What did the Prussian train the American troops to do?

Friedrich Wilhelm Rudolf Gerhard August, Freiherr von Steuben, a Prussian military officer, arrives at General George Washington’s encampment at Valley Forge on February 23, 1778 and commences training soldiers in close-order drill, instilling new confidence and discipline in the demoralized Continental Army.

Did German soldiers fight in the American Revolution?

The term “Hessians” refers to the approximately 30,000 German troops hired by the British to help fight during the American Revolution. They were principally drawn from the German state of Hesse-Cassel, although soldiers from other German states also saw action in America.

Why did Baron von Steuben help the Continental Army?

The Continental Army had just endured a punishing winter at Valley Forge. And a stranger—former Prussian army officer Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben—was on the scene to restore morale, introduce discipline and whip the tattered soldiers into fighting shape.

What weapons did soldiers in the American Revolution use?

During the Revolutionary War, some American militia fighters engaged in guerilla-style tactics using their hunting rifles to take out British soldiers from distant cover. But most militia and continental soldiers used a combination of British Brown Bess and French Charleville muskets .

How many American soldiers died in the American Revolution?

Fighting during the early years of the American Revolution was generally in the North, while the war shifted south after 1779. During the war, around 25,000 Americans died (approx. 8,000 in battle), while another 25,000 were wounded.

What were German soldiers called in the American Revolution?

Hessians ( US: / ˈhɛʃənz / or UK: / ˈhɛsiənz /) were German soldiers who served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. The term is an American synecdoche for all Germans who fought on the British side, since 65% came from the German states of Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Hanau.

Who was the Prussian drill master who trained American troops?

Baron von Steubon. A Prussian military commander who volunteered his services as drill master to the Continental Army , joining Washington at Valley Forge in the winter of 1778 and teaching Prussian drill and tactics to his troops.