Karl Eberhard Herwarth von Bittenfeld
Encyclopedia
Karl Eberhard Herwarth von Bittenfeld (4 September 1796 – 2 September 1884) was a Prussian
field marshal (German: Generalfeldmarschall
).
, into an aristocratic family which had supplied many distinguished officers to the Prussian army
.
Herwarth von Bittenfeld entered the infantry with the 2nd Guards Regiment in 1811 and served through the War of Liberation (1813–15) of the Napoleonic Wars
, distinguishing himself at Lützen
and Paris
. During the years of peace he rose slowly to high command. In the Berlin revolution of 1848
, he was on duty at the royal palace as colonel of the 1st Guards. Major-general (German: Generalmajor) in 1852, and lieutenant-general (German: Generalleutnant) in 1856, he received the grade of general of infantry and the command of the VII (Westphalian
) Army Corps in 1860.
In the Second Schleswig War in 1864, Herwarth von Bittenfeld succeeded to the command of the Prussians when Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
became commander-in-chief of the allies, and it was under his leadership that the Prussians forced the passage into Als following the victory over General Steinmann on June 29, ending the war soon after. Bittenfeld was appointed commander of the VIII Corps that autumn. On June 29 he also received the Pour le Mérite (military class) order.
In the Austro-Prussian War
, Herwarth commanded the Army of the Elbe which overran Saxony
and invaded Bohemia
by the valley of the Elbe
. His troops won the actions of Hühnerwasser
and Münchengrätz
, and at Königgrätz
formed the right wing of the Prussian army. Herwarth himself directed the battle against the Austrian
left flank.
Returning to command of the VIII Corps after the war, Herwarth von Bittenfeld became a member of the Reichstag
of the North German Confederation
from 1867 until 1870. He would continue to plan the defense of western Germany against a possible French offensive until July 1870.
In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War
, Herwarth von Bittenfeld was not employed in the field, but was in charge of the scarcely less important business of organizing and forwarding all the reserves and material required for the armies in France
and later overseeing prisoner of war camps when the threat of French invasion was eliminated. In 1871 his great services were recognized by promotion to the rank of field-marshal. The rest of his life was spent in retirement at Bonn
, where he died in 1884. Since 1889 the 13th (1st Westphalian) Infantry carried his name.
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...
field marshal (German: 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...
).
Biography
Herwarth von Bittenfeld was born in Werther, ThuringiaWerther, Thuringia
Werther is a municipality in the district of Nordhausen, in Thuringia, Germany....
, into an aristocratic family which had supplied many distinguished officers to 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...
.
Herwarth von Bittenfeld entered the infantry with the 2nd Guards Regiment in 1811 and served through the War of Liberation (1813–15) of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, distinguishing himself at Lützen
Battle of Lützen (1813)
In the Battle of Lützen , Napoleon I of France lured a combined Prussian and Russian force into a trap, halting the advances of the Sixth Coalition after his devastating losses in Russia. The Russian commander, Prince Peter Wittgenstein, attempting to undo Napoleon's capture of Leipzig, attacked...
and Paris
Battle of Paris (1814)
The Battle of Paris was fought during the Napoleonic Wars in 1814. The French defeat led directly to the abdication of Napoleon I.-Background:...
. During the years of peace he rose slowly to high command. In the Berlin revolution of 1848
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, also called the March Revolution – part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many countries of Europe – were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire...
, he was on duty at the royal palace as colonel of the 1st Guards. Major-general (German: Generalmajor) in 1852, and lieutenant-general (German: Generalleutnant) in 1856, he received the grade of general of infantry and the command of the VII (Westphalian
Province of Westphalia
The Province of Westphalia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Kingdom of Westphalia, which was a client state of the First French Empire from 1807 to 1813...
) Army Corps in 1860.
In the Second Schleswig War in 1864, Herwarth von Bittenfeld succeeded to the command of the Prussians when Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
Prince Friedrich Carl Nicolaus of Prussia was the son of Prince Charles of Prussia and his wife Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach . Prince Frederick Charles was a grandson of King Frederick William III of Prussia and a nephew of Frederick William IV and William I...
became commander-in-chief of the allies, and it was under his leadership that the Prussians forced the passage into Als following the victory over General Steinmann on June 29, ending the war soon after. Bittenfeld was appointed commander of the VIII Corps that autumn. On June 29 he also received the Pour le Mérite (military class) order.
In the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
, Herwarth commanded the Army of the Elbe which overran Saxony
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
and invaded Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
by the valley of the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
. His troops won the actions of Hühnerwasser
Battle of Hühnerwasser
The Battle of Hühnerwasser was a minor engagement during the Austro-Prussian War. It was the first engagement in the opening days of the Königgratz campaign, fought in Bohemia on June 26, 1866...
and Münchengrätz
Battle of Münchengrätz
The Battle of Münchengrätz was fought on June 28, 1866 during the Austro-Prussian War. It ended in an Prussians victory over the Austrian Empire.- References :...
, and at Königgrätz
Battle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz , also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire...
formed the right wing of the Prussian army. Herwarth himself directed the battle against the Austrian
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
left flank.
Returning to command of the VIII Corps after the war, Herwarth von Bittenfeld became a member of the Reichstag
Reichstag (German Empire)
The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....
of the North German Confederation
North German Confederation
The North German Confederation 1866–71, was a federation of 22 independent states of northern Germany. It was formed by a constitution accepted by the member states in 1867 and controlled military and foreign policy. It included the new Reichstag, a parliament elected by universal manhood...
from 1867 until 1870. He would continue to plan the defense of western Germany against a possible French offensive until July 1870.
In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, Herwarth von Bittenfeld was not employed in the field, but was in charge of the scarcely less important business of organizing and forwarding all the reserves and material required for the armies in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and later overseeing prisoner of war camps when the threat of French invasion was eliminated. In 1871 his great services were recognized by promotion to the rank of field-marshal. The rest of his life was spent in retirement at Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, where he died in 1884. Since 1889 the 13th (1st Westphalian) Infantry carried his name.