Prince August of Württemberg
Encyclopedia
Prince Friedrich August Eberhard of Württemberg, full German
name: Friedrich August Eberhard, Prinz von Württemberg (24 January 1813, Stuttgart
, Kingdom of Württemberg
– 12 January 1885, Ban de Teuffer, Zehdenick
, Province of Brandenburg
, Kingdom of Prussia
) was a Royal Prussian
Colonel General
of the Cavalry
with the rank of Generalfeldmarschall
and Kommandierender General of the Guards Corps for more than 20 years. August was a member of the House of Württemberg
and a Prince of Württemberg by birth.
, brother of William I of Württemberg
, and his wife Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
in 1831, August was promoted to Rittmeister
in the First Cavalry Regiment. In April 1831, August was granted permission by his uncle William I of Württemberg
to serve in the Prussian Army
.
In the Prussian Army, August was assigned initially to the Regiment
Gardes du Corps and a year later he was promoted to Major
. In 1836, August was further promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
and in 1838 to Colonel
. August served as a Commando
for four years in the Guards Cuirassiers
. In 1844, as Major General
, August assumed the leadership of the 1st Guards Cavalry Brigade and as early as 1850 he was promoted to Lieutenant General
. With a brief interruption of two years from 1854 to 1856, he commanded the 7th Division
in Magdeburg
, but remained loyal to the cavalry. In September 1857, August served as Commanding General of III Corps
, but changed as early as 3 June 1858 to the Commanding General for the Guards Corps. This position he held for 20 years.
In the Austro-Prussian War
of 1866, August belonged to the Army of Frederick, Crown Prince of Prussia
and commanded as a Cavalry General the Guard Corps in the victorious battles of Soor and Burkersdorf. The Battle of Königgrätz
on 3 July 1866 witnessed the of decisive occupation of Chlum by his units. However, a significant share of the Army's victories was under August's very able chief of staff
, Lieutenant Colonel von Dannenberg. After the campaign, William I of Prussia awarded August the Order of Pour le Mérite
, and appointed him chief of Posenschen Ulanen-Regiments Number 10 in Züllichau
that bore its name until its dissolution in 1919. In the Franco-Prussian War
, the Guard Corps participated in the Battle of Gravelotte
on 18 August 1870. The attack on the broad plain was made hastily and without supporting artillery fire. Even the subsequent envelopment of the enemy by the Royal Saxon Army
troops could not therefore be exploited. The Guard Corps, under the leadership of August, were assigned to Albert, Crown Prince of Saxony
, and even participated in the Battle of Sedan, and in part in the Siege of Paris
. Even in this campaign, the chief of staff Ferdinand von Dannenberg was appointed General.
After the war ended, August von Württemberg Commander of the Guard Corps was received by the Prussian king and awarded the Oak Leaves of the Pour le Mérite, and both classes of the Iron Cross
. On 2 September 1873, he was appointed Colonel General of the Cavalry with the rank of Field Marshal
. In the place of Field Marshal Friedrich Graf von Wrangel
, August was transferred in June 1878 to the Oberkommando der Marken and remained in this position for another four years. On 24 August 1882, he asked for his discharge from active duty, which was granted to him by making him a Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle
.
near Berlin, August died on 12 January 1885. His funeral was held four days later at Berlin's Garnisonkirche. He was transferred to Ludwigsburg Palace
where he was interred at the palace chapel. Fort August von Württemberg, one of the inner belt of fortifications of the Fortifications of Metz
, was named in his honor.
since 1830, August was one of the lords in the Württembergische Landstände, but never took part in their meetings. He was represented by other members of the chamber, most recently by Andreas Renner.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
name: Friedrich August Eberhard, Prinz von Württemberg (24 January 1813, Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Kingdom of Württemberg
Kingdom of Württemberg
The Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...
– 12 January 1885, Ban de Teuffer, Zehdenick
Zehdenick
Zehdenick is a town in the Oberhavel district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Havel, 26 km southeast of Fürstenberg/Havel, and 51 km north of Berlin .-Subdivision:Zehdenick includes the following villages:...
, Province of Brandenburg
Province of Brandenburg
The Province of Brandenburg was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:The first people who are known to have inhabited Brandenburg were the Suevi. They were succeeded by the Slavonians, whom Henry II conquered and converted to Christianity in...
, Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
) was a Royal Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
Colonel General
Colonel General
Colonel General is a senior rank of General. North Korea and Russia are two countries which have used the rank extensively throughout their histories...
of the Cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
with the rank of 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...
and Kommandierender General of the Guards Corps for more than 20 years. August was a member of the House of Württemberg
House of Württemberg
The Württemberg family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Württemberg. The House has its origins, according to recent research, probably in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty.-History:...
and a Prince of Württemberg by birth.
Family
August was the fifth and youngest child of Prince Paul of WürttembergPrince Paul of Württemberg
Prince Paul of Württemberg was a German prince and the fourth child and second son of Frederick I of Württemberg and Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.-Early life:...
, brother of William I of Württemberg
William I of Württemberg
William I was the second King of Württemberg from October 30, 1816 until his death.He was born in Lüben, the son of King Frederick I of Württemberg and his wife Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel .-First marriage:...
, and his wife Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
Military career
After 16 years of military service to the Kingdom of WürttembergKingdom of Württemberg
The Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...
in 1831, August was promoted to Rittmeister
Rittmeister
Rotamaster was the military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in charge of a squadron , the equivalent of O3 or Captain, in the German-speaking armies, Austro-Hungarian, Polish-Lithuanian, Russian and some other states.The exact name of this rank maintains a variety of spellings in different...
in the First Cavalry Regiment. In April 1831, August was granted permission by his uncle William I of Württemberg
William I of Württemberg
William I was the second King of Württemberg from October 30, 1816 until his death.He was born in Lüben, the son of King Frederick I of Württemberg and his wife Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel .-First marriage:...
to serve in the Prussian Army
Prussian 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 the Prussian Army, August was assigned initially to the Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
Gardes du Corps and a year later he was promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. In 1836, August was further promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and in 1838 to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. August served as a Commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
for four years in the Guards Cuirassiers
Guards Cuirassiers
The Guards Cuirassiers were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. Formed in 1815 as a Uhlans regiment, it was reorganized as a cuirassiers unit in 1821. The regiment was part of the Guards Cavalry Division and fought in the Second Schleswig War, the Austro-Prussian War, the...
. In 1844, as Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
, August assumed the leadership of the 1st Guards Cavalry Brigade and as early as 1850 he was promoted to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
. With a brief interruption of two years from 1854 to 1856, he commanded the 7th Division
7th Division (German Empire)
The 7th Division was a unit of the Prussian/German Army. It was formed in Magdeburg in November 1816 as a brigade and became a division on September 5, 1818. The division was subordinated in peacetime to the IV Army Corps . The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the...
in Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, but remained loyal to the cavalry. In September 1857, August served as Commanding General of III Corps
III Corps (German Empire)
The III Army Corps was a formation in the Imperial German Army. It was established in 1814 as the General Headquarters in Berlin and became the III Army Corps on April 3, 1820...
, but changed as early as 3 June 1858 to the Commanding General for the Guards Corps. This position he held for 20 years.
In the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
of 1866, August belonged to the Army of Frederick, Crown Prince of Prussia
Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888, the Year of the Three Emperors. Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor William I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service...
and commanded as a Cavalry General the Guard Corps in the victorious battles of Soor and Burkersdorf. The Battle of Königgrätz
Battle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz , also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire...
on 3 July 1866 witnessed the of decisive occupation of Chlum by his units. However, a significant share of the Army's victories was under August's very able chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
, Lieutenant Colonel von Dannenberg. After the campaign, William I of Prussia awarded August the Order of Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
, and appointed him chief of Posenschen Ulanen-Regiments Number 10 in Züllichau
Sulechów
Sulechów is a town in Poland, in Lubusz Voivodeship, in Zielona Góra County. It is the administrative seat of the Gmina Sulechów.-History:The area by 990 had been conquered by Duke Mieszko I of Poland and from 1138 was part of the Duchy of Silesia....
that bore its name until its dissolution in 1919. In the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, the Guard Corps participated in the Battle of Gravelotte
Battle of Gravelotte
The Battle of Gravelotte was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine between Metz and the former French–German frontier.-Terrain and armies:...
on 18 August 1870. The attack on the broad plain was made hastily and without supporting artillery fire. Even the subsequent envelopment of the enemy by the Royal Saxon Army
Royal Saxon Army
-Overview:The Royal Saxon Army was under the command of the Rulers of Saxony. With the formation of the Confederation of the Rhine by Napoleon the Royal Saxon Army joined the French "La Grande Armée" along with 37 other German states. The commander of the Royal Saxon Army at this time, was...
troops could not therefore be exploited. The Guard Corps, under the leadership of August, were assigned to Albert, Crown Prince of Saxony
Albert of Saxony
Albert of Saxony may refer to:* Albert of Saxony * Albert I, Duke of Saxony * Albert, Duke of Saxony * Prince Albert of Saxony, Duke of Teschen * Albert of Saxony...
