by Alexander39 on 11 May 2005 18:36 Name: Saxe, Comte de
Variant Name: Hermann Maurice
Birth Date: October 28, 1696
Death Date: November 30, 1750
Place of Birth: Dresden, Germany
Place of Death: Chambord, France
Nationality: French
Gender: Male
Occupations: military leader
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Hermann Maurice, Comte de Saxe (1696-1750), was a marshal of France. His active campaigns, methods of organizing and training troops, and general principles of warfare influenced both his own and later times.
Maurice de Saxe who is known as Marshal Saxe, was born in Dresden on Oct. 28, 1696, the first of the 354 acknowledged illegitimate children of Augustus II, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. His mother was the Countess Aurora von Konigsmark. Like his father in "his fabulous strength, the immensity of his appetites, and his limitless lust," Saxe also possessed a high intelligence.
When he was twelve years old, Saxe entered the Saxon army. He fought in the battle of Malplaquet under the Duke of Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy. By the time of the Peace of Utrecht, he had participated in four campaigns in Flanders and Pomerania and had commanded a cavalry regiment. He served under Eugene in the war against the Turks and participate in the capture of Belgrade in 1717.
He was one off the ablest leaders of his time and won more than 7 major battles(He never lost one), conquerd 14 cities and 6 fortresses, his troops won more than any other troops (And whit few losses for the time) in the span of 6 years than any other army had done incl Fredrich the great in more than 200 years! (most were squandred by diplomats)
But what really set him apart from others were his 'Mes Reveries' a book publised 1756. 6 years after his death. about the training and organization of the army of the future! one of the things that really sets it apart is it concentration on the use of even the smallest units as independent arms of the army, + the use and organization off supply and support units in all its facets, further more he came whit suggestions of how to motivatet and train the INDIVIDUAL soldier about 150 years before it became even remotely common. (Napoleon was good at motivating his soldiers but never did didly about traning soldiers as individuals).
His suggestion about how to organized his army into legions that were selfcontaining units of 5600 men were inspired by the roman system, and went all the way down to units of 6 men, not something that had been contemplatet since the Mongols!
further more he went into great detail about 'streamlining' the munitions and arms to as few types as possible, he suggestet that each 'maniple' or 256 men had their own light field battery (4 x 2 pounder) as an integral part of their makeup.
He further suggestet the re-introduction of a shorten pike as a weapon whit weigtet ends so it could be used to both stab & crush attacks, about one in four line soldiers were so armed.
Napoleon was a great admier off De Saxe, but he never trustet the 'common' man to be able to follow the princibles that De Saxe had laid down, and therefor would never be able to make full use of the groundwork that Saxe had testet.
One can try to contemplate how well soldiers in Napoleonic times would have reactet to traning and planning that first were in common use around WW2, and how it would have effectet Napoleons campaigns if the French army had been organized in an almost modern fashion!!
Now some history lessons, mostly becourse i hate it when people answers obiviously is obliviously to those they talk down!!
Trajans Roman Legions would NOT have been impressed by Medival heavy cavalry, they fought heavy cavalry (And Won) in Persia (Parthia) and on the Russian steppes in the forms of Iazyges & Roloxiani (Sarmatinan peoples). SO please read your history before you ask so inane Quistions about who would win!!!
The Trajan Romans would have massacret EVERY opponent up to the age of gun powder (Mongols ekseptet)
Thanks man!!
