ABSTRACT
The Treaties of Westphalia acknowledged the military sovereignty of the prince in his own land, and encouraged the notion of a standing army. It was the Hohenzollerns who revolutionized the legal and social position of the army officer and many states attempted to follow suit. Many of the estates fought a bitter struggle between the Treaties of Westphalia and the end of the century against accepting a standing army which must increase the personal power of the ruler. In some areas the estates managed to keep control of supplies and therefore determine the size of the army; in Prussia they were foiled by the dexterous policies of the Great Elector. In general German rulers were moved by ill considered notions of prestige to maintain forces which they and their states could ill afford, and the numerical ratio of soldiery to civilian population was much higher in Germany than in other European states.
