Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad": Volume 12, Slice 6Various
Science
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad": Volume 12, Slice 6
Various
Encyclopedias and dictionaries
inadequate for the achievement of great and decisive results in war, and
meanwhile the mass of the people, untrained in arms, degenerates.... The
hegemony over Europe will fall to that nation which ... becomes
possessed of manly virtues and _creates a national army_"--a prediction
fulfilled almost to the letter within twenty years of Guibert's death.
In 1773 he visited Germany and was present at the Prussian regimental
drills and army manoeuvres; Frederick the Great, recognizing Guibert's
ability, showed great favour to the young colonel and freely discussed
military questions with him. Guibert's _Journal d'un voyage en
Allemagne_ was published, with a memoir, by Toulongeon (Paris, 1803).
His _Defense du systeme de guerre moderne_, a reply to his many critics
(Neuchatel, 1779) is a reasoned and scientific defence of the Prussian
method of tactics, which formed the basis of his work when in 1775 he
began to co-operate with the count de St Germain in a series of
much-needed and successful reforms in the French army. In 1777, however,
St Germain fell into disgrace, and his fall involved that of Guibert who
was promoted to the rank of _marechal de camp_ and relegated to a
provincial staff appointment. In his semi-retirement he vigorously
defended his old chief St Germain against his detractors. On the eve of
the Revolution he was recalled to the War Office, but in his turn he
became the object of attack and he died, practically of disappointment,
on the 6th of May 1790. Other works of Guibert, besides those mentioned,
are: _Observations sur la constitution politique et militaire des armees
de S. M. Prussienne_ (Amsterdam, 1778), _Eloges_ of Marshal Catinat
(1775), of Michel de l'Hopital (1778), and of Frederick the Great
(1787). Guibert was a member of the Academy from 1786, and he also wrote
a tragedy, _Le Connetable de Bourbon_ (1775) and a journal of travels in
France and Switzerland.
See Toulongeon, _Eloge veridique de Guibert_ (Paris, 1790); Madame de
Stael, _Eloge de Guibert_; Bardin, _Notice historique du general
Guibert_ (Paris, 1836); Flavian d'Aldeguier, _Discours sur la vie et
les ecrits du comte de Guibert_ (Toulouse, 1855); Count Forestie,
_Biographie du comte de Guibert_ (Montauban, 1855); Count zur Lippe,
"Friedr. der Grosse und Oberst Guibert" (_Militar-Wochenblatt_, 1873,
9 and 10).
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