It sounds strange but the Germans played a catalytic role in the American Revolutionary War. The most paradoxical part of the case was that soldiers from tiny German states took part in the war on the side of the British, who "rented" entire battalions and regiments from the various German rulers.
The bulk of Britain's German allies came from the Hessian states of Kassel and Hessian Hanau. Many also came from Braunschweig and Hanover, which, however, was a possession of the British king and its troops belonged in a way to the British crown. The rest came from tiny German states.
The soldiers of Waldeck
The small principality of Waldeck was one of the German states that provided soldiers to the British under a special agreement. The Waldeck prince Friedrich Carl Augustus formed a "regiment", 684 strong, which was placed under British command and sent to America in 1776.
The battalion took part in the New York campaign and later came under German command attached to his division from General von Kniphausen's Hessian division. Later Waldeck's 3rd Regiment was sent to Florida in 1778 but did not fight together.
The British dispersed it into small groups and various garrisons, often leaving the Germans to their own devices against Americans, Indians and above all disease. Unaware that Spain has declared war on Britain the German divisions were surprised by a Spanish attack in Florida.
Many men were captured and those who survived were released in 1782. Of the 1,225 soldiers that the small principality sent to America in total, 720 were lost. Of these, 358 died of disease and only 37 were killed in battle.
Anzbach and Bayreuth
The small electorates of Anzbach and Bayreuth were another German state that leased its troops to Britain, providing the British with two battalions of infantry, a company of sharpshooters (Chasseurs) and artillery – a total of 1,644 men who took part in the New York campaign. Of these, 461 perished. The defrauded Elector Charles Alexander was paid £100,000 for the soldiers he hired but was still forced to sell his states to Prussia spending the rest of his life in England.
Anhalt Cherbst
Prince of Anhalt Czerbst Friedrich Augustus agreed with Britain to provide 1,160 of his men in 1777. A battalion of 600 men was sent to Quebec, Canada as a garrison. Another battalion of "Pandours" (light infantry) of about 500 men was sent to guard New York.
A total of around 30,000 German soldiers fought in America alongside the British. Of these, around 17,000 returned to Europe, while 1,200 were killed in battles and nearly 6,500 perished from disease and hardship. Instead, approximately 5,000 Germans chose to remain in the new state and became American citizens.
