The Hessians Summary and Analysis

The Hessian army was made up of German soldiers. The British tried hiring them to serve in the Colonies long before the Revolution but they were too costly. When fighting broke out in the Colonies, they put cost aside and hired several thousand Hessian troops. Friedrich Wilhelm II expanded the Hessian army and conducted drills every day. As a result, the army expanded very rapidly.

Most high-ranking officers came from the aristocracy. The officers of this army all believed in hierarchy, order, and discipline. These men were defined by courage and honor. Most young men were encouraged to enlist. Those considered "expendable" were also forced into the army. These people consisted of masterless servants, school dropouts, bankrupt tradesmen, the idle, and the unemployed and wandering youth. The Hessian system of discipline was different than that of the British, as...