, title = 1st Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg-Berleburg , image = Pjotr-christianowitsch-wittgenstein.jpg , image_size = , caption = Portrait by George Dawe , birth_date = , birth_place = Pereiaslav, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire , death_date = , death_place =

Lemberg Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in Western Ukraine, western Ukraine, and the List of cities in Ukraine, seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is o ...

, Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, Austrian Empire , spouse = , issue = , mother = Countess Amalie Ludowika Finck von Finckenstein , father =

Christian Louis Casimir, 2nd Count of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg-Berleburg Christian Louis Casimir, 2nd Count of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg-Ludwigsburg (german: Christian Ludwig Casimir Graf zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg-Ludwigsburg) (13 July 1725, Berleburg – 6 May 1797, Rheda) was a reigning Count of Sayn-W ...

, house = Sayn-Wittgenstein , religion = Lutheranism , module = Louis Adolf Peter, 1st Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg-Berleburg (german: Ludwig Adolf Peter Fürst zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg; russian: Пётр Христиа́нович Ви́тгенштейн, Pëtr Christiánovič Vítgenštejn; – 11 June 1843), better known as Peter Wittgenstein in English, was a Prince of the German dynasty Sayn-Wittgenstein and

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 ...

in the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...

during the Napoleonic wars.

Early life

Born ''Ludwig Adolf Peter Graf zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg-Berleburg'', he was descended from a family of ruling German Counts whose seat was in Berleburg (present day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany). His parents were Count Christian Louis Casimir of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg and his first wife Countess Amalie Ludowika Finck von Finckenstein.

Military career

Enrolled as a sergeant in the Semyonovsky Regiment of the

at the age of 12 in 1781, Wittgenstein began actual military service as a

Wachtmeister (Wm; German for 'master-sentinel' or 'watch-master') is a military rank of non-commissioned officers (NCO) in Austria and Switzerland. The was initially responsible for the guard duty of the army. Later, it became the equivalent NCO-grade of ...

in the

Life Guard Horse Regiment The '' Imperial Guards' Horse Regiment '' (in Russian:'' Конный лейб-гвардии полк '') was a cavalry regiment of the Imperial Guard (Russia), Imperial guard of Russian Empire. The regiment was founded in the reign of Peter I ...

in 1789. In 1793 he gained promotion to Major in the Ukrainian light cavalry regiment. He fought with the unit in the

Kościuszko Uprising The Kościuszko Uprising, also known as the Polish Uprising of 1794 and the Second Polish War, was an uprising against the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia led by Tadeusz Kościuszko in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Pr ...

of 1794. Promoted to the rank of colonel in 1798, and to major general in 1799, in 1800 he took command of the Mariupolski Hussars Regiment. In 1805 he fought at Austerlitz, in 1806 against the Turks, and in 1807 against

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

Friedland Friedland may refer to: Places Czech Republic * Frýdlant v Čechách (''Friedland im Isergebirge'') * Frýdlant nad Ostravicí (''Friedland an der Ostrawitza'') * Frýdlant nad Moravicí (''Friedland an der Mohra'') France * , street in P ...

and against the Swedes in Finland. In the war of 1812 he commanded the right wing of the Russian Army in the First and Second battle of Polotsk. This fighting decided the fate of Saint Petersburg and earned Wittgenstein the title of "Saviour of Saint-Petersburg". Emperor Alexander I of Russia awarded him the Order of St. George. He tried to combine with Pavel Chichagov at the Battle of Berezina (November 1812), and later combined with the Prussian army corps under Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg. In the campaign of 1813 in January he took over the command of the Russian army after Kutuzov's death in April 1813, and commanded the Russian army at

Lützen is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Geography Lützen is situated in the Leipzig Bay, approximately southwest of the Leipzig city limits and northeast of Weißenfels. The town has access to the Bundesstraße 8 ...

and Bautzen. But after the defeats of the Spring campaign, he laid down this command and led an army corps during the

Battle of Dresden The Battle of Dresden (26–27 August 1813) was a major engagement of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle took place around the city of Dresden in modern-day Germany. With the recent addition of Austria, the Sixth Coalition felt emboldened in t ...

(August 1813) and the

Battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig (french: Bataille de Leipsick; german: Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig, ); sv, Slaget vid Leipzig), also known as the Battle of the Nations (french: Bataille des Nations; russian: Битва народов, translit=Bitva ...

(October 1813). In the campaign of 1814 he led the 6th Corps under

Schwarzenberg Schwarzenberg may refer to: People * House of Schwarzenberg, Franconian and Bohemian aristocratic family which was first mentioned in 1172 ** Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg (1771–1820), Field Marshal in Austrian service during the Napol ...

, and was severely wounded at Bar-sur-Aube (27 February 1814). In 1823 he was promoted

, and in 1828 he was appointed to command the Russian army in the war against Turkey. But ill-health soon obliged him to retire. In 1834 King

Frederick William III of Prussia Frederick William III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm III.; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, wh ...

granted him the title of Fürst (Prince) zu Sayn-Wittgenstein.

Family

On 27 June 1798 he married Polish noblewoman Antonia Cäcilie Snarska and had in this marriage 11 children. He died on 11 June 1843 in

, where he looked after estates of his son

Ludwig Ludwig may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ludwig (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ludwig (surname), including a list of people * Ludwig Ahgren, or simply Ludwig, American YouTube live streamer and co ...

References

External links

Kamenka, Wittgenstein's paradise
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wittgenstein, Peter 1769 births 1843 deaths People from Pereiaslav Russian commanders of the Napoleonic Wars Russian people of the Napoleonic Wars Field marshals of Russia Peter Members of the State Council (Russian Empire) Russian people of the Kościuszko Uprising Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Second Degree Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree French invasion of Russia