Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick
Charles William Ferdinand | |
---|---|
Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Holy Roman Empire | |
Died | 10 November 1806 Ottensen, Hamburg | (aged 71)
Burial | 24 November 1806 |
Spouse | |
Issue Details |
|
House | Brunswick-Bevern |
Father | Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel |
Mother | Princess Philippine Charlotte of Prussia |
Signature |
Charles William Ferdinand (
He succeeded his father as sovereign prince of the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, one of the
Early life
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Charles William Ferdinand was born in the town of Wolfenbüttel on 9 October 1735, probably in Wolfenbüttel Castle. He was the first-born son of Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and his wife Philippine Charlotte.
His father Charles I was the ruling prince (
He received an unusually wide and thorough education, overseen by his mother.[1] In his youth he travelled in the Netherlands, France and various parts of Germany. In 1753, his father moved the capital of the principality back to Brunswick (German: Braunschweig), the state's largest city. (Wolfenbüttel had been the capital since 1432.) The royal family moved into the newly built Brunswick Palace.
Early military career
Charles William Ferdinand entered the military, serving during the
The subsequent French
Charles William Ferdinand was part of the allied Anglo-German force at the Battle of Minden (1759), and the Battle of Warburg (1760). Both were decisive victories over the French, during which he proved himself an excellent subordinate commander.[3] He continued to serve in the army commanded by his uncle for the remainder of the war, which was generally successful for the north German forces. The hereditary prince's reputation improved throughout, and he became an acknowledged master of irregular warfare.[3] Peace was restored in 1763.
Marriage and travels
The royal houses of the former
In 1764, shortly after the Seven Years' War had ended, he travelled to
Over the next few years the couple embarked on a wide-ranging tour of Europe, visiting many of the major states. In 1766 they went to France, where they were received by both his allies and recent battlefield enemies with respect.
Ruler of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Restoration of state finances
His father, Charles I, had been an enthusiastic supporter of the war, but nearly bankrupted the state in paying for it. As a result, in 1773 Charles William Ferdinand was given a major role in reforming the economy with the assistance of the Geheimrat, Féronce von Rotenkreuz. They were highly successful, restoring the state's finances and improving the economy. This made the prince hugely popular in the duchy.[3]
When the American Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, Charles William Ferdinand saw an opportunity to replenish the state's treasury by renting its well-trained army to Great Britain. In 1776, Charles I signed a treaty supporting Britain in the war, the first prince to do so. Under the terms of this treaty, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel supplied 4,000 troops for service with the British armies in America, under the command of general Friedrich Adolf Riedesel. Riedesel was given command of all the German troops serving in the Saratoga campaign, under British general John Burgoyne. Burgoyne was defeated in the Battles of Saratoga (1777), and his troops were taken captive as the Convention Army. Although the terms of surrender allowed the Convention Army to give their parole and return to Europe, the American Continental Congress revoked the convention.[11] The Convention Army was kept in captivity until the war ended in 1783.[citation needed]
Reign
Charles I died in 1780, at which point Charles William Ferdinand inherited the throne. He soon became known as a model sovereign, a typical enlightened despot of the period, characterized by economy and prudence.[3]
The duke's combination of interest in the well-being of his subjects and habitual caution led to a policy of gradual reforms, a successful middle way between the conservatism of some contemporary monarchs and the over-enthusiastic wholesale changes pursued by others. He sponsored enlightenment arts and sciences; most notably he was patron to the young mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss, paying for him to attend university against the wishes of Gauss' father.[12]
He resembled his uncle Frederick the Great in many ways, but he lacked the resolution of the king, and in civil as in military affairs was prone to excessive caution.[3] He brought Brunswick into close alliance with the king of Prussia, for whom he had fought in the Seven Years' War; he was a Prussian field marshal, and was at pains to make the regiment of which he was colonel a model one.[3]
The duke was frequently engaged in diplomatic and other state affairs. In August 1784 he hosted a secret diplomatic visit from
The Swedish princess and diarist
In 1803 the process of
Military commander
He was made a Prussian general in 1773.
