Hesse-Cassel Research Paper

The earliest recorded evidence of the Germanic tribe that would come to be known as “Hessians” were first known as the “Chatten” Germany was not a unified country at the time Friedrich Wilhelm II, Landgraf of Hesse-Cassel inherited the nation-state. Being one of Germanys sixteen divided factions, Hesse-Cassel boasted no lucrative economy or major trade allies of its own, and suffered greatly from wars prior to Wilhelm coming into power. Taking his que from the Prussian military, which Wilhelm considered to be the best, he proceeded to turn Hesse-Cassel into a militarized state that would come to produce the best mercenaries Europe has ever known. Through extreme corporal punishment, discipline, and a background in military training, Wilhelm

Though Hesse-Cassel far outnumbered its sister states in the sheer amount of its soldiers, amassing around twenty-two thousand, Hessians made up only a portion of the soldiers sold to Britain to fight in the American Revolution. Soldiers came from Hannover, Brunick, Waldeck, Annhalt-Zerbst, and even Hasse- Hananu with Hasse-Cassel sending an astonishing eighteen thousand soldiers while most only sent one or two thousand. From seven years old, boys in Hesse-Cassel were expected to register for the military, and at sixteen they were regularly examined to see if their bodies were fit enough to handle the life of a soldier, specifically a Hessian soldier. Those who were deemed dispensable to society, which often meant the lower class or those that were unemployed, school drop outs or wanderers, were forcibly drafted into the Hessian militia. Though the drilling was endless and the training grueling, men became proud of their military accomplishments and were incredibly disciplined and efficient. The army was divided into five main components; Jaeger Corps, Infantry, Hussar, Grenadiers, and Artillery; the Jaeger Corps was considered Elite and was highly coveted by officers. Wilhelm’s army was bigger than Prussia’s own and mostly consisted of native born sons, though foreigners were welcome and persuaded to join. Wilhelm successfully created a monetized

The militia had well-educated and well trained officers who took pride in serving their country and were often fair to the soldiers under their command. By the time the British were looking to employ the Hessians in their fight against America and their allies, Wilhelm was looking to make money, and on January 15, 1776 a treaty was made with Hasse-Cassel. An estimated eighteen thousand Hessian units were sent overseas to America and the number steadily increased to over thirty thousand. Before agreeing to this treaty, Wilhelm had a few conditions; his soldiers would be treated by people brought by Hessian officers only, his soldiers would be treated as well as the kings own, and that every man killed in battle would be money paid back directly to Wilhelm’s pocket. This act of treating his military as little less then property rubbed many the wrong way, and this soon backfired on Wilhelm, many other Princes of Germany who followed similar guidelines. Throughout the duration of the American army, the Hessians were present in just about every major battle, ranging from the first battle in the Battle of Long Island, to the infamous Battle of Trenton where over one thousand Hessians lost their lives. The Hessians suffered a major blow not only to their pride, but also the loss of