Johann Jakob von Wunsch (1717–1788) was soldier of fortune and
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 ...
n general of infantry, and a particularly adept commander of light infantry. The son of a Württemberg
furrier
Fur clothing is clothing made from the preserved skins of mammals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing, and is thought to have been widely used by people for at least 120,000 years. The term 'fur' is often used to refer to a specific i ...
, he served in several armies in the course of his lengthy career.
Shortly after he turned 18, his father enrolled him in
Württemberg service. In the Württemberg Regiment, he supported the
Austrians
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, pop3 = 197,990
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against the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
in 1737. Later, he served in
Bavarian army
The Bavarian Army was the army of the Electorate (1682–1806) and then Kingdom (1806–1919) of Bavaria. It existed from 1682 as the standing army of Bavaria until the merger of the military sovereignty (''Wehrhoheit'') of Bavaria into that of t ...
during the
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...
. In 1748 he came to the notice of
Prince Henry Prince Henry (or Prince Harry) may refer to:
People
*Henry the Young King (1155–1183), son of Henry II of England, who was crowned king but predeceased his father
*Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394–1460)
*Henry, Duke of Cornwall (Ja ...
, and enter Prussian service for the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
, where he led an autonomous corps in many raids and skirmishes that wrought havoc on the Austrian forces. His incursion over Prussia's border with Bohemia in 1778 was the opening action of the
War of the Bavarian Succession
The War of the Bavarian Succession (; 3 July 1778 – 13 May 1779) was a dispute between the Austrian Habsburg monarchy and an alliance of Saxony and Prussia over succession to the Electorate of Bavaria after the extinction of the Bavarian bra ...
.
In peace time, he devoted his efforts to training light infantry, developing an autonomous corps of skirmishers.
Frederick the Great's successor,
Frederick Wilhem II, promoted him to general of infantry and raised him to the Prussian nobility.
Family and early military career
Wunsch was born on 22 December 1717 in
Heidenheim,
Württemberg
Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart.
Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Würt ...
to a
furrier
Fur clothing is clothing made from the preserved skins of mammals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing, and is thought to have been widely used by people for at least 120,000 years. The term 'fur' is often used to refer to a specific i ...
and died at
Prenzlau
Prenzlau (, formerly also Prenzlow) is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, the administrative seat of Uckermark (district), Uckermark District. It is also the centre of the historic Uckermark region.
Geography
The town is located on the Uecker, Ucke ...
, in the
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...
on 18 October 1788. His grandfather served in the Austrian military, and his father had served for a few years in the Bavarian military.
[ He received schooling locally, and on his eighteenth year, his father sent him to Officer Cadet training in the Duke of Württemberg's Regiment.][ Albert Pfister. ''Drei Schwaben in fremden Kriegsdiensten.'' Graf Harsch. Herwarth von Bittenfeld. Joh. Jak. Wunsch. In: Württembergische Neujahrsblätter 12 (1895), S. 33–50] While with this regiment in Vienna, he married Josephine le Roi, the daughter of a Habsburg War Commissary. They had one son.[ Albert Pfister, "Johann Jakob Wunsch." ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie.'' Band 44. (1898), S. 315–317]
Early military career
The Duke of Württemberg's regiment supported the Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
military in its wars with the Ottoman Empire. Between 1737 and 1739, Wunsch participated in several battles in the vicinity of Banja Luka
Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. I ...
, in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
. By 1739, he realized he had prospects in neither Austrian nor Württemberg service and he entered Bavarian service as the oldest second lieutenant in the Hussar Regiment ''Frangipani''.[ Anton Balthasar König. ''Biographisches Lexikon aller Helden und Militärpersonen.'' Berlin 1791, Volume 4, pp. 283—290]
digital copy
Upon the death of Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VII (6 August 1697 – 20 January 1745) was the prince-elector of Bavaria from 1726 and Holy Roman Emperor from 24 January 1742 to his death. He was a member of the House of Wittelsbach, and his reign as Holy Roman Emperor thus marked the ...
, the new Duke of Bavaria, Maximilian III Joseph
Maximilian III Joseph, "the much beloved", (28 March 1727 – 30 December 1777) was a Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire and Duke of Bavaria from 1745 to 1777.