, and even participated in the Battle of Sedan, and in part in the Siege of Paris
Siege of Paris
The Siege of Paris, lasting from September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871, and the consequent capture of the city by Prussian forces led to French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire as well as the Paris Commune....
. Even in this campaign, the chief of staff Ferdinand von Dannenberg was appointed General.
After the war ended, August von Württemberg Commander of the Guard Corps was received by the Prussian king and awarded the Oak Leaves of the Pour le Mérite, and both classes of the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
. On 2 September 1873, he was appointed Colonel General of the Cavalry with the rank of Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
. In the place of Field Marshal Friedrich Graf von Wrangel
Friedrich Graf von Wrangel
Friedrich Heinrich Ernst Graf von Wrangel was a Generalfeldmarschall of the Prussian Army. He was nicknamed Papa Wrangel....
, August was transferred in June 1878 to the Oberkommando der Marken and remained in this position for another four years. On 24 August 1882, he asked for his discharge from active duty, which was granted to him by making him a Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle
Order of the Black Eagle
The Order of the Black Eagle was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg . In his Dutch exile after WWI, deposed Emperor Wilhelm II continued to award the order to his family...
.
Death and legacy
During a hunting trip in ZehdenickZehdenick
Zehdenick is a town in the Oberhavel district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Havel, 26 km southeast of Fürstenberg/Havel, and 51 km north of Berlin .-Subdivision:Zehdenick includes the following villages:...
near Berlin, August died on 12 January 1885. His funeral was held four days later at Berlin's Garnisonkirche. He was transferred to Ludwigsburg Palace
Ludwigsburg Palace
Ludwigsburg Palace is a historical building in the city of Ludwigsburg , Germany. It is one of the country's largest Baroque palaces and features an enormous garden in that style....
where he was interred at the palace chapel. Fort August von Württemberg, one of the inner belt of fortifications of the Fortifications of Metz
Fortifications of Metz
The Fortifications of Metz, a city in northeastern France, are extensive, due to the city's strategic position near the border of France and Germany. After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the area was annexed by the newly created German Empire in 1871 by the Treaty of Frankfurt and became a...
, was named in his honor.
Württembergian Chamber of Lords
As a prince of the Royal House of WürttembergHouse of Württemberg
The Württemberg family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Württemberg. The House has its origins, according to recent research, probably in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty.-History:...
since 1830, August was one of the lords in the Württembergische Landstände, but never took part in their meetings. He was represented by other members of the chamber, most recently by Andreas Renner.
Marriage and issue
August married morganatically to Marie Bethge on 14 November 1868. August and Marie had one daughter:- Catharina Wilhelmine Helene Charlotte Auguste Hedwig von Wardenberg (BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
18 April 1865 – PotsdamPotsdamPotsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
25 September 1938)
- ∞ BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
2 October 1884, Dedo von Schneck (Mansfeld CastleMansfeld CastleMansfeld Castle is a castle in the Mansfelder Land of Saxony, Germany. The castle, which is surrounded by forest, stands on top of a large boulder overlooking the town of Mansfeld. The Late Gothic church of the castle, as well as the ruins, moats and the remains of the battlements from the time of...
11 February 1853 – WiesbadenWiesbadenWiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
28 April 1918)-
- Albrecht von Schenck (20 September 1885 – 10 June 1888)
- Eberhard von Schenck (born 15 Nov 1887)
- Freda von Schenck (21 March 1890 – 2 March 1946)
- Dedo von Schenck (23 July 1892 – 15 August 1892)
-
Titles and styles
- 24 January 1813 – 12 January 1885: His Royal Highness Prince August of Württemberg
Ancestry
Literature
- Wolfgang Hausen: Königlich Preußischer Generaloberst der Kavallerie mit dem Range eines Generalfeldmarschalls Prinz August von Württemberg. In: Deutsches Soldatenjahrbuch 1985; Schild Verlag, München 1985; ISBN 3-88014-082-0.