The Prussian Baron von Steuben, being a newcomer to the
Revolutionary cause in America, was in a position to see
many of the deficiencies in military discipline and their
causes. The reasons for his unique insight may have been
due to the fact that he was distanced from the revolutionary
ideals in America, and as a result, was able to better observe
and understand them; and ultimately use them to shape his
new and successful form of discipline in the Continental
Army. Most of the commanders of the Continental Army,
from the commander in chief to the lower officers had
subscribed to the traditional European method that relied on
fear to achieve discipline. This method of fear was probably
not essential, and had little if any effect in the early days of
the war because the soldiers were mostly fighting for their
own ideologies. To the soldiers, the commanders were of
little importance. The soldiers were going to fight their own
fight, and leave the battle when they......
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