ABSTRACT
The Seven Years' War ended with the peace treaties of Paris and Hubertusburg. Prussia survived the war intact and escaped the threat of being dismembered by her enemies. She had lost 10 percent of her population and was economically on the verge of breakdown, but emerged with a great reputation. Following the war, Prussia could indisputably claim to be a major European power, on a par with Austria in terms of her influence and presence in the German Diet. Over the course of the next 100 years, Prussia eclipsed Austria as the major German state. The performance of the Prussian military in the face of such adversity led many to claim that it was the best in Europe. Numerous states including Great Britain, Russia, and France tried to adopt various Prussian models for their armies, notwithstanding Prussian military defeats and shortcomings. The deficiencies of the Prussian army were evident during the War of the Bavarian Succession (1778–79), 15 years after the Seven Years' War, and battlefield performance continued to decline throughout the rest of the century. The final humiliation came when the Prussians were soundly defeated by Napoleon at Jena in 1806.
