Description
This is a Prussian Army and Navy Rang und Quartier-Liste for the year 1867. At the time the Prussian military was so small that Army and Navy officers could be included in the same book. (Major changes occurred once WW I began)! Even then it is not a large book, measuring only 7 3/4″ x 5″ x 1 1/2″ and weighs 1 pound 5 ounces. Regardless of the time period, Ranglistes were intended to enumerate officers and the units in which they served. This is a significant Rangliste, as it reflects the Hanoverian regiments Prussia acquired as a result of the 1866 Austro-Prussian War. Prussia annexed Hannover, along with Braunschweig and Nassau, and their regiments became Prussian ones. In addition, any officers who served in the 1864 Danish-Prussian War most likely would appear in this particular volume. It means the volume serves as a helpful reference for the two final pieces in Germany’s consolidation jigsaw puzzle, which saw Prussia and König (later Kaiser) Wilhelm I become dominant. The Prussian Navy, which was quite small at the time (prior to Wilhelm II’s enthusiastic build-up), is also listed in the volume. Each officer who received decorations has them listed next to his name. In the book’s front is a pictorial listing of the various types and classes of decorations. We see Red and Black Eagles, Hohenzollern House Orders, Crown Orders, Orden Pour le Mérites, and even the 1813 Iron Crosses 1st and 2nd Class! (The Iron Cross was NOT awarded for the 1864 and 1866 wars and was not reinstituted until 1870). The naval section is only about FIFTEEN pages long! Before being acquired by an American collector, this book was assigned to a military bureau in Breslau, East Prussia. It is a fascinating and very helpful historical book. [SALES ON ALL RANGLISTEN ARE FINAL. We do NOT send them out on approval, or for someone to do research and then return them. Please keep this in mind when ordering any rangliste].
