Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin von Steuben, also referred to as the Baron von Steuben, (September 17, 1730 November 28, 1794) Prussian aristocrat and military officer who served as inspector general and Major general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is credited with teaching the Continental Army the essentials of military drill and discipline, helping to guide it to victory. He wrote the Revolutionary War Drill Manual, the book that became the standard United States drill manual until the War of 1812, and served as General George Washington's chief of staff in the final years of the war.