August Karl von Goeben
August Karl von Goeben | |
---|---|
Imperial German Army | |
Years of service | 1833–1836 1844–1880 |
Rank | General of the Infantry |
Commands held | 13th Division VIII (Rhineland Province) Corps First Army |
Battles/wars | First Carlist War Second Schleswig War Austro-Prussian War Franco-Prussian War |
Awards | Grand Cross of the Iron Cross |
August Karl Friedrich Christian von[a] Goeben (10 December 1816 – 13 November 1880), was a Prussian infantry general, who won the Iron Cross for his service in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71.
Early career
Born at Stade 30 km west of Hamburg in the Kingdom of Hannover, he aspired from his earliest years to the Prussian service rather than that of his own country, and at the age of seventeen, enlisted in the 24th Infantry Regiment, being commissioned as Lieutenant two years later. But there was little scope for the activities of a young and energetic subaltern. Leaving the service in 1836, he enlisted in the
When released, Goeben served until 1840 with distinction. In that year, he made his way back, a man without means, to Prussia. The Carlist
In 1860 he served as military observer with the Spanish troops during the
Military commands
In 1864, during the
The mobilization of 1870 at the start of the Franco-Prussian War placed him at the head of the VIII (Rhineland Province) Corps, forming part of the First Army under Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz. It was his resolute and energetic leading that contributed mainly to the victory at the Battle of Spicheren on 6 August, and von Goeben won the only laurels gained on the Prussian right wing at Gravelotte on 18 August. Under Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel, the VIII Corps took part in the operations about Amiens and Bapaume, and on 8 January 1871, Goeben succeeded that general in the command of the First Army.[1]
A fortnight later, he brought the campaign in northern France to a brilliant conclusion, by the decisive victory at the Battle of St. Quentin (19 January 1871). The close of the Franco-Prussian War left Goeben one of the most distinguished men in the victorious army. He was named colonel-in-chief of the 28th (2nd Rhenish) Infantry Regiment, and was awarded the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. He commanded the VIII Corps at Coblenz until his death in 1880.[1]
Writings
General von Goeben left many writings. His memoirs are to be found in his works:
- Vier Jahre in Spanien (Four Years in Spain) (Hanover, 1841),
- Reise-und Lagerbriefe aus Spanien und vom spanischen Heere in Marokko (Hanover, 1863) and
- Darmstadt Allgemeine Militärzeitung.[1]
Legacy
The former French
Honours and awards
- Kingdom of Prussia:[3]
- Knight of the Red Eagle, 4th Class with Swords, 1849; 2nd Class with Oak Leaves, 1860; Grand Cross with Swords on Ring, 2 September 1873[4]
- Knight of the Crown Order, 2nd Class with Swords, 10 March 1864[4]
- Service Award Cross
- Pour le Mérite (military), 3 July 1864; with Oak Leaves, 20 September 1866[5]
- Grand Commander's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, with Swords, 6 January 1871[4]
- Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (1870), 22 March 1871[6]
- Knight of the Black Eagle, 5 July 1875; with Collar, 1876[4]
- Spain:[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Military Order of St. Ferdinand, ca. 1840
- Knight's Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, ca. 1840
- Cross of Honour
- Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III, with Collar, 27 January 1878[7]
- Baden:[8]
- Knight of the Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order, 1849
- Grand Cross of the Zähringer Lion, with Swords, 1877
- Ernestine duchies: Commander of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order, 1st Class, November 1857[9]
- Oldenburg: Grand Cross of the Order of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Swords, 29 July 1866[10]
- Mecklenburg-Schwerin: Military Merit Cross, 2nd Class[3]
- Schaumburg-Lippe: Military Merit Medal[3]
- Württemberg: Grand Cross of the Military Merit Order, 20 November 1870[11]
- Russian Empire:[3]
- Knight of St. George, 4th Class, 27 December 1870; 3rd Class, 5 April 1873[12]
- Knight of St. Stanislaus, 2nd Class
- Military Order of Saint Henry, 1st Class, 1871[13]
- Austria-Hungary: Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Leopold, with War Decoration, 1872[14]
Portrayal in media
In the Danish miniseries 1864, Goeben was portrayed by Czech actor Karel Dobrý.
Notes
- preposition which approximately means of or from and usually denotes some sort of nobility. While von (always lower case) is part of the family name or territorial designation, not a first or middle name, if the noble is referred to by his last name, use Schiller, Clausewitz or Goethe, not von Schiller, etc.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Goeben, August Karl von". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 180. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ISBN 1-84603-009-9.
- ^ a b c d e Rangliste de Königlich Preußischen Armee (in German), Berlin: Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn, 1879, p. 66 – via hathitrust.org
- ^ a b c d "Königlich Preussische Ordensliste", Preussische Ordens-Liste (in German), 1, Berlin: 14, 34, 597, 924, 1877 – via hathitrust.org
- ^ Lehmann, Gustaf (1913). Die Ritter des Ordens pour le mérite 1812–1913 [The Knights of the Order of the Pour le Mérite] (in German). Vol. 2. Berlin: Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn. p. 454.
- ^ "Königlich Preussische Ordensliste", Preussische Ordens-Liste (in German), 3, Berlin: 5, 1877 – via hathitrust.org
- ^ "Real y distinguida orden de Carlos III". Guía Oficial de España (in Spanish). 1879. p. 137.
- ^ "Großherzogliche Orden", Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden, Karlsruhe, 1880, pp. 65, 118 – via blb-karlsruhe.de
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Herzogliche Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden", Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtums Sachsen-Altenburg, 1869, p. 29
- ^ Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Oldenburg: 1879. Schulze. 1879. p. 42.
- ^ "Königliche Orden", Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg, Stuttgart, 1877, p. 53 – via hathitrust.org
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ISBN 5-89577-059-2.)
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ Staatshandbuch für den Freistaat Sachsen: 1873. Heinrich. 1873. p. 35.
- ^ "Ritter-Orden: Oesterreichisch-kaiserlicher Leopolds-orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, Vienna, 1879, p. 76, retrieved 2 September 2021 – via alex.onb.ac.at
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