, image = August of Wurttemberg.jpg , spouse = Marie Bethge , issue = Helene von Wardenberg , house =

House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is a German dynasty and former royal family from Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors of modern Württemberg, which was then calle ...

, father =

Prince Paul of Württemberg Prince Paul of Württemberg (Paul Heinrich Karl Friedrich August; 19 January 1785 – 16 April 1852) was the fourth child and second son of King Frederick I and his wife, Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Early life Paul was born in St ...

, mother =

Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen (17 June 1787 Hildburghausen – 12 December 1847 Bamberg) was the child of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and his wife, Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She was the wife of Prince Pa ...

, birth_date = , birth_place = Stuttgart,

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg (german: Königreich Württemberg ) was a German state that existed from 1805 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which existe ...

, death_date = , death_place = Ban de Teuffer,

Zehdenick Zehdenick is a town in the Oberhavel district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Havel, southeast of Fürstenberg/Havel, and north of Berlin (centre). Since 31 July 2013, the city has the additional appellation "Havelstadt". ...

Province of Brandenburg The Province of Brandenburg (german: Provinz Brandenburg) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1945. Brandenburg was established in 1815 from the Kingdom of Prussia's core territory, comprised the bulk of the historic Margraviate of Brandenburg ...

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''. ...

Friedrich August Eberhard, Prince of Württemberg (; 24 January 1813, in Stuttgart,

12 January 1885, in Ban de Teuffer,

) was a royal

Prussian 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 e ...

Colonel General of the Cavalry with the rank of

Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several ...

and Kommandierender General of the Guards Corps for more than 20 years. August was a member of the

and a Prince of Württemberg by birth.

Family

August was the fifth and youngest child of

, brother of

William I of Württemberg William I (german: Friedrich Wilhelm Karl; 27 September 178125 June 1864) was King of Württemberg from 30 October 1816 until his death. Upon William's accession, Württemberg was suffering crop failures and famine in the "Year Without a Summer", ...

, and his wife

Military career

After 16 years of military service to the

in 1831, August was promoted to

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 ...

in the 1st Cavalry Regiment. In April 1831, August was granted permission by his uncle,

, to serve in the Prussian Army. In the Prussian Army, August was assigned initially to the

Gardes du Corps A ''Garde du Corps'' (French for lifeguard) is a military unit, formed of guards. A ''Garde du Corps'' was first established in France in 1445. From the 17th century onwards, the term was used in several German states and also, for example, in ...

and a year later he was promoted to Major. In 1836, August was further promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and in 1838 to

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 o ...

. He served as commander of the Guards Cuirassier Regiment. In 1844, as

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 ...

, August assumed the leadership of the 1st Guards Cavalry Brigade and as early as 1850 he was promoted to

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

. From 1854 to 1856 he commanded the 7th Division in

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river. Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebu ...

. In September 1857, August served as

Commanding General The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitud ...

of III Corps, but as of 3 June 1858 became commanding general of the Guards Corps. He held the position for 20 years. In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, August (by now a

General of the Cavalry General of the Cavalry (german: General der Kavallerie) was a General officer rank in the cavalry in various states of which the modern states of German and Austria are successors or in other armies which used the German model. Artillery officers ...

) and his corps belonged to the Second Army under Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia. He led it into the victorious battles of Soor and Burkersdorf. The

Battle of Königgrätz The Battle of Königgrätz (or Sadowa) was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire. It took place on 3 July 1866, near the Bohemian city of Hradec Králové (German: Königg ...

on 3 July 1866 witnessed the decisive occupation of Chlum (now part of Všestary, known for its cemetery) by his units. However, a significant share of their victories were attributed to August's chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinand von Dannenberg. After the campaign,

William I of Prussia William I or Wilhelm I (german: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 2 January 1861 and German Emperor from 18 January 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the f ...

awarded August the Order of ''

Pour le Mérite The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by 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 Order of the Red Eag ...

