Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher
Prussian field marshal (1742–1819) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Gebhard Leberecht von[lower-alpha 1] Blücher, Fürst[lower-alpha 2] von Wahlstatt (German pronunciation: [ˈɡɛphaʁt ˈleːbəʁɛçt fɔn ˈblʏçɐ]; 21 December 1742 – 12 September 1819), Graf (count), later elevated to Fürst (sovereign prince) von Wahlstatt, was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall (field marshal). He earned his greatest recognition after leading his army against Napoleon I at the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813 and the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher Prince of Wahlstatt | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Marschall Vorwärts (Marshal Forwards) |
Born | (1742-12-21)21 December 1742 Rostock, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Holy Roman Empire |
Died | 12 September 1819(1819-09-12) (aged 76) Krieblowitz, Province of Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Confederation (present-day Krobielowice, Lower Silesia Voivodeship, Poland) |
Allegiance | Sweden Prussia |
Service/ | Prussian Army |
Years of service | 1758–1815 |
Rank | Generalfeldmarschall |
Battles/wars | Seven Years' War
Prussian invasion of Holland |
Awards | Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross Pour le Mérite Grand Cross of the Iron Cross Order of St. George Military Order of William Military Order of Maria Theresa |
Spouse(s) | Karoline Amalie von Mehling
(m. 1773; died 1791)Katharine Amalie von Colomb
(m. 1795) |
Children | 7 |
Signature | |
Blücher was born in Rostock, the son of a retired army captain. His military career began in 1758 as a hussar in the Swedish Army. He was captured by the Prussians in 1760 during the Pomeranian Campaign and thereafter joined the Prussian Army, serving as a hussar officer for Prussia during the remainder of the Seven Years' War. In 1773, Blücher was forced to resign by Frederick the Great for insubordination. He worked as a farmer until the death of Frederick in 1786, when Blücher was reinstated and promoted to colonel. For his success in the French Revolutionary Wars, Blücher became a major general in 1794. He became a lieutenant general in 1801 and commanded the cavalry corps during the Napoleonic Wars in 1806.
War broke out between Prussia and France again in 1813 and Blücher returned to active service at the age of 71. He became a leading hero of the Germans in the struggle to end foreign domination of their lands. He was appointed full general over the Prussian field forces and clashed with Napoleon at the Battles of Lützen and Bautzen. Later he won a critical victory over the French at the Battle of Katzbach. Blücher commanded the Prussian Army of Silesia at the Battle of the Nations where Napoleon was decisively defeated. For his role, Blücher was made a field marshal and received his title of Prince of Wahlstatt. After Napoleon's return in 1815, Blücher took command of the Prussian Army of the Lower Rhine and coordinated his force with that of the British and Allied forces under the Duke of Wellington. At the Battle of Ligny, he was severely injured and the Prussians retreated. After recovering, Blücher resumed command and joined Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo, with the intervention of Blücher's army playing a decisive role in the final allied victory.
Blücher was made an honorary citizen of Berlin, Hamburg and Rostock. Known for his fiery personality, he was nicknamed Marschall Vorwärts ("Marshal Forward") by his soldiers because of his aggressive approach in warfare.[1] Along with Paul von Hindenburg, he was the most highly decorated Prussian-German soldier in history: Blücher and Hindenburg are the only Prussian-German military officers to have been awarded the Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. A statue once stood in the square that bore his name, Blücherplatz, in Breslau (today Wrocław).[2]