Its militancy and effectiveness is exaggerated; in light of contemporary imperialism, the sort of wars Prussia fought were not altogether out of the ordinary.

The core of Prussian military success was the officer corps' ingrained offensive mindset and a heavy emphasis on taking the initiative, both from the top down and the bottom up. It is important to remember, however, that Prussian success owed a great deal to key reformers of the military, like Scharnhorst and Moltke, and the Prussian military record is not spotless; look no further than the blunders of 1806 and the strategic blunders of the Great War.

For readings on Prussian military history, I recommend Robert Citino's book The German Way of War, which offers an insightful look into how and why the Prussian and later German armies fought the way they did.