REEDITION: Russian and Prussian Chiefs of Staff. Napoleonic Wars 1/72 Strelets-002

During the Napoleonic Wars, the Russian and Prussian Chiefs of Staff played key roles in the coordination and strategic planning of their armies against Napoleonic forces.

Russian Empire:

• General Alexander Ivanovich Ostermann-Tolstoy and, most notably, General Mikhail Barclay of Tolly, were key figures in the Russian high command. Barclay was Minister of War and commander-in-chief in critical phases, including the campaign of 1812. Later, General Pyotr Bagration also played a prominent role.

• In the final phase of the war, Karl von Diebitsch and General Bennigsen were actively involved in planning with the Allies.

Kingdom of Prussia:

• The most influential was Gerhard von Scharnhorst, reformer of the Prussian army and chief of the General Staff. He was succeeded by August Neidhardt von Gneisenau, who, together with Blücher, commanded the Prussian army in key campaigns such as Leipzig and Waterloo.

• Karl von Clausewitz, although better known as a military theorist, also served on the General Staff and participated in major campaigns.

These officers were essential to the success of the coalition against Napoleon, especially in the coordination of the allied forces in joint campaigns such as 1813 and Waterloo in 1815.