War of the Bavarian Succession
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From 1778 to 1779 he served in the
Invasion of the Netherlands
In 1787 the Duke was made
The Encyclopædia Britannica described the Duke's invasion: "His success was rapid, complete and almost bloodless, and in the eyes of contemporaries the campaign appeared as an example of perfect generalship".[3] The Patriots were out-manoeuvred and overwhelmed: their militias were unable to put up any real resistance, were forced to abandon their insurrection, and many Patriots fled to France.[15]
The Duke's forces entered the Netherlands on 13 September and occupied
Both contemporaries and historians have praised the Duke's decisive campaign, in which he manoeuvred to concentrate his forces and achieve overwhelming local superiority, before moving on to the next city.[3][17] He also received credit for the low number of casualties; one British observer suggested that "the sap of the trees was the only blood shed" (an exaggeration),[18] referring to the wooden palisades and batteries constructed by both sides.
War of the First Coalition
At the outbreak of the
The Brunswick Proclamation
The "
to put an end to the anarchy in the interior of France, to check the attacks upon the throne and the altar, to reestablish the legal power, to restore to the king the security and the liberty of which he is now deprived and to place him in a position to exercise once more the legitimate authority which belongs to him.
Additionally, the manifesto threatened the French population with instant punishment should they resist the Imperial and Prussian armies, or the reinstatement of the monarchy. In large part, the manifesto had been written by
It has been asserted that the manifesto was in fact issued against the advice of Brunswick himself; the duke, a model sovereign in his own principality, sympathized with the constitutional side of the French Revolution, while as a soldier he had no confidence in the success of the enterprise. However, having let the manifesto bear his signature, he had to bear the full responsibility for its consequences. The proclamation was intended to threaten the French population into submission; it had exactly the opposite effect.[citation needed]
In Paris,
Invasion of France
The Duke was disappointed that the British remained neutral. His initial advance into France was slowed by poor weather, the rough terrain of the Forest of Argonne, and an outbreak of dysentery among his troops.[19]
The Duke was less successful against the French citizens' army that met him at
Initially the Duke intended to winter in the fortress of Verdun, before resuming the campaign in France the following spring. However, Kellerman's forces outflanked him by advancing up the Rhine, recapturing French possessions there. The Duke abandoned Verdun on 8 October and Longwy on 22 October,[20] before retreating back into Germany.
When he counterattacked the Revolutionary French who had invaded Germany, in 1793, he recaptured Mainz after a long siege, but resigned in 1794 in protest at interference by Frederick William II of Prussia.[citation needed]
War of the Fourth Coalition
Prussia did not take part in the Second Coalition or the Third Coalition against Revolutionary France. However, in 1806 Prussia declared war on France, beginning the War of the Fourth Coalition. Despite being over 70 years old, the Duke of Brunswick returned to command the Prussian army at the personal request of Louise, Queen of Prussia.[3]
By this stage the Prussian army was regarded as backward, using outdated tactics and with poor communication. The structure of the high command has been particularly criticised by historians, with multiple officers developing differing plans and then disagreeing on which should be followed, leading to disorganisation and indecision.
The duke commanded the large Prussian army at Auerstedt during the double
The duke's body was provisionally laid to rest in the Christianskirche at Ottensen in 1806. It was later transferred for reburial in Brunswick Cathedral on 6 November 1819.
Family
On 16 January 1764, Charles married
Some commentators have pointed to inbreeding as a possible cause for the fact that many of the couple's children had physical, mental or psychological disabilities. Indeed, the duke was once moved to describe his children to von Massenbach as "mostly cripples in mind and body."[21]
Shortly after they married, the prince had the Schloss Richmond built for his wife. It was in English architectural style and with an English landscape garden, to remind her of her home.[citation needed]
The duke and his wife Augusta had four sons and three daughters. Three of their four sons had major debilities. Their eldest son,
Nevertheless, he was married in 1790 to
Frederick and Augusta also had three daughters, two of whom reached adulthood. Neither of them was disabled, but both of them had similar, disastrous trajectories in life. Both of them were married to future kings, both made extreme failures of their marriages, both had extremely acrimonious relations with their husbands, and both were accused by them of similar faults: adultery, uncouth behavior, absence of dignity, falsehood and utter fecklessness. The elder daughter,
The younger daughter,
