Prince Georg Ludwig of Holstein-Gottorp
Georg Ludwig von Schleswig -Holstein - Gottorp ( born March 16, 1719 † September 7, 1763 in Kiel ) was a Prussian lieutenant general and chief of Dragoons and Imperial Russian Field Marshal.
He was the youngest son of Christian August of Schleswig -Holstein - Gottorp and his wife Albertine Friederike of Baden-Durlach († 1755)
Life
His father died at an early age; therefore he was raised by his mother. He came early in Saxon services and was captain in the Garde du Corps, but without really doing service. 1737 Holstein St. Anne North, he was awarded. In 1741, he joined as a volunteer in the Prussian service, and was on May 20, 1742 Lieutenant Colonel in the Cuirassier Regiment No. 5 ( Rochow ). On October 27, 1745 he took over the Dragoon Regiment IX ( Platen ). 1744 he was appointed Major-General with the patent dated 5 December 1743rd
In 1745 he was awarded by the Empress to St. Andrew Medal, which was presented to him by Frederick II on January 6 in person in Berlin. His regiment came to the army of Leopold of Anhalt- Dessau and participated in the Battle of Kettle Village. On December 18, he moved with the king in Dresden. With the Seven Years' War, he came under the command of Field Marshal Lehwaldt. In February 1757 he was appointed lieutenant general and on August 30th he fought at wholesale Jägerndorf. The regiment was then transferred to Pomerania, to fight against the Swedes, where he led the vanguard of the field marshal with 12,000 men against the Swedes, which fell back to Stralsund. As the Duke of Mecklenburg -Schwerin supported the Swedes, Georg Ludwig was ordered to demand indemnities and occupied Malchin. On 28 and 29 December he made a surprise invasion of Swedish Pomerania. For this he was awarded with the Black Eagle. On February 2, 1758 he met with two dragoon regiments prior to Rostock. However, he was then ordered to the army of Prince Henry. Here he took part in several battles, Krefeld, Battle of Kassel, Bergen and Minden. In 1760 he joined the King's army and participated in the siege of Dresden and fought in the Battle of Torgau. But Friedrich Georg Ludwig threw before, to have been too slow, this therefore asked on December 8, 1760 to his dismissal. However, it was granted to him until March 27 in 1761.
Thereupon he went in 1761, Russian Tsar Peter III services for new .. This made him the commander in chief of all German troops and governor-general and governor of Holstein. On February 21, he was appointed to St. Petersburg to General Field Marshal of the Russian troops. He got to bring a very high salary by the Russian army on the Prussian standard. But with the revolution of June 4, 1762 it was all over, the Prince was released after a short imprisonment and dismissed from the service of Russia on June 21. He went to Kiel, where he died shortly after his wife in September 1763.
For his work he was immortalized in 1851 on the plaques on the equestrian statue of Frederick the Great.
Family
He was since January 1, 1750 Sofie Charlotte of Schleswig -Holstein -Sonderburg- Beck ( * December 31, 1722; † August 7, 1763 ) married. She was the daughter of Frederick William II. She was the widow of the Prussian Colonel Alexander Emil Dohna - Wartenberg - Schlodien. The couple had the following children:
- Friedrich ( born July 20, 1751 † August 10, 1752 )
- Wilhelm ( * January 18, 1753, † July 14, 1774 )
- Peter Friedrich Ludwig (1755-1829) ∞ Friederike of Württemberg (* July 27, 1765, † November 24, 1785 )