A Norwegian Tribute to America’s 250th Anniversary: The Baron Who Forged a Nation’s Army & Independence

A Gift from a Norwegian Friend to the American People

In this Momentous Year when America celebrates its 250th Anniversary of Independence — I — as a Norwegian and steadfast Friend to the Proud and Patriotic American People, offer this Humble Tribute to the Courage and Sacrifice that birthed your Remarkable Nation of Liberty. Today, I present a Gift that honors one of the most unique yet underappreciated Heroes of the American Revolution — a Man whose Extraordinary Military Genius and Unorthodox Approach Transformed a Desperate Army of Patriots into a Lethal Fighting Force capable of taking on the British and Hessian Mercenaries — and gaining the Brits and Germans Respect i the Process — and in the End, securing the Freedom that Billions enjoy or aspire to, today.

The Documentary “How a Fake General Built America’s Deadliest Army|Baron von Steuben: History’s Greatest Military Con” reveals the extraordinary Story of

— The Prussian Nobleman whose Military Expertise and indomitable Spirit saved the Continental Army at its darkest Hour. This Article celebrates the enduring Legacy of the Man who forged the American Soldier and helped secure the very Principles of Liberty that continue to inspire People across the Globe.

A Few Words About the Shortcomings of AI Animated Illustrations

The Short Movie “How a Fake General Built America’s Deadliest Army|Baron von Steuben: History’s Greatest Military Con” has got a really good, patriotic Manuscript, very well narrated. But what is a Movie without Movement? The very name “Movie” kinda indicates what it’s all about.

In a Day and Age where we are spoiled with Actors, Actresses (and Spoiled Actors and Actresses) and CGI costing Hundreds of Millions of Dollars, we may balk at being presented with B Movies. Unfortunately, although Steuben’s Pivotal Role and Huge Successes, he is one of the Founding Heroes that are all but forgotten. As such, very few Cinematic Depictions of the Rotund Prussian-American General with the Booming Voice are to be found, and even fewer ones that are free to watch. PBS has produced some on the American Taxpayer’s Dime and placed it behind a Paywall, only accessible in America — so Americans get to pay for it twice. Just as well that President Trump Privatized PBS.

“How a Fake General Built America’s Deadliest Army|Baron von Steuben: History’s Greatest Military Con” in certain scenes shows Soldiers, Mounted Officers and Ships that are moving backwards. It’s true that General Washington won a War of Attrition, mostly by retreating. But they didn’t retreat by walking and riding backwards. There are other bloopers in there. But it’s free — AND — more importantly: —It tells the Fascinating History of General Steuben fairly well.

But to compensate you for the minor Bloopers in this short Movie, I have given you a longer Article here. And I have searched high & low to find other entertaining Movies and Documentaries, and these you can enjoy in the Bonus Section right below the Main Movie of the Day!

One such Film, is the 51 Minute TV Drama Documentary from LionHeart FilmWorks from 2007 titled:
“Von Steuben’s Continentals: The First American Army”
with an excellent ⭐️8.6 rating in IMDB.

In addition you can also jump on to a nice little 8 Minute Dramatic Film — A Window into the Snow, Frigid Temperatures and Howling of the Wind — titled:
“The Rebels-Baron von Steuben Drill Master at Valley Forge”
from 1979.

And none of these Titles are rated, so you can safely — and importantly — bring your Young Children or Grand-Children into this History Lesson about one of the most important and most Remarkable Men in the entire American War of Independence.

The Crucible of Valley Forge: An Army on the Brink

The Winter of 1777 stands as one of the most perilous Moments in the American struggle for Independence. 12,000 Men of the Continental Army plus their Camp Followers, mostly Women, marched into Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, only to find themselves facing Starvation, freezing Temperatures, and Disease. Hundreds died each Month from Typhus, Dysentery, and Exposure to the brutal Pennsylvania Cold. 2,500 would not survive the Winter Encampment……… Soldiers lucky enough to own some Leather Boots, boiled the Leather. Some boiled their Belts. The Hunger ravaged the Camp, and few in Congress — well fed and crawling into a Warm Bed every Night, had little thought of the Desperate Pleas for Help from General Washington, and even less for the Suffering of their Army.

