The Relationship
The friendship between the American and German people dates back several hundred years. For example, did you know that Germans were among the first to settle in Jamestown in 1608? In 1683 the first German settlement in America was founded by 13 German families.
In the American Revolutionary War Germans were at the front for American independence.
In the American Revolutionary War Germans were at the front for American independence.
von Steuben
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben came to America after serving in the Prussian officer corps. He quickly became aquatinted with George Washington and was named major general and inspector general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary war. Critically, he introduced Prussian military drills and discipline to the ranks of the American forces. His drill manual was used by the Army until 1812.
Regiment de Royal Deux-Ponts - The Zweibrücken Regiment
Many know that the Hessians fought on the side of the British during the Revolutionary war. Far fewer are aware, that Germans also were fighting for American independence. A regiment from Zweibrücken (a German town on the Franco-German border) was leased to the French. The "Regiment de Royal Deux-Ponts, un Regiment d'Infanterie Allememande", as it was known, would fight in many battles including Yorktown in 1781.