Hans von Lehwaldt
Encyclopedia
Hans von Lehwald (24 June 1685 – 16 November 1768), also known as Johann von Lehwald(t), was a Prussian
Generalfeldmarschall
who participated in the Silesian Wars
of Frederick the Great
.
n von der Trenck.
In 1699, Lehwaldt began his military service when he entered the battalion "Weiße Grenadier-Garde" (Nr. 18). He participated in the War of the Spanish Succession
since 1702 and experienced his trial by fire in the September siege of Venlo
. In spring 1704, his battalion fought in the Battle of Blenheim
, and Lehwaldt was promoted to Fähnrich
on 16 September. From 29 September – 6 October he participated in the siege of Hagenau.
King Frederick II of Prussia
awarded Lehwaldt the Pour le Mérite
in 1742 after the First Silesian War and the Order of the Black Eagle
on 4 February 1744. Lehwaldt defeated the Austrian forces of Georg Oliver von Wallis near Habelschwerdt on 14 February 1745, during the Second Silesian War. Lehwaldt was promoted to Generalfeldmarschall on 22 January 1751. Frederick the Great also awarded him a diamond-covered portrait of the king on a blue band. Wilhelm Dietrich von Buddenbrock
and Friedrich Wilhelm von Dossow
were the only other recipients of the medallion. As political tensions mounted in 1756, Frederick sent Lehwaldt, the commander in East Prussia, one hundred officers' patents to fill as he saw fit.
Lehwaldt was in charge of the East Prussian defense against the Russian Empire
upon the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
(1756–63). The Russian field marshal Apraxin tried to encircle the Prussians with his larger army, which Lehwaldt was able to avoid. Aparaxin began to march on Königsberg
, as his troops lacked supplies and suffered attrition. Lehwaldt's 30,000 troops intercepted 80,000 Russians at Gross Jägersdorf, with Lehwaldt losing 4,600 casualties and Apraxin 7,000. Although Lehwaldt withdrew his corps from the battle, the Russians were unable to follow upon the victory. Apraxin retreated from the province after hearing a false report that Empress Elizabeth of Russia had died. Von Lehwaldt then oversaw the Blockade of Stralsund
, keeping Swedish forces pinned down on the Baltic Sea
.
Because of his poor health, Lehwaldt was transferred to Berlin
, where he became governor of the city in 1759. Lehwaldt and Seydlitz
, both invalids, were unable to resist the capture and looting
of relatively defenseless Berlin and Potsdam
in October 1760 by 15,000 Austrians
, 18,000 Russians
, and 5,600 Cossacks. Lehwaldt died in Königsberg in 1768.
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...
who participated in the 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...
of Frederick the Great
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...
.
Life
Lehwaldt was born in Legitten near Labiau in the Duchy of Prussia. His mother Marie Esther came from an old Prussian family, the FreiherrFreiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
n von der Trenck.
In 1699, Lehwaldt began his military service when he entered the battalion "Weiße Grenadier-Garde" (Nr. 18). He participated in 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...
since 1702 and experienced his trial by fire in the September siege of Venlo
Venlo
Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,...
. In spring 1704, his battalion fought in the Battle of Blenheim
Battle of Blenheim
The Battle of Blenheim , fought on 13 August 1704, was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV of France sought to knock Emperor Leopold out of the war by seizing Vienna, the Habsburg capital, and gain a favourable peace settlement...
, and Lehwaldt was promoted to Fähnrich
Fähnrich
Fähnrich is a German and Austrian military rank in armed forces which translates as "Ensign" in English. The rank also exists in a few other European military organizations, often with historical ties to the German system. Examples are Sweden, Norway and Finland . The French Army has a similar...
on 16 September. From 29 September – 6 October he participated in the siege of Hagenau.
King Frederick II of Prussia
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...
awarded Lehwaldt the 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....
in 1742 after the First Silesian War and 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...
on 4 February 1744. Lehwaldt defeated the Austrian forces of Georg Oliver von Wallis near Habelschwerdt on 14 February 1745, during the Second Silesian War. Lehwaldt was promoted to Generalfeldmarschall on 22 January 1751. Frederick the Great also awarded him a diamond-covered portrait of the king on a blue band. Wilhelm Dietrich von Buddenbrock
Wilhelm Dietrich von Buddenbrock
Wilhelm Dietrich Freiherr von Buddenbrock was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall and cavalry leader.-Biography:...
and Friedrich Wilhelm von Dossow
Friedrich Wilhelm von Dossow
Friedrich Wilhelm von Dossow was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall and Governor of Wesel.-Family:Friedrich Wilhelm was a member of the von Dossow family , old Pomeranian nobility first mentioned in 1330. The family's main possession was Cunow near Stettin and Greifenhagen...
were the only other recipients of the medallion. As political tensions mounted in 1756, Frederick sent Lehwaldt, the commander in East Prussia, one hundred officers' patents to fill as he saw fit.
Lehwaldt was in charge of the East Prussian defense against the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
upon the outbreak of 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...
(1756–63). The Russian field marshal Apraxin tried to encircle the Prussians with his larger army, which Lehwaldt was able to avoid. Aparaxin began to march on Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
, as his troops lacked supplies and suffered attrition. Lehwaldt's 30,000 troops intercepted 80,000 Russians at Gross Jägersdorf, with Lehwaldt losing 4,600 casualties and Apraxin 7,000. Although Lehwaldt withdrew his corps from the battle, the Russians were unable to follow upon the victory. Apraxin retreated from the province after hearing a false report that Empress Elizabeth of Russia had died. Von Lehwaldt then oversaw the Blockade of Stralsund
Blockade of Stralsund
The Blockade of Stralsund occurred during the Seven Years War when a Prussian force invested the Swedish garrison of Stralsund, the capital of Swedish Pomerania. Rather than lay formal siege to the port, the Prussians cut it off by land and blockaded it...
, keeping Swedish forces pinned down on the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
.
Because of his poor health, Lehwaldt was transferred to Berlin
Berlin
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...
, where he became governor of the city in 1759. Lehwaldt and Seydlitz
Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz
Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Seydlitz was a Prussian soldier and one of the greatest German cavalry generals.-Early life:...
, both invalids, were unable to resist the capture and looting
Raid on Berlin
The Raid on Berlin took place in October 1760 during the Seven Years' War when Austrian and Russian forces occupied the Prussian capital of Berlin for several days. After raising money from the city, and with the approach of further Prussian reinforcements, the occupiers withdrew...
of relatively defenseless Berlin and Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam 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....
in October 1760 by 15,000 Austrians
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
, 18,000 Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, and 5,600 Cossacks. Lehwaldt died in Königsberg in 1768.
Further reading
- Joachim Engelmann und Günter Dorn: Friedrich der Große und seine Generale, Friedberg 1988.
- Bernhard von Poten: Lehwaldt, Hans von. In: Allgemeine Deutsche BiographieAllgemeine Deutsche BiographieAllgemeine Deutsche Biographie is one of the most important and most comprehensive biographical reference works in the German language....
(ADB). Bd. 18, S. 166–67.