Bourscheid - Tactique et Manoeuvres de Guerre - 1780

War as a science of armies: the Prussian dream of ruling the world
The Great Tactics and War Maneuvers by Johann Wilhelm von Bourscheid is one of the most ambitious 18th-century syntheses of Prussian military doctrine, built on principles attributed to Frederick II of Prussia and intended for officers called to think of war as a rational science. The work does not merely describe exercises or formations but proposes a true grammar of the battlefield, where movements, marches, and battles are analyzed, broken down, and reassembled according to criteria of order, precision, and control. The large folded plates, of extraordinary clarity, visually translate tactical thinking, making the volume a practical tool as well as a theoretical one.
Market value
In the European antique market, complete specimens of the twelve large folded plates and the additional table generally range from 200 to 500 euros, with higher valuations for copies in good contemporary binding and with fresh, untrimmed plates.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Contemporary binding in marbled calf, with gold title within a headband at the spine; minor defects and signs of use. Volume composed of two parts in a single volume. Woodcut vignette on the title page. Illustrated with 12 large engraved plates folded and one folded table, pages with some tears. In old books, with a centuries-old history, some imperfections may be present that are not always noted in the description. Pp. (4); 48; 8nn; 116; 6nn; 70; 16nn; (4).

Full title and author
Great Tactics and War Maneuvers, following the principles of His Prussian Majesty.
Paris, at Veuve Tilliard & Fils, Mérigot the younger, Alexandre Jombert the younger, 1780.
Johann Wilhelm von Bourscheid

Context and Significance
The work was created at a time when the Prussian army was considered the most advanced model in Europe. The reflection on discipline, troop order, and standardization of movements responds to the need to transform war into a predictable and controllable process. In this sense, the Grande Tactique anticipates the 19th-century military treatise and helps spread the myth of Prussian superiority based not on numbers, but on organization and rationality.

Biography of the Author
Johann Wilhelm von Bourscheid was a military officer and theorist active in the second half of the 18th century. Connected to the Prussian environment, he dedicated himself to systematizing tactical practices and developing manuals for officer training, contributing to the international dissemination of Frederick II's military model.

Printing history and circulation
The double editorial indication Potsdam–Paris reflects a European dissemination strategy of the text, aimed at both the Prussian military audience and the educated French circles. The plates, often missing in the surviving copies, constitute the most delicate and sought-after element of the work, testifying to the practical use for which the volume was intended.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Monglond, A., Revolutionary France and Europe.
Quimby, R. S., The Background of Napoleonic Warfare.
Brunet, J.-C., Manual for booksellers and book lovers.