Karl Friedrich von dem Knesebeck

Karl Friedrich von dem Knesebeck

Field Marshal von dem Knesebeck
Born (1768-05-05)5 May 1768
Karwe (Carwe) near Neuruppin, Prussia
Died 12 January 1848(1848-01-12) (aged 79)
Berlin, Prussia
Allegiance Kingdom of Prussia Prussia
Service/branch Army
Years of service 1782–1848
Rank Field Marshal
Unit Regiment von Kalkstein
Regiment Duke of Brunswick
Prussian General Staff
Feldjäger-Korps
Commands held Mounted Feldjäger Corps
Army of Occupation, Posen
Battles/wars

French Revolutionary Wars
Napoleonic Wars
Revolutions of 1830

Awards Pour le Mérite with Oak Leaves
Order of the Black Eagle
Iron Cross
Order of St. Andrew[1]
For others see Section below.

Karl Friedrich von dem Knesebeck (5 May 1768– 12 January 1848) was a Prussian field marshal and military adviser in the Napoleonic Wars.

Early life

Knesebeck was born on the family estate Karwe, close to Neuruppin in the Margraviate of Brandenburg, as the son of an officer who had served under King Frederick the Great in the Seven Years' War. Knesebeck entered military service in 1783, when he was commissioned into the Regiment of General von Kalckstein in Magdeburg. As he showed a keen interest in poetry, he soon made friends with the later famous authors and poets Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué and Heinrich von Kleist, who served with him during his early career. In 1787 he was posted to the Regiment of the Duke of Brunswick.

With this regiment Knesebeck came to Silesia in 1790. As a young lieutenant and writer, he became friends with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. During this time he was mentored by Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim, with whom he maintained a lengthy correspondence.

Wars against France

In the campaign of 1792-94, Knesebeck was noticed by the Duke of Brunswick for his ability and diligence; The duke ordered him to his staff in 1794, where he was promoted several times (1797 Premierlieutenant, 1799 Captain, 1802 Major).

In 1803, as adjutant to General von Rüchel and motivated by him, Knesebeck wrote a memorandum to the Duke of Brunswick as to the effect of the need of a Landwehr (militia), which he called "the Legion of Honour" of the Prussian state. This idea formed part of the later reorganisation of the Prussian Army by Gerhard von Scharnhorst.

In December 1803, Knesebeck was promoted to Quartermaster in the General Staff. With a mission for William I, Elector of Hesse, he began a series of diplomatic services for Prussia.

For most of the War of the Fourth Coalition in 1806, Knesebeck served with General Rüchel’s staff. In the Battle of Auerstedt, it was reportedly due to Knesebeck’s decisive cavalry action that King Frederick William III of Prussia evaded capture.

Knesebeck showed strategic abilities with the planning of the victorious Battle of Pułtusk on 26 December 1806. The King awarded him the Pour le Mérite [2] and promoted him to Lieutenant-Colonel on 16 May 1807.

Following the Treaties of Tilsit, Knesebeck was discharged from military service upon his own wish on 21 September 1807 and returned to his estates in Neuruppin and Tylsen. However, he was called back into service and received a secret order to observe enemy action in Austria and to report any opportunity for military action.

News of the Victory at Leipzig, Karl Friedrich is depicted immediately to the right of King Frederick William III

In 1812 Knesebeck received a new diplomatic task, the success of which later created the basis of the allies’ later victories against Napoleon in 1813. He received the official mission from the Prime Minister of Prussia, Hardenberg, to inform Tsar Alexander I of Russia that Napoleon would deem it necessary to invade Russia, should the tsar not lay down his arms. Simultaneously, he was secretly ordered by the King of Prussia to persuade the Russian Emperor into luring Napoleon into the wide extremities of his country and not to make peace until Napoleon’s Grande Armée had worn itself down. According to Knesebeck’s own writings, the tsar answered that he would not "make peace, even if I would have to retreat to Kazan".

On 6 March 1813 Knesebeck was promoted to Colonel and Adjutant-General to the king; in the same year he was promoted to Lieutenant-General. The war of the years 1813-1815 he largely experienced in the king’s headquarters, where he designed the campaign plan of the Battle of Leipzig and the subsequent invasion of France, for which he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Pour le Mérite, as well as the Russian Order of Saint Vladimir.

In 1815 Knesebeck married Adolphine Susanne Luise Karoline Johanna von Klitzing.

Knesebeck was again called to diplomatic services in 1815 to negotiate with Vienna to the effect of an Austrian participation in the Seventh Coalition. Later he accompanied the king to London and took part in the Congress of Vienna.

Post-War

Memorial on the wall of the Church in Neuruppin-Karwe

In 1822 Knesebeck became commander of the mounted Feldjäger Corps, while remaining Adjutant-General to the king. In 1823 King Frederick William III gave him the estate Huysburg,[3] in recognition of his services. Knesebeck was promoted to full General in 1825 and was appointed commander-in-chief of the army in the Grand Duchy of Posen. He received the Order of the Black Eagle in 1832 and the Order of St. Andrew in 1834, the highest awards of Prussia and Russia respectively.

On 7 October 1847 Knesebeck was offered a promotion to active field marshal by King Frederick William IV of Prussia, which he declined due to his advanced age. He requested his discharge from the army, which was granted him with a simultaneous promotion to field marshal. He died on 12 January 1848 in Berlin.

On the church in Neuruppin-Karwe hangs a memorial to Knesebeck, with the inscription:

"Carl Friedrich von dem Knesebeck, born in Carwe 1768, died in Berlin 1848. A Prussian field marshal, he fought for the honour of his King and Country in 17 battles and served to the glory of his fatherland from his 13th year until his death. Peace to his remains, honour to his memory."

Works

Honours

Literature

References

  1. ↑ A. von dem Knesebeck: Haus und Dorf Carwe in der Grafschaft Ruppin. Berlin 1865
  2. ↑ Persons awarded the Pour le Mérite
  3. ↑ German Huysburg Website
  4. ↑  Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920). "Knesebeck, Karl Friedrich von dem". Encyclopedia Americana.
Titles of nobility
Preceded by
Friedrich Wilhelm Leopold		 Baron von dem Knesebeck
(in Prussia)
– 		Succeeded by
Alfred Cuno Paridam
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