Karl Wilhelm von Willisen
Encyclopedia
Karl Wilhelm Freiherr von Willisen (30 April 1790 – 25 February 1879) was a Prussia
n general.
as the third son of the mayor of Staßfurt, Karl Wilhelm Hermann von Willisen (1751–1807) and his wife Friederike von Trotha (1768–1826).
Regiment No 21 "Duke of Brunswik" in 1804. He was seriously wounded in the Battle of Auerstedt
and left the Prussian Army
after the Treaty of Tilsit
in 1807. He studied at the University of Halle
and joined the Freikorps Schill
in 1809 in the struggle against Napoleon
, the same year he joined the Austrian Army and fought in the rank of a lieutenant in the Battle of Wagram
.
After the Peace of Schönbrunn Willisen took vacation from the Austrian Army but did not return into service. He lived in Teutschenthal
near Halle (Saale), where he was captured as a deserter in 1811 and imprisoned at Kassel
. He escaped out of prison and returned into Prussian service after his official release out of Austrian service. Willisen fought in the Napoleonic battles of 1813/14 as a member of the staff of the Prussian “Silesian Army” and became a captain in Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher
’s staff in 1815. He remained in the Prussian generalstaff after Napoleon’s defeat and became a teacher of “Art of War” and “History of War” at the Prussian Military Academy
. He published several books and opposed the views of Carl von Clausewitz
. About 1830 Willisen also criticized the Russian warfare in the Napoleonic wars and showed his sympathy towards the Polish Uprisings
in Congress Poland
and the democratic movement in general.
Willisen was redeployed to the staff of the III. Army-Korps under the command of Prince William of Prussia, the later German Emperor Wilhelm I., in Breslau and as a Chief of Staff to the V. Army-Korps under General Karl von Grolman in Posen
in 1832.
In 1843 Willisen became the Commander of a Brigade in Breslau and was the candidate of the liberals for the position of the Prussian war minister in 1848.
received an audience by the Prussian King
and on their demand Willisen was appointed as the King’s special envoy (Ziviler Königlichen Kommissar für die Provinz Posen) for the planned reorganisation of the Province. He arrived in Posen
on 5 April 1848 and soon came into conflict with the German inhabitants of the area and the military commander of Posen, Friedrich August Peter von Colomb
, as his position was considered as too polonophile.
On 11 April he concluded the convention of Jarosławiec, by which the Polish forces under the command of Ludwik Mierosławski were acknowledged but reduced to a size of 3,000 located in different camps and a Polish administration was to be established. Willisen's compromise failed, the King did accept the conditions negotiated with the Poles providing for the Duchy's national reorganization, but he simultaneously excluded several western and northern counties from consideration. The convention was largely criticized by the German public and Willisen had to leave Posen again on 20 April 1848, avoiding to pass centers of the German Population, now "exposed to personal insult, nay even danger, from the infuriated German and Jewish mobs of Posen”, soon after he was dismissed and replaced by Ernst von Pfuel
. Willisen later had to justify his actions in his book "Akten und Bemerkungen über meine Sendung nach dem Grossherzogthum Posen"
Afterwards Willisen was sent on diplomatic missions to Paris
, Croatia
and Italy
, where he was attached as a military observer to Radetzky
’s Army in the First Italian War of Independence
.
in the First Schleswig War in April 1850.
Willisen commanded the Schleswig-Holstein
troops in the Battle of Idstedt and the attack on Friedrichstadt
. After the defeat of his troops Willisen resigned and lived in Paris (France
), Silesia
and finally Dessau
, where he died on 25 February 1879.
. Willisen had no children.
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n general.
Biography
Willisen was born in StaßfurtStaßfurt
Staßfurt is a town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on both sides of the river Bode, approximately northeast of Aschersleben, and south of Magdeburg. Pop. 23,538....
as the third son of the mayor of Staßfurt, Karl Wilhelm Hermann von Willisen (1751–1807) and his wife Friederike von Trotha (1768–1826).
Early career
Willisen was educated in the Prussian Cadet Corps and joined the Prussian InfantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Regiment No 21 "Duke of Brunswik" in 1804. He was seriously wounded in the Battle of Auerstedt
Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt were fought on 14 October 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale in today's Germany, between the forces of Napoleon I of France and Frederick William III of Prussia...
and left 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...
after the Treaty of Tilsit
Treaties of Tilsit
The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by Napoleon I of France in the town of Tilsit in July, 1807 in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland. The first was signed on 7 July, between Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Napoleon I of France, when they met on a raft in the middle of the Neman...
in 1807. He studied at the University of Halle
University of Halle-Wittenberg
The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg , also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg within Saxony-Anhalt, Germany...
and joined the Freikorps Schill
Ferdinand von Schill
Ferdinand Baptista von Schill was a Prussian officer who revolted unsuccessfully against French domination in May 1809.-Life:...
in 1809 in the struggle against Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, the same year he joined the Austrian Army and fought in the rank of a lieutenant in the Battle of Wagram
Battle of Wagram
The Battle of Wagram was the decisive military engagement of the War of the Fifth Coalition. It took place on the Marchfeld plain, on the north bank of the Danube. An important site of the battle was the village of Deutsch-Wagram, 10 kilometres northeast of Vienna, which would give its name to the...
.
