Friedrich Wilhelm von Dossow
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Wilhelm von Dossow (17 December 1669 – 28 March 1758) was a Prussian
Generalfeldmarschall
and Governor
of Wesel
.
n nobility
first mentioned in 1330. The family's main possession was Cunow
near Stettin
and Greifenhagen
. Friedrich Wilhelm was the son of the district president, Richard Thomas von Dossow.
Dossow was married three times, although he did not have any children. Concerned about the welfare of soldiers' children, he opened free schools for them out of his own means.
; in 1688 he participated in the burial of Frederick William
, the "Great Elector". After attending the military college in Kolberg, Dossow joined Prince Alexander of Courland
's regiment in the Duchy of Prussia. After the regiment was strengthened with a detachment of troops from the Margraviate of Brandenburg
, it became known as the 'Regiment Kurland'. King Frederick I of Prussia
placed the regiment under the command of Emperor Leopold I
during the War of the Spanish Succession
.
Dossow participated in Hungary
against the Ottoman Turks
and against France
in the Rhineland
. When King Frederick William I
began his campaign to conquer Pomerania from Sweden
in 1715, Dossow held the rank of Major
. Later that year, Dossow was the Generaladjutant to Leopold I of Anhalt-Dessau
during the capture of Rügen
and siege of Stralsund
.
Frederick William and Leopold, the "Old Dessauer", entrusted Dossow with the creation and training of new regiments during an expansion of the Prussian Army
. Dossow was steadily promoted through the ranks: Oberst
in 1728, Generalmajor and commander in 1733, and Acting Governor of Wesel in the Duchy of Cleves
in 1739. During a visit to the duchy, King Frederick II
promoted Dossow to Generalleutnant.
Dossow remained in Wesel to protect the city during the First and Second Silesian Wars
. In 1742 he formally became Governor of Wesel and was awarded the Order of the Black Eagle
. After the Battle of Hohenfriedberg
, Frederick promoted Dossow to Generalfeldmarschal on 20 July 1745. As a special recognition for Dossow's service, in 1751 Frederick the Great awarded him a diamond-covered portrait of the king on a blue band. Dossow, Wilhelm Dietrich von Buddenbrock
, and Hans von Lehwaldt
were the only recipients of the special award.
When the Seven Years' War
began, Dossow did not participate on account of his advanced age. In January 1757 he retired to his estate of Gut Busekow, where he died the following year.
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...
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 Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
.
Family
Friedrich Wilhelm was a member of the von Dossow family (also Dossau and Dossen), old PomeraniaPomerania
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...
n nobility
German nobility
The German nobility was the elite hereditary ruling class or aristocratic class from ca. 500 B.C. to the Holy Roman Empire and what is now Germany.-Principles of German nobility:...
first mentioned in 1330. The family's main possession was Cunow
Kunowo
Kunowo may refer to the following places:*Kunowo, Gostyń County in Greater Poland Voivodeship *Kunowo, Piła County in Greater Poland Voivodeship *Kunowo, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship...
near Stettin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
and Greifenhagen
Gryfino
Gryfino is a town in Pomerania, northwestern Poland with 22,500 inhabitants . It is also the capital of Gryfino County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship , previously in Szczecin Voivodeship ....
. Friedrich Wilhelm was the son of the district president, Richard Thomas von Dossow.
Dossow was married three times, although he did not have any children. Concerned about the welfare of soldiers' children, he opened free schools for them out of his own means.
Military career
Dossow was educated at the Joachimsthalsches Gymnasium in BerlinBerlin
Berlin 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...
; in 1688 he participated in the burial of Frederick William
Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg
|align=right|Frederick William was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia – and thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia – from 1640 until his death. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he is popularly known as the "Great Elector" because of his military and political prowess...
, the "Great Elector". After attending the military college in Kolberg, Dossow joined Prince Alexander of Courland
Alexander of Courland
Alexander of Courland , nicknamed "Alexander the One-armed", was a Baltic German prince and the brother of Duke Frederick II Casimir of Courland. He was a member of the Kettler dynasty....
's regiment in the Duchy of Prussia. After the regiment was strengthened with a detachment of troops from the Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
, it became known as the 'Regiment Kurland'. King Frederick I of Prussia
Frederick I of Prussia
Frederick I , of the Hohenzollern dynasty, was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia in personal union . The latter function he upgraded to royalty, becoming the first King in Prussia . From 1707 he was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
placed the regiment under the command of Emperor Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
during the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
.
Dossow participated in Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
against the Ottoman Turks
Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers, then joined into a Holy League, during the second half of the 17th century.-1667–1683:...
and against France
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
in the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
. When King Frederick William I
Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of the House of Hohenzollern, was the King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death...
began his campaign to conquer Pomerania from Sweden
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
in 1715, Dossow held the rank of 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. ...
. Later that year, Dossow was the Generaladjutant to Leopold I 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...
during the capture of Rügen
Rügen
Rügen is Germany's largest island. Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.- Geography :Rügen is located off the north-eastern coast of Germany in the Baltic Sea...
and siege of Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
.
Frederick William and Leopold, the "Old Dessauer", entrusted Dossow with the creation and training of new regiments during an expansion of 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...
. Dossow was steadily promoted through the ranks: Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
in 1728, Generalmajor and commander in 1733, and Acting Governor of Wesel in the Duchy of Cleves
Duchy of Cleves
The Duchy of Cleves was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant in the west...
in 1739. During a visit to the duchy, King Frederick II
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...
promoted Dossow to Generalleutnant.
Dossow remained in Wesel to protect the city during the First and Second Silesian Wars
Silesian Wars
The Silesian Wars were a series of wars between Prussia and Austria for control of Silesia. They formed parts of the larger War of the Austrian Succession and Seven Years' War. They eventually ended with Silesia being incorporated into Prussia, and Austrian recognition of this...
. In 1742 he formally became Governor of Wesel and was awarded 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...
. After 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...
, Frederick promoted Dossow to Generalfeldmarschal on 20 July 1745. As a special recognition for Dossow's service, in 1751 Frederick the Great awarded him a diamond-covered portrait of the king on a blue band. Dossow, Wilhelm Dietrich von Buddenbrock
Wilhelm Dietrich von Buddenbrock
Wilhelm Dietrich Freiherr von Buddenbrock was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall and cavalry leader.-Biography:...
, and Hans von Lehwaldt
Hans von Lehwaldt
Hans von Lehwald , also known as Johann von Lehwald, was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall who participated in the Silesian Wars of Frederick the Great.-Life:...
were the only recipients of the special award.
When 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...
began, Dossow did not participate on account of his advanced age. In January 1757 he retired to his estate of Gut Busekow, where he died the following year.
Further reading
- Ernst Heinrich Kneschke, Neues allgemeines deutsches Adels-Lexicon. Band VI., LeipzigLeipzigLeipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
1856 - Carl Friedrich Pauly, Leben großer Helden des gegenwärtigen Krieges. - HalleHalle, Saxony-AnhaltHalle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
: Francke, 1759, Band II - Allgemeine Deutsche BiographieAllgemeine Deutsche BiographieAllgemeine Deutsche Biographie is one of the most important and most comprehensive biographical reference works in the German language....
, Bd. 5, S. 364-365