The Challenges Of Baron Von Steuben During The Revolutionary War
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Baron Von Steuben
During the winter of 1777-1778, the British forced Washington’s army out of Philadelphia and into Valley Forge to camp. When they settled in Valley Forge, Washington was not prepared for the challenges he was going to face. His army suffered through frigid temperatures, starvation, and several diseases, causing over 2,000 deaths. The soldiers were left very weak with little to no clothing. A Prussian officer by the name of Baron Von Steuben arrived at Valley Forge and strengthened Washington’s army. Baron Von Steuben was one of the most important figures during the Revolutionary War. Without his guidance of bayonet combat, sanitation , and confidence, Washington’s Army would have been in no condition of defeating the British during the war.…show more content… Washington’s army was created by Minutemen, who had little to no experience on the battlefield and would have been no match for the skilled British forces. When Baron Von Steuben arrived at Valley Forge, he taught the soldiers a method of reloading their muskets faster, as well as close range bayonet combat when they run out of ammunition. He had trained the army by first training a group of 100 soldiers. Then those 100 men would go train another 100 men. This rapid training had spread within a matter of weeks and was considered to be “one of the most remarkable achievement in rapid military training in the history of the world” (“Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Steuben” 1). He was so successful that George Washington appointed Steuben as the inspector general of the