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Show Prussian Guard Long Famous. The history of the Prussian Guard, cream of Germany's fighting men, which was smashed by the headlong attack of American troops at the Second Sec-ond Battle of the ilarne, dates back to the latter part of the Seventeenth Century, when men believed in the divine rights of kings, and the troops of the guard could be depended on to protect the sacred body of their sovereign sov-ereign when all other supporters fell away. The Prussian Guard was once a company of archers, known as the Trabant Guards. It was transformed into a real fighting force by Frederick William I. Drill with him was a ruling passion and he lavished much attention atten-tion on his guard ; scouring Europe for giants, as no man under six feet in height could enter his pet regiment. This requirement was abolished by Frederick the Great, who cared only for fighting ability. The stirring example ex-ample of Napoleon's Imperial Guard caused the Prussian organization to be Increased in size, and it now comprises a complete army corps. Into its ranks go the cream of each year's class of Prussian recruits. |