Soldiers who could still stand, after having been subjected to the absolutely brutal Conditions of the Valley Forge Encampment, still lacked the Basic Skills of Military Discipline — They could not March in Formation, could not Reload Their Muskets with Speed, and worst of all, treated their Bayonets as little more than Kitchen Utensils for roasting Beef over Campfires. Not that there was much Beef to roast at Valley Forge. When the Men had filled their screaming Stomachs with Boot Leather, they boiled Bark and other rather indigestible Materials just for the feeling of “full” — in a Landscape that wasn’t geared to feed an Army of 12,000. The Bayonets were absolutely crucial Weapons in the Close Quarter Battles of the 18th Century. Learning how to efficiently mount a Bayonet Charge could easily be the Difference between Victory or Defeat on the Battlefield.

Meanwhile, the British Army — the most disciplined Fighting Force on the Planet — rested comfortably in nearby Philadelphia, sleeping in Warm Beds and eating Hot Meals.

George Washington knew the stark Truth: —Without a radical Transformation, the American Revolution would end before it truly began…

The Dream of Independence would perish in the Snow of Valley Forge.

The Arrival of a Prussian Nobleman

What no one at Valley Forge could have predicted was that the Man who would save this Army was already crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was born on September 17, 1730, in the Fortress Town of Magdeburg, Prussia. His Father was a Captain in the Prussian Engineering Corps, and young Friedrich grew up surrounded by Soldiers, Cannons, and the rigid Discipline that made the Prussian Military the most feared in Europe.

He served with distinction in the Seven Years War, eventually rising to the Rank of Captain and serving at the Headquarters of Frederick the Great himself. The Baron attended Frederick’s Elite School for Young Officers, learning the intricacies of Prussian Drill, Logistics, and Battlefield Maneuver at the Highest Level. This was a Real Education in how to build and run a Professional Army.

But when the War ended in 1763, the Prussian Military shrank dramatically, and Steuben found himself discharged at age 33 — unemployed and without Prospects. For more than a Decade, he struggled to find suitable Work, taking positions as a Court Chamberlain for minor German Princes. By 1777, at age 47, Steuben was broke and running out of Options.

The Strategic Path to America

A fortunate Connection with the French Minister of War, gave Steuben an Introduction to Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane, the American Diplomats in Paris. The Americans had been overwhelmed by unemployed European Officers seeking high Ranks and generous Paychecks in the Continental Army — most of whom were useless. Congress had specifically instructed them to send no more Foreigners with Contracts for Generalships stuffed in their Luggage.

Franklin and Deane initially rejected Steuben, but French Officials persuaded them to reconsider. They devised a Plan that would change the course of the War. They wrote Steuben a Letter of Recommendation to present to Congress, describing him as a Lieutenant General in the Service of the King of Prussia. This was not accurate — Steuben had only been a Captain in the Prussian Army, but the Letter intentionally misrepresented his Credentials to ensure Congress would take him seriously. The Letter also exaggerated his closeness to Frederick the Great, implying he had been something like the King’s right-hand Man.

Franklin knew that Congress would ignore a former Captain but would listen to a Lieutenant General who had served under Frederick the Great. To make the Scheme even more convincing, Steuben offered to serve as an unpaid Volunteer, asking only to be compensated if America won the War based on his Contributions. Congress, exhausted by Foreign Officers demanding Paychecks, loved this Arrangement and sent him to Valley Forge.

Transformation at Valley Forge

On the Day Steuben arrived at Valley Forge on February 23, 1778, his appearance electrified the Camp. One Continental Soldier later described his first Impression of the newcomer as “a perfect Personification of Mars, the ancient Roman God of War.” Everything about him — his Size, his Confidence, the trappings of his Horse — screamed Power and Authority.

What Steuben found horrified him. He later wrote Home about the extraordinarily poor Conditions of the Men, but also about their extreme Patriotism. In Europe, Soldiers fought for Gold and Honors. Here in America, Steuben discovered Men who fought for Ideals. That combination of Desperate Conditions and Fierce Conviction made an Impression on the old Prussian that would change the Course of his Life.

The Camp was a Disaster — Latrines placed randomly, sometimes right next to Kitchens. Dead Horses lay rotting in open Areas. There was no standardized Drill, no consistent Way to march, fire, or reload. Each Regiment did Things differently depending on where they came from. Some Soldiers did not even know how to form a Proper Line- Forming a Proper Line in those days — with highly inaccurate Muskets — was the only way to increase the Chance of hitting something Down Range. Preferably the Enemy.