'', and appointed him honorary Colonel-in-Chief of the Posen Uhlan Regiment Number 10 in Züllichau, which bore its name until its dissolution in 1919. In the Franco-Prussian War, the Guard Corps participated in the Battle of Gravelotte-Saint Privat on 18 August 1870. The attack on the broad plain was made hastily and without supporting artillery fire. Even the subsequent envelopment of the enemy by the

Royal Saxon Army The Royal Saxon Army (german: Königlich Sächsische Armee) was the military force of the Electorate (1682–1807) and later the Kingdom of Saxony (1807–1918). A regular Saxon army was first established in 1682 and it continued to exist until the ...

troops could not therefore be exploited. The Guard Corps, under the leadership of August, was assigned to Albert, Crown Prince of Saxony, and participated in the

Battle of Sedan The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War from 1 to 2 September 1870. Resulting in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and over a hundred thousand troops, it effectively decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, ...

, and in part in the Siege of Paris. Chief of Staff during the later campaign was still Ferdinand von Dannenberg, by now promoted to Major General. After the war ended, August von Württemberg continued in command of the Guard corps. For his war service, the king awarded him the Oak Leaves of the ''Pour le Mérite'' and both classes of the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...

. On 2 September 1873, he was appointed Colonel General of the Cavalry with the rank of Field Marshal. In June 1878, August was transferred to the Oberkommando der Marken, replacing Field Marshal

Friedrich Graf von Wrangel Friedrich Heinrich Ernst Graf von Wrangel (13 April 1784 – 2 November 1877) was a ''Generalfeldmarschall'' of the Prussian Army. A Baltic German, he was nicknamed "Papa Wrangel" and was a member of the Baltic noble family of Wrangel. Ea ...

, and remained in this position for another four years. On 24 August 1882, he asked for his discharge from active duty, which was granted to him by making him 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 ...

Death and legacy

During a hunting trip in

near Berlin, August died on 12 January 1885. His funeral was held four days later at Berlin's Garnisonkirche. He was transferred to

Ludwigsburg Palace Ludwigsburg Palace, nicknamed the "Versailles of Swabia", is a 452-room palace complex of 18 buildings located in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Its total area, including the gardens, is the largest palatial estate in the country. T ...

where he was interred at the palace chapel. Fort August von Württemberg, one of the inner belt of fortifications of the

Fortifications of Metz The fortifications of Metz, a city in northeastern France, are extensive, due to the city's strategic position near the border of France and Germany. After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the area was annexed by the newly created German Empire in ...

, was named in his honor.

Württemberger Chamber of Lords

As a prince of the Royal House of Württemberg since 1830, August was one of the lords in the Württembergische Landstände, but never took part in their meetings. He was represented by other members of the chamber, the last one being Andreas Renner.

Marriage and issue

August married

morganatically Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spou ...

to Marie Bethge on 14 November 1868. August and Marie had one daughter: *Katharina Wilhelmine ''Helene'' Charlotte Auguste Hedwig von Wardenberg (Berlin 18 April 1865 –

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream o ...

25 September 1938) : ∞ Berlin 2 October 1884, General Dedo von Schenck (

Mansfeld Castle Mansfeld Castle (german: Schloss Mansfeld) is a castle in the region of Mansfeld Land in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The castle, which is surrounded by forest, stands on top of a large rock overlooking the town of Mansfeld. The Late Gothic church of ...

11 February 1853 –

Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...

28 April 1918) ::*Albrecht von Schenck (20 September 1885 – 10 June 1888) ::*Eberhard von Schenck (born 15 Nov 1887) ∞ 14 September 1918, Irmgard Ecker (with issue) ::*Freda von Schenck (21 March 1890 – 2 March 1946) ∞ 1910 (div. 1915) Baron Kurt von Reibnitz ∞ 1916 Count Ernst August von der Schulenburg (31 October 1886 – 5 February 1945) ::*Dedo von Schenck (23 July 1892 – 15 August 1892)

Honours

Ancestry

References

Literature

* Wolfgang Hausen: ''Königlich Preußischer Generaloberst der Kavallerie mit dem Range eines Generalfeldmarschalls Prinz August von Württemberg.'' In: Deutsches Soldatenjahrbuch 1985; Schild Verlag, München 1985; .

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:August Of Wurttemberg, Prince 1813 births 1885 deaths Military personnel from Stuttgart Princes of Württemberg 19th-century Prussian military personnel Colonel generals of Prussia German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War People of the Austro-Prussian War Members of the Württembergian Chamber of Lords Recipients of the Iron Cross (1870), 1st class Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia) Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree Knights Commander of the Military Order of William