Count Palatine William of Gelnhausen

Count Palatine William of Gelnhausen
Noble family House of Wittelsbach
Father John Charles, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen
Mother Esther Maria of Witzleben-Elgersburg
Born 4 January 1701
Gelnhausen
Died 25 December 1760 (aged 59)
The Hague

Count Palatine William of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen (4 January 1701 in Gelnhausen – 25 December 1760 in The Hague) was a titular Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and an Imperial Field Marshal.

Life

William was the youngest son of the Count Palatine John Charles of Gelnhausen (1638–1704) from his second marriage, Esther Maria (1665–1725), a daughter of George Frederick, Baron Witzleben of Elgersburg.

Wilhelm served from 1729 in the Austrian army and was wounded during the Battle of Mollwitz. In 1742, he won a victory against the French general Bouffleur and drove the French from Tein. In 1743, he became General of the Cavalry in the Dutch army. In 1754, he accompanied Emperor Francis I to his coronation in Frankfurt. In the same year, he became imperial field marshal. In 1757 he was appointed governor of Namur.

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