The Model Company and the Birth of the American Soldier

Despite the misrepresented Credentials, Friedrich von Steuben possessed exactly what the Continental Army desperately needed. His years of Prussian Training, his time on Frederick the Great’s Staff, and his Education at the elite Officer Academy were real. He might not have been a Lieutenant General, but he was a superbly trained Military Professional with a deep understanding of how to build an Army from the Ground up.

Steuben created what he called a “Model Company” — 100 Soldiers from various Brigades plus 50 Men from Washington’s personal Lifeguard Unit. Instead of writing Instructions and handing them off to junior Officers the Way European Generals normally operated, Steuben did something unheard of — he drilled these Men himself personally.

Every Morning before Dawn, the Baron was already out on the Parade Ground in his full Dress Uniform, complete with Medals and polished Boots, waiting for his Men. He stood in the Mud, in the Cold, face to face with Privates and Corporals, showing them exactly how to hold a Musket, how to stand at Attention, and how to march at 75 Steps per Minute, then at 120. He walked down the Line, adjusting their Grips, correcting their Posture, physically moving their Arms and Legs into Position.

This was not how Generals behaved in the 18th Century. Generals gave Orders; they did not get their Boots dirty training enlisted Men. But Steuben understood something about the American Soldier that most European Officers would have missed entirely — these Men were not fighting for a King or for Gold. They were Citizens fighting for an Idea, and they responded tremendously well to a Leader who was willing to work alongside them.

The Legacy of the Blue Book

Steuben barely spoke English, so he drafted all his Drills and Instructions in French, the military Language of Europe. Every Night, his Secretary, Duponceau, would translate the French into English with help from two of Washington’s Aides, Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens. By Morning, the translated Drills were ready for the Soldiers to practice.

When Things went wrong on the Training Field, Steuben would erupt. He would curse at them in German, then in French. Then he would turn to his Aide and shout, “My dear Duponceau, come and swear for me in English. These Fellows will not do what I bid them.” The Soldiers loved it and thought it was hilarious.

Most importantly, Steuben did not just teach these 100 Men and move on — he trained them to become Trainers. Once the Model Company mastered the Drills, those Soldiers went back to their own Regiments and taught everyone else. It was a cascading System like a Chain Reaction of Competence spreading outward through the entire Army.

Within two Months, a complete Transformation had taken Place. Soldiers who had barely known which end of the Musket to point at the Enemy were now marching in tight Formations, reloading with Speed and Precision, and executing Bayonet Charges that would have made a Prussian Drill Sergeant proud.

From Valley Forge to Victory

Evidence of Steuben’s Training Effectiveness was first witnessed at the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778. For the first Time in the War, the Continental Army fought as a unified, disciplined Force. They used Artillery effectively, positioning Guns to create interlocking Fields of Fire. They held Formation under withering Musket Volleys that would have scattered them six Months earlier. And when the British charged with Bayonets — the Tactic that had broken American Lines in nearly every previous Battle — the Americans did not break and run. They countercharged.

The following Year, in July 1779, the Results of Steuben’s Training became even more dramatic at the Battle of Stony Point. General Anthony Wayne’s Soldiers had been extensively trained in Bayonet Combat by Steuben, and in one of the most audacious Attacks of the entire War, they stormed the Fort with unloaded Muskets, crossing hundreds of Yards of open Ground in the Dark, wading through Water, climbing steep Rocks, and overwhelming the British Garrison entirely with Bayonets — the same Weapon that American Soldiers had been using as cooking Utensils just 18 Months earlier.

During the Winter of 1778 to 1779, Steuben wrote the Book that would cement his Legacy. “Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States” — known as the Blue Book — was the first standardized Military Manual for the American Army. It covered everything from how to march and set up Camp to how to load and fire Weapons, how to organize a Regiment, how to maintain Discipline, and how Sergeants should train and manage their Soldiers.

The Blue Book would remain the official Training Manual of the United States Army until 1814, more than 35 Years after it was written. Its Influence lasted even longer, shaping American Military Doctrine through the Mexican-American War and beyond. A Baron with misrepresented Credentials had written the real Rule Book for the entire United States Military.

Today 7 Regulations from von Steuben’s ‘Blue Book’ are still followed by U.S. Troops.

The Final Years and Enduring Legacy

Steuben served throughout the rest of the War, ultimately commanding One of Three Divisions of Washington’s Troops during The Siege at Yorktown that brought the British to their Knees. When British General Cornwallis surrendered his Army of roughly 8,000 Men, Steuben was right there. The Soldiers who executed that Siege were fighting with the Discipline, Precision and Professionalism that Steuben had hammered into them at Valley Forge three Years earlier.