Biography
Born in Munich, Maximilian was the eldest son of Holy Roman Empero ...
, agreed to forgo any imperial aspirations. Wunsch's Bavarian regiment went into the service in the Netherlands, where it eventually liberated Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
from the French in 1745. In the course of this service, Wunsch advanced to the rank of ''Rittmeister
__NOTOC__
(German and Scandinavian for "riding master" or "cavalry master") is or was a military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in the armies of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Scandinavia, and some other countries. A ''Rittmeister'' is typic ...
'', or captain of cavalry.[ At the conclusion of the ]war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
in 1749, ''Rittmeister'' Wunsch acquired a staff position and a pension and remained in the Netherlands with his wife and son. When it became apparent that there would be another war, in 1756 he offered his services to Frederick the Great
Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...
and became the oldest captain in Prussian service.[ His unit came under the command of Prince Henry of Prussia, an officer who understood the value of the new military formation of light troops for skirmishing and raids.][
]
Seven Years' War
Throughout the Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
, Wunsch operated successfully as a light troops officer. After the Battle of Prague in 1757, 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 ...
. He followed this up with stellar action near Torgau
Torgau () is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district Nordsachsen.
Outside Germany, the town is best known as where on 25 April 1945, the United States and Soviet Armies forces first ...
in September, and the following day his troops overran Leipzig. The subsequent Prussian successes at the battles of Breslau and Leuthen led to his promotion, this time by Frederick himself, to lieutenant colonel. The King also gave him command of an independent battalion.[ Wunsch made a brief journey to his home town of Heidenheim and returned to his unit in ]Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
. Wunsch's raids were so successful that, in July 1759, Frederick promoted him to the rank of colonel and gave him his own regiment of light troops to command. Only a mere month later, on August 10, Wunsch was promoted to Major General.[ Two days later, 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 ...
, the Prussian army was nearly destroyed. Wunsch's only child, a son, was killed in the battle. Frederick barely escaped with his life, assisted by his remaining cavalry. Wunsch's small force remained intact and provided the rear guard for Frederick's escape. In Berlin, Wunsch commanded the city's defenses.[
From April to November 1759, he led his regiment on a series of raids and skirmishes in Silesia, Bohemia, Franconia, and ]Thuringia
Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million.
Erfurt is the capital and larg ...
, such as the Battle of Peterswalde
The Prussian Bohemia Incursion was a military campaign led by the Prince Henry of Prussia during the Third Silesian War (part of the Seven Years' War), to disrupt the Austrian military capacity by launching incursions against its military infrast ...
(Silesia) in August 1759. Wunsch took the pass of from the Austrians, skirmished with them at Königswarte and attacked and beat a small force of Austrians at Weinberg. He acquired two cannons in the engagement. He successfully raided various towns and cities held by Austria and her allies in Franconia
Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch'').
The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper Fr ...
, Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
, and Bohemia, capturing supplies and cannons and frequently taking many prisoners.[ His son was a lieutenant in his regiment during these raids.][
]
Following this action, Frederick sent Wunsch into Saxony with a corps of 10,000–12,000 men in his first independent command. There he participated in the Battle of Hoyerswerda with General Frederick August Finck. Prince Henry, in overall command of the army, surprised von Daun at Hoyerswerda by punching a hole in the Austrian defensive line. This success gave Frederick the first good news he had in weeks and confirmed to Frederick that Wunsch had been worthy of the trust placed in him.[
After two months of skirmishing in Bohemia, on 2 November Wunsch was awarded the order ]Pour le Mérite
The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Or ...
.[ Later in the month he participated in the ]Battle of Maxen
The Battle of Maxen (20 November 1759) was a battle at Maxen, in the Electorate of Saxony during the Third Silesian War (part of the Seven Years' War). It resulted in surrender of a Prussian corps.
The Prussian corps of 14,000 men, commanded by ...
. There, Count Leopold Joseph von Daun
Count Leopold Joseph von Daun (german: Leopold Joseph Maria, Reichsgraf von und zu Daun; 24 September 17055 February 1766), later Prince of Thiano, was an Austrian field marshal of the Imperial Army in the War of the Austrian Succession and S ...
