Karl Georg Heinrich Bernhard von Poten (8 August 1828 – 22 November 1909), known as Bernhard von Poten, was a royal

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

best known for his military writing.

Family and life

Poten was born in

Celle Celle () is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river Aller, a tributary of the Weser, and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the Lü ...

into a

bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...

family of officers from the

Kingdom of Hanover The Kingdom of Hanover (german: Königreich Hannover) was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Han ...

. His parents were the Hannoversche Major Georg Poten (1799–1882) and Juliane Dorothea Kannengießer (1804–1841). His uncle Friedrich Poten (1779–1845), Hanoverian lieutenant colonel, was made hereditary baron in 1827 by Grand Duke Ludwig I of Baden. His nephew continued the baronial lineage. In 1861, Poten married Anna Sophie Elisabeth Behncke (1837–1905) in Celle. They had a son Heinrich Georg Wilhelm Alexander von Poten (1863–1920) also a Prussian

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

and commander of the Cuirassiers in Brandenburg. Poten died in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

on 22 November 1909.

Career

Berhard von Poten served from 1847 to 1866 in the

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

Military services. In 1847, he was a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

, and was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

in 1854 and in 1863 to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. As such, he belonged to the Hanoverian Queens Hussar Regiment. In 1867, Poten was squadron leader in Hussar Regiment no. 4. His promotion to major came in 1870. Between 1871 and 1874, he was on the staff of the regiment and 1874–1884 adjutant at the General Inspectorate of the military education and training system. He was promoted to the rank of

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

in 1875, and then to colonel in 1878.

Writings

* ''Militairischer Dienst-Unterricht für die Kavallerie des deutschen Reichsheeres'', Berlin 1875. * ''Unser Volk in Waffen : Das dt. Heer in Wort u. Bild'', Berlin/Stuttgart 1887. * '' Georg Freiherr von Baring, königlich hannoverscher Generallieutenant 1773–1848 : Ein Lebensbild auf Grund v. Aufzeichngn d. Verstorbenen u. v. Mittheilgn d. Familie entworfen'', Berlin 1898. * ''Geschichte des Militär-Erziehungs- und Bildungswesens in den Landen deutscher Zunge'', Berlin 1900. * ''Des Königs Deutsche Legion : 1803–1816'', 1905. * ''Handbuch für den Einjährig-Freiwilligen sowie für den Reserve- und Landwehr-Offizier der Kavallerie'', Berlin 1911 (gemeinsam mit Albrecht Axel von Maltzahn). *
''Handwörterbuch der gesamten Militärwissenschaften'', mehrere Bände
*
''Kommandobuch zum ExerzirReglement für die Kavallerie vom 10. April 1886''

''Geschichte des Militär-erziehungs- und Bildungswesens in Sachsen''
* Poten hat zudem zahlreiche Einzelartikel in der '' Allgemeinen Deutschen Biographie'' (ADB) verfasst, meist zu Offizieren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poten, Bernhard von Prussian Army personnel German male writers People from Celle 1828 births 1909 deaths Historians of weapons