Von Steuben Quotes

According to legend, because he spoke little English, von Steuben relied on a translator to chew out the men, frequently yelling, “Over here! Swear at him for me!” when his insults in French and German failed to achieve the desired results.

In fact, the parade scene in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off memorably honors Von Steuben Day and the Baron’s German heritage.

Soon thereafter, daily drills began, and during the winter of 1778, von Steuben wrote the Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States—a document that has been the foundation for the American military since it was first published.

Other Germans came not to settle but to fight beside the Americans, most notably the self-styled Baron von Steuben, a Prussian professional soldier who drilled the American troops at Valley Forge into a tightly disciplined, highly maneuverable army.

General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben on February 23 to begin training the army, things began to turn around, and the army miraculously regained its fighting spirit. Von Steuben was a pro; he had been a member of the Prussian Army, had served on the General Staff of Frederick the Great, and was a believer in the revolutionary cause. He immediately began to put the American troops through an intense regimen of drilling. By May, he had made them into a reasonably cohesive military force. Encouraged by news of the French military alliance, and by a promise of extra pay from the Congress,