Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
Georg Ludwig of Holstein-Gottorp (16 March 1719 – 7 September 1763) was a Prussian lieutenant-general and an Imperial Russian
field marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
.
He was the youngest son of
Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince of Eutin and his wife
Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach
Princess Margravine Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach (3 July 1682 – 22 December 1755) was a German princess. She was the daughter of Frederick VII, Margrave of Baden-Durlach and his wife Duchess Augusta Marie of Holstein-Gottorp. She mar ...
. He joined the Prussian army in 1741 and was appointed major general in 1744. In 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†...
, he served under the command of Field Marshal
Johann von Lehwaldt where he was promoted to lieutenant-general. In 1760 he fought in the
Battle of Torgau
In the Battle of Torgau on 3 November 1760, King Frederick the Great's Prussian army fought an Austrian army under the command of Field Marshal Leopold Josef Graf Daun. The Prussians won a costly victory in one of the bloodiest battles of the Thir ...
after which he was dismissed by
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 ...
for not being fast enough.
[''Georg Ludwig, Herzog von Holstein-Gottorp'' von Ernst Graf zur Lippe-Weißenfeld in: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie] He then served for
Peter III of Russia
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
, his second cousin once removed, and became field marshal on 21 February 1762. Due to the revolution on 4 June 1762, headed by his niece,
Catherine the Great
, en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes
, house =
, father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
, mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
, birth_date =
, birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...
, he lost his position and returned to
Kiel
Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021).
Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the J ...
where he died soon after.
Family
Georg Ludwig married
(1722-1763) in 1750. She was the daughter of
. They had three children:
* Friedrich (1751-1752), died in infancy;
* Wilhelm (1753-1772), died young, unmarried;
*
Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
(1755-1829), who served as regent for his cousin before ultimately becoming
Grand Duke of Oldenburg
120px, Shield of the Counts of Oldenburg
120px, Shield of the Counts of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst
This is a list of the counts, dukes, grand dukes, and prime ministers of Oldenburg.
Counts of Oldenburg
* 1088/1101–1108 Elimar I
* 1108–1143 ...
.
Sophie died on 7 August 1763, exactly one month before her husband.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Georg Ludwig of Holstein-Gottorp
1719 births
1763 deaths
Field marshals of Russia
Prussian Army personnel
House of Holstein-Gottorp
18th-century military personnel from the Russian Empire
18th-century Prussian people