George Ernst von Klitzing (1698 in Prussia – 29 October 1759 in

Stettin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin language, Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Po ...

) was a Prussian major general of infantry and commander of the Klitzing Infantry (after 1806, called the Infantry Regiment No. 31). He was also the hereditary heir of Tornow.Anton Balthasar König, ''Biographisches Lexikon aller Helden und Militärpersonen: T. G-L'', A. Wever, 1789, vol. 2, pp. 296–296.

Origins

Klitzing was the son of Karl Magnus von Klitzing, Grand Warden, and his wife. Klitzing married on 15 March 1722 in Tornow to Wilhelmine Elisabeth von Mörner, from the House of Klössow (died 10 May 1769). They had the following children: :Charlotte Hedwig Maria ( 1723 in Zielenzig) ∞ von Rosenthal, Hauptmann :Luise Katharina Wilhelmine (1725) married first, Friedrich Ernst von Mörner, Danish Major; married second, von Glassey, Hauptmann :Hans Sigismund (14 October 1726 in Voigtsdorf).

Military career

Silesian wars

Klitzing entered military service in 1714 as a corporal at the infantry regiment "Markgraf Albrecht". From 1729 he changed to the newly-expanded

Fusilier Fusilier is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While fusilier is derived from the 17th-century French language, French word ''fusil'' – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has ...

Regiment "von Dossow". He had the dubious distinction of being the oldest first lieutenant in his regiment, until his promotion 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 ...

in September 1730.''Geschichte und Nachrichten von dem königl. preuß. Infanterie Regimente Prinz Friedrich August von Braunschweig'', Trampe, 1767 , p. 81. Klitzing participated in the

Siege of Prague The siege of Prague was an unsuccessful attempt by a Prussian army led by Frederick the Great to capture the Bohemian city of Prague during the Third Silesian War (Seven Years' War). It took place in May 1757 immediately after the Battle of Prag ...

.Julius Mebes, ''Beiträge zur Geschichte des Brandenburgisch-Preussischen Staates,'' Lüderitz, 1861
v. 1, p. 491
He was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in 1743 by his commander, Friedrich Wilhelm von Varenne.

Seven Years' War

Klitsing was promoted to the

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 June 1751. For most of 1758 he served in Prince Henry's corps, tasked with holding Saxony. With other elements of Henry's force, the Prussians managed to guard Leipzig and its environs long enough for the Prussian artillery to pull out of the region. In the action near Breslau, Klitzing led his troops against the enemy-occupied village of Kleinburg, he gave the individual fire orders as if he were in the parade ground. On 9 December 1758, he became Proprietor (Inhaber) of the regiment, the Klitzing Infantry (after 1806, called the Infantry Regiment No. 31). On the same day he was promoted to major general.Carl Friedrich Pauli, ''Leben grosser Helden des gegenwärtigen Krieges: Nebst Zusätzen und Verbesserungen aller fünf Theile,'' Volume 5. Francke, 1760
p.249
He fought at the

Battle of Kay The Battle of Kay (german: Schlacht bei Kay), also referred to as the Battle of Sulechów, Battle of Züllichau, or Battle of Paltzig, was an engagement fought on 23 July 1759 during the Seven Years' War. It occurred near Kay (Kije) in the Neu ...

. At the

Battle of Kunersdorf The Battle of Kunersdorf occurred on 12 August 1759 near Kunersdorf (now Kunowice, Poland) immediately east of Frankfurt (Oder), Frankfurt an der Oder (the second-largest city in Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia). Part of the Third Silesian War and t ...

on 12 August 1759, he was shot twice through the arm. He was moved to

with many of the other injured, where he died on 29 October 1759. He was buried three days later in the garrison church.Gaston Bodart, ''Militär-historisches kreigs-lexikon, (1618–1905),'' Stern, 1908 p. 907.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Klitzing, George Ernst von 1698 births 1759 deaths Prussian military personnel of the Seven Years' War