After the War, Steuben helped Washington with one of the most delicate Tasks of the entire Revolution: —Demobilizing the Army.
He wrote a Plan for National Defense that proposed the establishment of Military Academies, an Idea that eventually became the Seed for West Point and Annapolis.

Despite his enormous Contributions, the Man who saved the Continental Army spent his final Years struggling with Money.
He lived in Manhattan for a Time and was popular in High Society Circles, but his Spending Habits outpaced his Income. It was not until 1790 that Congress finally granted him a Pension of $2,500 a Year. He moved to a modest Estate near the Town of Remsen and lived there quietly for the last Years of his Life.

When he died on November 28, 1794, at the Age of 64, he left his Property to his two former Aides and adopted Heirs, William North and Benjamin Walker. He was buried in a Grove on his own Land in a Spot that later became the Steuben Memorial State Historic Site.

A Norwegian’s Final Tribute to One of the Greatest American Heroes of All Time

Today, the Man who presented himself with exaggerated Credentials to the Continental Army is remembered as one of The Fathers of the United States Military. His Statue stands at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Another stands in Lafayette Square in Washington DC, directly across from the White House in Washington. Communities across the Country bear his Name:

• Steuben County in New York
• Steuben County in Indiana
• The City of Steubenville, Ohio

Von Steuben Day Celebrations

Von Steuben Day, honoring Baron von Steuben, is celebrated annually on the third Saturday in September, with the Date varying between September 15 and September 21 each Year. The Celebration is timed to coincide closely with Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben’s Birthday on September 17, 1730.

The Holiday is primarily celebrated by German-Americans throughout the United States and is considered one of the major German-American Events of the Year.

Von Steuben Day is celebrated in numerous Cities across the United States, with the largest Celebrations taking place in New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia. The New York Celebration is particularly notable, featuring a Parade on Fifth Avenue and an Oktoberfest-style Beer Fest in Central Park that attracts the largest Crowds.

The Celebration typically features Parades where Participants march, dance, and play Music. Many Attendees wear traditional German Costumes including Dirndls and Lederhosen. The Festivities often include traditional German Food, Beer, Cultural Displays, and live Music. In New York, the German-American Steuben Parade is overseen by the German-American Committee of Greater New York, a not-for-profit Organization

President Richard Nixon proclaimed in 1969 September 17 as General Von Steuben Memorial Day.

Von Steuben’s Legacy

German-Americans celebrate Von Steuben Day honoring the Man who crossed an Ocean to fight for a Country that was not his own. And here is what makes this Story so remarkable:
— Yes, his Credentials were misrepresented for Strategic Reasons. His Rank was exaggerated. His closeness to Frederick the Great was exaggerated.
But the Skills were real.
The Knowledge was real.
The Transformation he achieved was undeniable, measurable, and proven in Battle after Battle after Battle.

He took an Army that did not know how to use a Bayonet and turned them into Soldiers who could win a Fight using nothing else. He wrote the Book that defined the American Military for a Generations — Up unto Modern Days, in Fact. He built the System that still echoes through every Drill Sergeant’s Voice and every NCO’s Authority today (NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer)..

Just like a big and strong Middle Class has been the Backbone, the very Engine of American Industry, Ingenuity and Prosperity, ever since the Revolution — So has the Corps of NCOs in the United States Armed Forces been the Backbone of an Efficient, Dynamic, an quickly improvising Armed Force, ready to meet any and all Challenges in the Field. This Large, Highly Skilled and Highly Competent Corps of NCOs, is what makes the American Military so highly adaptable on the Battlefield, and almost undefeatable in every Operation and Engagement.

Friedrich von Steuben was a Man who made Strategic Choices to present his Credentials in a Way that would allow him to Serve the Cause of American Independence. He Was Also The Most Important Military Trainer in American History. And the Country he helped create — Never could have won its Independence without him. Sometimes the right Man for the Job is someone who has to make strategic Choices just to get the Interview.

As a Norwegian who admires the Spirit of the American Independence, I offer this Gift to You — my Dear American Friend — which is this Tribute to Baron von Steuben — the Prussian who became American, the “Man with misrepresented Credentials” who became a Real American Hero, and the Man whose Sacrifice and Genius helped secure The Liberty That Continues To Shine As a Beacon of Hope for People Everywhere.

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