Prussian Garde Du
Corps Officer's Helmet
Raised in Potsdam in 1740 at the request of Frederick the
Great, the Prussian Garde de Corps was the personal guard of the king and after
1871, the Kaiser. The unit participated in a successful cavalry charge in the first land battle of the Seven Years’ War,
the Battle of Lobositz. Actions taken by the Prussians resulted in the defeat
of a 34,500 Austrian force on its way to relieve their Saxon allies held up in
city of Pirna. Two weeks after the Battle of Lobositz the Saxons at Pirna
surrendered. The combat record established during the Seven Years’ War
gave the Guard and other Prussian cavalry units a reputation known throughout
Europe which caused Napoleon Bonaparte to warn his men to stay away from
Prussian cavalry in 1806. The Guard would also participate in the
Austro-Prussian War and would see action in the battles of Skalitz,
Schweinschadel and Koniggratz. The King Wilhelm era helmet seen here is
of a lobstertail design that would be copied by other nations of the
period. The helmet has a finely detailed Imperial Eagle parade top and an
eight-pointed star plate. The eagle was only worn during special
occasions; otherwise the helmet had a spike.
