Which Prussian general reformed the army after the disaster at Jena?

The Prussian general who led the army reforms after the disaster at Jena was Gerhard von Scharnhorst. Prussia’s defeat by Napoleon at Jena and Auerstedt in October 1806 exposed the weakness of its rigid, outdated military system.

Scharnhorst became the central figure in a reform commission created to rebuild the Prussian army. Working with figures including August Neidhardt von Gneisenau and Hermann von Boyen, he promoted merit-based advancement, improved military administration, and reduced the army’s dependence on long-service professionals and foreign recruits.

His reforms also encouraged a broader reserve system and helped lay the foundations for the Landwehr, a citizen-based reserve force. Strict limits imposed by Napoleon slowed the process, and universal military service was not fully established during Scharnhorst’s lifetime. Even so, the reformed army later played a major role in Prussia’s revival during the Wars of Liberation.

Karl vom und zum Stein was a leading civilian reformer, not the general chiefly associated with army reconstruction. Blücher became a celebrated battlefield commander, while Yorck later helped turn Prussian forces against Napoleon.