Moritz of Anhalt-Dessau
Encyclopedia
Maurice of Anhalt-Dessau (b. Dessau
, 31 October 1712 - d. Dessau, 11 April 1760), was a German prince of the House of Ascania from the Anhalt-Dessau
branch. He was also a Prussia
n soldier and Generalfeldmarschall
.
Maurice was the fifth son of Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
, by his morganatic wife Anna Louise Föse.
in 1725, and saw his first service as a volunteer in the War of the Polish Succession
(1734-35). In the later years of the reign of Frederick William I of Prussia, he held important commands. In the Silesian wars of Frederick the Great
, Maurice, the ablest of the old Leopold's sons, greatly distinguished himself, especially at the Battle of Hohenfriedberg
in 1745.
At Kesselsdorf
it was the wing led by the young Maurice that carried the Austrian lines and won his father Leopold's last campaign. In the years of peace preceding the Seven Years' War
, Moritz was employed by Frederick the Great in the colonization of the wastelands of Pomerania
and the Oder
Valley. When the king took the field again in 1756, Maurice was in command of one of the columns which hemmed in the Saxon army in the lines of Pirna, and he received the surrender of Rutowski's force after the failure of the Austrian attempts at relief.
During the next year Maurice suffered a change in his fortunes. At the Battle of Kolin
he led the left wing, which, through a misunderstanding with the King, was prematurely drawn into action and failed hopelessly. In the disastrous days that followed, Maurice was subject to Frederick's displeasure. But the glorious Victory of Leuthen
on December 5, 1757, put an end to this. At the close of that day, Frederick rode down the lines and called out to General Prince Maurice, "I congratulate you, Herr Feldmarschall!" At Zorndorf
he again distinguished himself, but at the surprise of Hochkirch
he fell wounded into the hands of the Austria
ns. Maurice suffered blood poisoning from the wound and succumbed soon after his release from captivity.
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
, 31 October 1712 - d. Dessau, 11 April 1760), was a German prince of the House of Ascania from the Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau was a principality and later a duchy located in Germany. It was created in 1396 following the partition of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst. The capital of the state was Dessau. Anhalt-Dessau experienced a number of partitions throughout its existence with Anhalt-Köthen being...
branch. He was also a Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n soldier and Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
.
Maurice was the fifth son of Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau. He was also a Generalfeldmarschall in the Prussian army...
, by his morganatic wife Anna Louise Föse.
Life
Maurice entered the Prussian armyPrussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War...
in 1725, and saw his first service as a volunteer in the War of the Polish Succession
War of the Polish Succession
The War of the Polish Succession was a major European war for princes' possessions sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II, King of Poland that other European powers widened in pursuit of their own national interests...
(1734-35). In the later years of the reign of Frederick William I of Prussia, he held important commands. In the Silesian wars of Frederick the Great
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
, Maurice, the ablest of the old Leopold's sons, greatly distinguished himself, especially at the Battle of Hohenfriedberg
Battle of Hohenfriedberg
The Battle of Hohenfriedberg or Hohenfriedeberg, also known as the battle of Striegau, now Dobromierz, was one of the crowning achievements of Frederick the Great...
in 1745.
At Kesselsdorf
Battle of Kesselsdorf
The Battle of Kesselsdorf was fought on December 15, 1745, between Prussia and the combined forces of Austria and Saxony during the part of the War of the Austrian Succession known as the Second Silesian War. The Prussians were led by Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, while the Austrians and...
it was the wing led by the young Maurice that carried the Austrian lines and won his father Leopold's last campaign. In the years of peace preceding the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, Moritz was employed by Frederick the Great in the colonization of the wastelands of Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
and the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
Valley. When the king took the field again in 1756, Maurice was in command of one of the columns which hemmed in the Saxon army in the lines of Pirna, and he received the surrender of Rutowski's force after the failure of the Austrian attempts at relief.
During the next year Maurice suffered a change in his fortunes. At the Battle of Kolin
Battle of Kolin
-Results:The battle was Frederick's first defeat in this war. This disaster forced him to abandon his intended march on Vienna, raise his siege of Prague, and fall back on Litoměřice...
he led the left wing, which, through a misunderstanding with the King, was prematurely drawn into action and failed hopelessly. In the disastrous days that followed, Maurice was subject to Frederick's displeasure. But the glorious Victory of Leuthen
Battle of Leuthen
In the Battle of Leuthen or Lissa, fought on 5 December 1757, Frederick the Great's Prussian army used maneuver and terrain to decisively defeat a much larger Austrian army under Charles of Lorraine, thus ensuring Prussian control of Silesia during the Seven Years' War.- Background :While Frederick...
on December 5, 1757, put an end to this. At the close of that day, Frederick rode down the lines and called out to General Prince Maurice, "I congratulate you, Herr Feldmarschall!" At Zorndorf
Battle of Zorndorf
The Battle of Zorndorf was a battle fought on August 25, 1758 during the Seven Years' War, fought between the forces of the Russians troops under the command of Count William Fermor – and a Prussian army under King Frederick the Great...
he again distinguished himself, but at the surprise of Hochkirch
Battle of Hochkirch
The Battle of Hochkirch was a battle fought on October 14, 1758 during the Seven Years' War between a Prussian army of 30,000-36,000 commanded by Frederick the Great and an Austrian army of 80,000 commanded by Marshal Leopold Josef Graf Daun...
he fell wounded into the hands of the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
ns. Maurice suffered blood poisoning from the wound and succumbed soon after his release from captivity.