Master of Arts in History, Youngstown State University, 2020, Department of Humanities

In this thesis the researcher discusses the implementation of force multipliers in the Prussian and German military. Originating with the wars of Frederick the Great and the geographical position of Prussia, force multipliers were key to the defense of the small state. As time continued, this tactic would become a mainstay for the Prussian military in the wars for German unification. Finally, they would be carried through to a grim conclusion with the Second World War and the belief that this tactic would easily make up for Germany's shortcomings in material and manpower. Key discussions of this thesis are the origins, implementation and reliance on this tactic through the time periods discusses. Figures in German military history, such as Frederick the Great, Clausewitz, and Helmuth Von Moltke, and their philosophies relating to the tactic are examined. As well as the implementation of force multiplication through technological and political evolutions and their effect on the Prussian and German militaries in the conflicts discussed.

Committee: David Simonelli PhD (Advisor); Brian Bonhomme PhD (Committee Member); Kyle Starkey PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Armed Forces; History; Military History; Military Studies; Modern History; World History