After the Peace of Schönbrunn Willisen took vacation from the Austrian Army but did not return into service. He lived in Teutschenthal
Teutschenthal
Teutschenthal is a municipality in the Saalekreis district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany....
near Halle (Saale), where he was captured as a deserter in 1811 and imprisoned at Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
. He escaped out of prison and returned into Prussian service after his official release out of Austrian service. Willisen fought in the Napoleonic battles of 1813/14 as a member of the staff of the Prussian “Silesian Army” and became a captain in Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Fürst von Wahlstatt , Graf , later elevated to Fürst von Wahlstatt, was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall who led his army against Napoleon I at the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813 and at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 with the Duke of Wellington.He is...
’s staff in 1815. He remained in the Prussian generalstaff after Napoleon’s defeat and became a teacher of “Art of War” and “History of War” at the Prussian Military Academy
Preußische Kriegsakademie
The Prussian Military Academy or Prussian War Academy was the military academy and staff college of the Kingdom of Prussia. Founded by Gerhard von Scharnhorst in Berlin on October 15, 1810, it was restructured after World War I and dissolved following World War II...
. He published several books and opposed the views of Carl von Clausewitz
Carl von Clausewitz
Carl Philipp Gottfried von Clausewitz was a Prussian soldier and German military theorist who stressed the moral and political aspects of war...
. About 1830 Willisen also criticized the Russian warfare in the Napoleonic wars and showed his sympathy towards the Polish Uprisings
November Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
in Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
and the democratic movement in general.
Willisen was redeployed to the staff of the III. Army-Korps under the command of Prince William of Prussia, the later German Emperor Wilhelm I., in Breslau and as a Chief of Staff to the V. Army-Korps under General Karl von Grolman in Posen
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
in 1832.
In 1843 Willisen became the Commander of a Brigade in Breslau and was the candidate of the liberals for the position of the Prussian war minister in 1848.
Greater Poland Uprising
Throughout the Spring of Nations in 1848 a Polish Uprising occurred in the Prussian Grand Duchy of Posen. A delegation of the Polish National CommitteePolish National Committee
Polish National Committee can refer to several Polish organizations:Historical:*Polish National Committee in Paris*Polish National Committee during the Spring of Nations...
received an audience by the Prussian King
Frederick William IV of Prussia
|align=right|Upon his accession, he toned down the reactionary policies enacted by his father, easing press censorship and promising to enact a constitution at some point, but he refused to enact a popular legislative assembly, preferring to work with the aristocracy through "united committees" of...
and on their demand Willisen was appointed as the King’s special envoy (Ziviler Königlichen Kommissar für die Provinz Posen) for the planned reorganisation of the Province. He arrived in Posen
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
on 5 April 1848 and soon came into conflict with the German inhabitants of the area and the military commander of Posen, Friedrich August Peter von Colomb
Friedrich August Peter von Colomb
Friedrich August Peter von Colomb was a Prussian general.-Biography:Colomb was born in Aurich, Eastern Frisia as a son of the highranking Prussian public official Pierre Colomb...
, as his position was considered as too polonophile.
On 11 April he concluded the convention of Jarosławiec, by which the Polish forces under the command of Ludwik Mierosławski were acknowledged but reduced to a size of 3,000 located in different camps and a Polish administration was to be established. Willisen's compromise failed, the King did accept the conditions negotiated with the Poles providing for the Duchy's national reorganization, but he simultaneously excluded several western and northern counties from consideration. The convention was largely criticized by the German public and Willisen had to leave Posen again on 20 April 1848, avoiding to pass centers of the German Population, now "exposed to personal insult, nay even danger, from the infuriated German and Jewish mobs of Posen”, soon after he was dismissed and replaced by Ernst von Pfuel
Ernst von Pfuel
Ernst Heinrich Adolf von Pfuel was a Prussian general.Pfuel was born in Jahnsfelde , Brandenburg. He served as commander of the Prussian sector of Paris from 1814-1815 during the Napoleonic Wars...
. Willisen later had to justify his actions in his book "Akten und Bemerkungen über meine Sendung nach dem Grossherzogthum Posen"
Afterwards Willisen was sent on diplomatic missions to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where he was attached as a military observer to Radetzky
Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Johann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz was a Czech nobleman and Austrian general, immortalised by Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March...
’s Army in the First Italian War of Independence
First Italian War of Independence
The First Italian War of Independence was fought in 1848 between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Austrian Empire. The war saw main battles at Custoza and Novara in which the Austrians under Radetzky managed to defeat the Piedmontese....
.
Schleswig-Holstein War
In 1849 he tendered his resignation out of Prussian service and became the Supreme commander of the forces of the German ConfederationGerman Confederation
The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...
in the First Schleswig War in April 1850.
Willisen commanded the Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
troops in the Battle of Idstedt and the attack on Friedrichstadt
Friedrichstadt
Friedrichstadt is a town in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the river Eider approx. 12 km south of Husum. It was founded in 1621 by Dutch settlers...
. After the defeat of his troops Willisen resigned and lived in Paris (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...
), Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
and finally Dessau
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
, where he died on 25 February 1879.
Promotions and Awards
|
Iron Cross The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem.... 2. class Iron Cross The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem.... 1. class Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements... 4. class Order of St. Anna The Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia... (Russian) Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements... 3. class with ribbon Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements... 2. class with oakleaves |
Personal life
Willisen married Emilie von Brause (1804–1849) on 28 November 1829 in Berlin and after the death of his first wife he married Editha von Caprivi (1843–1873), sister of the later German Chancellor Leo von CapriviLeo von Caprivi
Georg Leo Graf von Caprivi de Caprera de Montecuccoli was a German major general and statesman, who succeeded Otto von Bismarck as Chancellor of Germany...
. Willisen had no children.