However, the bill was never introduced in the House of Commons and the divorce was never finalized. Caroline died three weeks after she was physically prevented from entering Westminster Abbey to participate in her husband's coronation.[citation needed]
The future Queen of Sweden,
The Duchess is the sister to the King of England and a typical Englishwoman. She looked very simple, like a vicar's wife, has I am sure many admirable qualities, and is very respectable, but completely lacks manners. She makes the strangest questions without considering how difficult and unpleasant they can be. ... The sons of the Ducal couple are somewhat peculiar. The (eldest) prince, chubby and fat, almost blind, strange and odd - if not to say an imbecile - attempts to imitate his father but only makes himself artificial and unpleasant. He talks continually, does not know what he says, and is in all aspects unbearable. He is accommodating but a poor thing, loves his consort to the point of worship, and is completely governed by her. The (second) son, Prince Georg, is the most ridiculous person imaginable, and so silly that he can never be left alone but is always accompanied by a courtier. The third son is also described as an original. I never saw him, as he served with his regiment. The fourth is the only normal one, but also torments his parents by his immoral behaviour.[13]
The duke also fathered at least one
Issue
Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Auguste Caroline Friederike Luise | 3 December 1764 | 27 September 1788 | married 1780, Friedrich III, Duke of Württemberg; had issue |
Karl Georg August |
8 February 1766 | 20 September 1806 | married 1790, Frederika Luise Wilhelmine, Princess of Orange-Nassau ; no issue
|
Caroline Amalie Elisabeth | 17 May 1768 | 7 August 1821 | married 1795, George IV of the United Kingdom ; had issue
|
Georg Wilhelm Christian | 27 June 1769 | 16 September 1811 | Declared an invalid; Excluded from line of succession |
August | 18 August 1770 | 18 December 1822 | Declared an invalid; Excluded from line of succession |
Friedrich Wilhelm | 9 October 1771 | 16 June 1815 | married 1802, Maria Elisabeth Wilhelmine, Princess of Baden; had issue |
Amelie Karoline Dorothea Luise | 22 November 1772 | 2 April 1773 |
Ancestry
Ancestors of Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick Duchess Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel | | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11. Princess Christine Louise of Oettingen-Oettingen | |||||||||||||||
1. Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick | |||||||||||||||
12. Frederick I of Prussia | |||||||||||||||
6. Frederick William I of Prussia | |||||||||||||||
13. Princess Sophia Charlotte of Hanover | |||||||||||||||
3. Princess Philippine Charlotte of Prussia | |||||||||||||||
14. George I of Great Britain | |||||||||||||||
7. Princess Sophia Dorothea of Hanover | |||||||||||||||
15. Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle | |||||||||||||||
External links
- Text of the Proclamation of the Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, 1792
- Portraits of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel at the National Portrait Gallery, London
References
Notes
Citations
- ^ a b Fitzmaurice (1901), p. 7.
- ^ a b c d "BRUNSWICK-LÜNEBURG, Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of". Napoleon.org. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Fitzmaurice (1901), pp. 14–15.
- ^ a b Fitzmaurice (1901), p. 14.
- ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ a b Fitzmaurice (1901), p. 15.
- ^ Fitzmaurice (1901), p. 15–16.
- ^ Fitzmaurice (1901), pp. 14–16.
- ^ a b c Fitzmaurice (1901), p. 16.
- ISBN 978-1-85532-862-4.
- ^ Dunnington, G. Waldo. (May 1927). "The Sesquicentennial of the Birth of Gauss". Archived from the original on 26 February 2008. Retrieved 26 February 2008. Scientific Monthly XXIV: 402–414. Retrieved on 29 June 2005. Now available at "The Sesquicentennial of the Birth of Gauss". Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ^ a b )
- ^ a b Black (1994), p. 151.
- ^ Black (1994), pp. 151–153.
- ^ a b c d Black (1994), p. 152.
- ^ Black (1994), pp. 152–153.
- ^ Black (1994), p. 153.
- ^ Black (1994), p. 403.
- ^ Black (1994), pp. 403, 407.
- ^ a b Fitzmaurice (1901), p. 17.
- ^ Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans [Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living] (in French). Bourdeaux: Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel. 1768. p. 52.
Bibliography
- Fitzmaurice, Edmond (1901). Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick: An Historical Study, 1735–1806. London: Longmans, Green, & co. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
- ISBN 9780521466844.
- Zimmermann, Paul (1882). "Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Herzog zu Braunschweig und Lüneburg". Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand. Allgemeine deutsche Biographie. Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German). Vol. ii. Leipzig. p. 272.)
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - Arthur Chuquet, Les Guerres de la Révolution: La Première Invasion prussienne (Paris)
public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Brunswick, Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 687.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the