Ladies and Gentlemen,
The reader of my manuscript on Scharnhorst noted that Friedrich Wilhelm III had a decade to prepare to ascend the throne in Prussia. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find any study about him that addresses his education and formative years in any detail. My reader asked: Was Friedrich Wilhelm III unapproachable? Did he make it extremely uncomfortable, even risky, to approach him with military advice in the form of mentoring? Was he teachable? In his superb study of Friedrich Wilhelm, Thomas Stamm-Kuhlmann never addresses these questions. Nor do any of the other sources I've consulted.
Would any of you know of a source or two that answers my reader's questions?
Thanks for your assistance. Take care and God bless!
Chuck White
Chuck, colonel, later general Backhoff played a crucial role in the military education of Friedrich Wilhelm III. Here an article by G. W. Raumer on Friedrich Wilhelm's youth: https://books.google.de/books?id=5H5XAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA1-PA1 , see for example the reports by Backhoff (dated 7th may 1782 and 12th april 1785) on pp. 32, 40. Backhoff's instruction by Friedrich II. (der Grosse) of 1781 is published in Priesdorff, No. 692. I believe, in general it was a typical education programme for a royal of the late 18th century, filled with many service details, but less "grand strategy".
For Friedrich Wilhelm's experiences in his first campaign (1792, France / Valmy) see Janson, König Friedrich Wilhelm III. in der Schlacht, pp. 13-41: https://archive.org/details/knigfriedrichwi00jansgoog
Best regards, Thomas