Napoleon and his armies were on the march. The world was set against him, but he had yet to suffer a single defeat. Three attempts had already been made to oust the revolutionaries from France and each time failed. Napoleon was reshaping Europe; he had crowned himself Emperor of France while simultaneously forcing the Holy Roman Empire to dissolve. From Prussia, we watched Bonaparte confederate of our fellow German states and knew he'd soon be coming for us next. We joined the Fourth Coalition, only to suffer devastating losses at Auerstedt. Napoleon marched forward and took Berlin. Prussia was forced into terms.
The Treaty of Tilsit forced us to reduce our army to only 42,000 men, saw us lose our western and eastern territories, and French troops occupied our lands. King Frederick William III realized that if things didn't change, our kingdom wouldn't last. In response to the defeat, the King began to impose radical new reforms. The serfdom was abolished, the officer corps was reopened to the middle class, and the most controversial reform was; that women were allowed into the soldiery. The wording of the treaty allowed for this subtle alternative, as they didn't count towards the 42,000 "men" stipulated. So, the Prussian Women's Infantry Regiment was formed.
Naturally, sending women to war was controversial amongst the more traditionalist members of society. It was felt by many that women had no place on the battlefield and they had no mind for strategy. Under this pretense, no woman would be allowed to hold an officer's rank and they would remain segregated from the rest of the army to prevent fraternizing. It quickly became an insult to be assigned to a women's battalion, but their inclusion in the army was necessary if we were to fight France again. By 1808, the regiment had nearly four thousand women in its ranks.
I had been promoted to Lieutenant, thanks to the military reforms. Unfortunately, my humble upbringing meant I was a perfect scapegoat to be assigned to an unpopular unit. I was given command of a section of the 2nd Battalion. During this interim period, I had to turn these women into a fighting force.
***
A training camp was formed in the countryside away from the prying eyes of our French occupiers. While we could get away with the enlistment of women, we didn't want Napoleon to know how many troops we were mustering. I had arrived far later than I had hoped. I briefly introduced myself to battalion command, before I quickly made my way to my section for inspection. But, upon my arrival I found the women lazing about mostly out of uniform.
"Attention!" I yelled grabbing the focus of my troop.
They jumped to their feet like startled birds, quickly standing at attention and saluting me. I was happy there was at least some discipline in them. I began to walk through the encampment eyeing them over. I noticed that most of the women still looked disheveled. Some were without boots, others didn't have the right insignia on their uniforms, and at least one had decided to go topless in the summer heat. I couldn't allow this sort of slovenly behavior. A single mistake could mean death.
"This is everyone, yes?"
"Sir!" the women shouted back.
"Very good. I am Lieutenant Reiner Heinz, I've been given command of you," I informed them. "Be dressed and ready for inspection in five minutes."
I watched as the women set off in the different directions, gathering their uniforms and muskets. As they did, I was able to survey the regiment and take it all in. It was strange to see women in uniform and carrying guns. To me, it didn't seem that soldiering was a woman's place. Nonetheless, I had no intention of treating them softly and would do my best to make them into a proper fighting force.
"Sir," a voice called from behind me.
I turned to see a woman saluting me. Her insignia showed she was a sergeant and she was the only one in proper uniform.
"Yes? How may I help you, soldier?" I asked her.
"Sergeant Erica Kindler, reporting for duty sir," the woman said.
"Glad to see at least one proper soldier. At ease," I told her.
She relaxed before looking up at me. "I apologize for the lack of discipline. These are newer recruits."
"They're still to be held accountable for the poor condition of this camp. So, I expect this camp to be immaculate by the end of the day. Now, please ensure that the rest of the troop looks presentable. I will handle any discipline required myself. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" Sgt. Kindler said.
I nodded my head, "Good, dismissed."
The Sergeant saluted and marched away, leaving my gaze back towards the women. They began to form a line outside their tents, now properly dressed and reorganized. I began to walk the line silently, inspecting each woman as they stood at attention. The army had given them proper uniforms, with Prussian blue jackets and gray breeches. I remember overhearing the remark, that if we were sending dolls to war, they may as well look pretty. Next to each woman was her musket, some stood nearly as tall as the woman holding it. Like the men of other regiments, these enlisted women came from the lower reaches of society. Most were former serfs or criminals, that had no choice but to serve. But, there were always a few like Kindler who saw what could be done with a little guidance and training.