The Prussian and American General Staffs: An Analysis of Cross-Cultural Imitation, Innovation, and Adaptation

This paper examines the American use of the Prussian general staff as a model for the establishment of the American general staff before 1918. This examination includes a discussion of the Prussian general staff, the observations of this system conducted by American army officers, and the reform efforts in the American army from 1871 to 1898 based on these observations. The thesis continues with an analysis of the American general staff's establishment after the Spanish-American War. A comparison of the American and Prussian general staffs concludes the thesis. The Prussian general staff was the principal model for the reformers of the American army from 1871 to 1917. The American general staff began in imitation of the Prussian system, but unique American challenges forced the acceptance of innovative techniques and extensive adaptation of the Prussian staff. The American general staff resulted from a combination of imitation, innovation, and adaptation. Master's thesis