historical departments of the GS

Role of GS in A-P war

Prussians appointed based on merit rather than nepotism - Austrian Benedek
P used lessons learned from Schleswig- Holstein in 1864 - use of historical departments

Firepower

P ‘s Dreyse was superior to A’s Lorenz due better range and were breech loaders
Krupp field guns + Cavalry ahead to scout for positional info and report back to artillery

Transportation

Moltke planned troops movements through railways
P rail was better to the border , A rail was better internally
P quick to front line + aggressive + concentration of force

Outcomes of Konnigratz

Armies were numerically even
P split forces into 2 armies, A stayed as one 240k block
P lost 9k men
A lost 45k and had 20k captured