Building While Flying: What Von Steuben Taught at Valley Forge
Lessons From My Spirit Prussian Army Officer
If there was a training montage of the Continental Army’s transformation at Valley Forge, shifting itself from a collection of ragtag militias into a disciplined army capable of defeating the British on open ground, it would have Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben in center frame.
Baron von Steuben, a Prussian-born army officer and godson of Frederick the Great, took the lead in preparing the army to operate with discipline, providing them with the training they needed in military drills and tactics to win battles. His contribution to the American victory arguably far surpasses many of the other, more well-known names we associate with the era.
Here are a few things that stand out about why, with quotes from the book, Baron von Steuben: The Life and Legacy of the Prussian General Who Drilled the Continental Army at Valley Forge During the Revolutionary War.
He focused on what mattered most in the time available. Von Steuben knew he didn’t have enough time to train the army to the fullest extent possible before their next battle, so he didn’t try to. He cut and simplified his program to the time available, ensuring the Continental soldiers could make rapid gains in the time they did have.
Von Steuben was aware of the length of time required to properly train a Prussian soldier, and he knew Washington’s troops would be on the march in a period of only 1-2 months.
To deal with that reality, the Prussian system was simplified to a point where the Americans could progress quickly.
He adapted his approach to the soldiers he had, not the ones he wished for. Von Steuben recognized what was similar to past soldiers he trained, and what was different, and adjusted accordingly. He met people where they were.
An important lesson von Steuben learned early at Valley Forge suggested that the American soldier was different than any other in terms of obedience. Respect of a soldier for his commanding officer was not automatic on the new continent, an unthinkable concept in the older countries of Europe.
A Prussian would instantly risk his life over the most insignificant order, while an American would insist on an explanation before acting. If that explanation was deemed satisfactory, he would dutifully proceed. Such a quality was informed by the very nature of the struggle for independence, as Americans were in no mood to be directly ordered about by anyone without reason.
He built training around battlefield realities, not abstract doctrine. His program was rooted in his assessment of what was needed and what wasn’t happening in practice.
Warfare in the 18th century was by modern standards “comparatively simple,” once all the preliminaries of jockeying for position, feints, and impressive displays of royal garb and artillery were out of the way. The true onset of combat generally took place at close range, and the value of volley firing was supreme. A mass of men stood shoulder-to-shoulder firing indiscriminately into a similar mass of enemy soldiers. More important than individual accuracy was a unit’s ability to fire, reload, and fire again with great rapidity,
The colonial soldier often left their bayonet at home, never having used this arm, had no faith in it.
He discovered that no unit serving under Washington was capable of waging “linear combat.” In terms of marching and battle formations, the militias making up the broader army were incapable of coordinating their systems with one another.
As an antidote to sitting in the cold and sinking further into dejection, the men were constantly brought to their feet and ordered to march relentlessly.
By the end of April, barely a month following Washington’s approval of the training regimen, von Steuben’s charges were able to precisely demonstrate all the skills and battlefield maneuvers on a grand scale. At last, he convinced the infantrymen and fellow officers that European marching drills were not merely ceremonial or a way to pass the time, but the only safe and effective way to wage combat in line formations against an experienced enemy.
He built systems that scaled beyond his personal presence. Training wasn’t just about the winter at Valley Forge, it was about creating a framework that would endure.
The principles laid out by von Steuben in what came to be known affectionately as the Blue Book were soon adopted as a new way of life among Washington’s troops, and they were formally published in 1779.
He led in a way that earned trust, respect, and loyalty. Whatever his personal reasons for leaving Prussia, von Steuben built credibility with the troops by showing humanity and humility.
His heart was in his work, and the men loved his “sudden gusts of passion.” They watched in awe as von Steuben did the unthinkable by publicly apologizing to individual soldiers mistakenly called out for errors, hat in hand while standing in the rain.
He stayed the course even when undermined by peers. His leadership endured despite gossipy resistance from fellow generals.
Fellow generals fell at once to disparaging him as a threat. Charles Lee (who was soon to disgrace himself at the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse in New Jersey) and General Thomas Mifflin discredited von Steuben through a whisper campaign that featured much intrigue and precious little substance.
What kept going through my head while researching Valley Forge is the analogy you hear from organizations about how they are “building the plan as they fly it.” To do that, you need two people working closely together.
One person flies the plane—keeping it steady, looking outside for threats and opportunities. The other builds it—prioritizing what needs to be added, adjusted, or reinforced so the aircraft can endure.
Neither role can succeed without the other. Coming out of Valley Forge, George Washington was flying the plane. But he could only do so because Baron von Steuben was alongside him, building it as they went.