's army isolated and captured Finck. Subsequently, Wunsch led both his corps and Finck's until they too were surrounded: Daun's army was three times the size of Finck's and Wunsch's combined force. Wunsch capitulated on 21 November 1759 and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner in Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
.[
After the war, Frederick reorganized his army, placing nine of his generals under command of General ]Hans Joachim von Zieten
Hans Joachim von Zieten, sometimes spelled Johann Joachim von Ziethen, (14 May 1699 – 26 January 1786), also known as ''Zieten aus dem Busch'', was a cavalry general in the Prussian Army. He served in four wars and was instrumental in s ...
. An additional eight were placed under command of Finck. Wunsch remained the only general with an independent corps, further unusual in that he was not Prussian.[
]
Late military career
Wunsch used the ensuing years of peace in garrison at Prenzlau to reorganize the light corps of Frederick's army.[ In 1778, he patrolled the border of Austrian ]Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
during the tense negotiations surrounding Bavarian Succession crisis. His entry into Bohemia in early July of that year was the first action of the War of the Bavarian Succession
The War of the Bavarian Succession (; 3 July 1778 – 13 May 1779) was a dispute between the Austrian Habsburg monarchy and an alliance of Saxony and Prussia over succession to the Electorate of Bavaria after the extinction of the Bavarian bra ...
. There were no major engagements in the war, only a series of raids in which both sides tried to deny each other access to food and fodder. After his initial foray at the Silesia border, he and his command remained at the County of Glatz, guarding the military commissary and the bakery.[
In 1787, Frederick Wilhelm II, Frederick the Great's successor, named Wunsch a Knight of the ]Order of the Black Eagle
The Order of the Black Eagle (german: Hoher Orden vom Schwarzen Adler) was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg (who became Friedrich I, King ...
for his excellent service. After a lengthy illness, Wunsch died of a pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
[ in Prenzlau on 18 October 1788.][
]
Monument
Prince Henry established a monument for him in 1790, in Rheinsberg. Its inscription reads: ''Johann Jakob von Wunsch, the son of Heidenheim, the splendid monument which the Prussian people have established on behalf of their King, Frederick The Great.''[Pfister, 317.]
Sources
Notes and citations
Bibliography
* Ebert, Jens-Florian. "Nauendorf, Friedrich August Graf.
Die Österreichischen Generäle 1792–1815
" Napoleononline (de): Portal zu Epoch. Jens Florian Ebert, editor. Oktober 2003. Accessed 15 October 2009.
* Hochedlinger, Michael. ''Austria's Wars of Emergence, 1683–1799.'' London: Longman, 2003.
* König, Anton Balthasar
Digital copy of Wunsch
Biographisches Lexikon aller Helden und Militärpersonen, Berlin 1791, Teil 4, Seite 283–291.
* Albert von Pfister
„Wunsch, Johann Jakob“
In: ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'', herausgegeben von der Historischen Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Band 44 (1898), S. 315–317, Digitale Volltext-Ausgabe in Wikisource. (Version vom 3. Mai 2010, 14:45 Uhr UTC)
* Albert Pfister. ''Drei Schwaben in fremden Kriegsdiensten.'' Graf Harsch. Herwarth von Bittenfeld. Joh. Jak. Wunsch. In: Württembergische Neujahrsblätter 12 (1895), S. 33–50.
* Wurzbach, Constant von . "Nauendorf, Friedrich August Graf." ''Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Österreich, enthaltend die Lebensskizzen der denkwürdigen Personen, welche seit 1750 in den österreichischen Kronländern geboren wurden oder darin gelebt und gewirkt haben.'' Wien: K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerie tc.1856–91, Volume 20.
* Rickard, J.
Battle of Maxen, 20 November 1759
'' History of war.org. Peter D Antill, Tristan Dugdale-Pointon, J Rickard, Editors in chief. 5 November 2000.
* Zedlitz-Neukirch, Leopold. ''Neues preussisches Adels-Lexicon.'' Leipzig: Reichenbach, 1857, Band 4.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wunsch, Johann Jakob Von
1717 births
1788 deaths
Generals of Infantry (Prussia)
people from Heidenheim
people of the Silesian Wars
Prussian military personnel of the Seven Years' War
Prussian military personnel of the War of Bavarian Succession
recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)
Military personnel from Baden-Württemberg