Manteuffel, Edwin Carl Rochus von

Young years

A native of an old aristocratic family, whose members, including the father of Manteuffel, held high military and state posts. Enlisted in the Prussian army in 1827 with the rank of dragoon lieutenant . Thanks to family ties, he served in Berlin , studied at the Military Academy in 1834-1836 , and previously attended lectures at the University of Berlin, Friedrich-Wilhelm . At the end of the academy, he was appointed adjutant to the Governor of Berlin , Field Marshal Karl von Muffling , and then to Prince Albrecht. Together with the prince, as part of a military mission, he went to St. Petersburg , where he was introduced to Emperor Nicholas I , met the heir to the throne, Grand Duke Alexander Nikolayevich, and acquired great connections at the Russian court. Subsequently, this played an important role in the fate of Manteuffel.

Swift Career

Manteuffel's appointment to the higher generals gave him the opportunity to make a fast career, and he did not miss this opportunity. During the revolution of 1848-1849 in Germany , when the king and the court were completely at a loss, Manteuffel remained calm and advocated decisive action against the rebels, including the use of artillery. After the suppression of the revolution “for excellence”, he was appointed an aide-adjutant to King of Prussia Frederick William IV . Since 1854, he commanded the 5th Lancers Regiment, then - the commander of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade. In 1856 he was sent to participate in the negotiations in Vienna and St. Petersburg , in the latter he met with the emperor Alexander II who had already become.

Since 1857, he was the head of the Prussian military cabinet, a permanent body under the emperor, which decided the most important military-political issues and traditionally had great influence in Prussia. Then he was promoted to major general . Manteuffel in those years was also known as the leader of a military officer circle, preaching extremely conservative views. He upheld the principle of caste in the formation of the officer corps, categorically opposed the admission of officers from all other classes to officer posts, despite his merits and abilities. In those years, many in Prussia believed that Manteuffel had a very reactionary influence on the emperor and his inner circle, such statements in 1860 caused a duel between Manteuffel and one of the prominent Prussian liberals. Manteuffel wounded his opponent, for which he was imprisoned in the fortress as a disciplinary punishment. However, his authority at court after this incident only increased.

Wars with Denmark and Austria

In 1864, Lieutenant General Manteuffel took part in the war with Denmark . After signing the peace in 1865, he was commander in chief of the Prussian troops in Schleswig-Holstein and governor of Schleswig. In 1866 he participated in the military council in Berlin, where he spoke out for the early start of a war with the Austrian Empire .

After the declaration of war with Austria in June 1866, he led a separate detachment of 15 thousand people formed on the basis of the Prussian forces in Schleswig. At the head of it began a decisive offensive to the south. Discarding the weak Austrian corps, he occupied Holstein, then invaded the Kingdom of Hanover . Chasing the retreating Hanoverian army, defeated it at Langensaltz and on June 29, 1866 forced it to surrender. Then he joined the Prussian Main Army and in July 1866 participated in the invasion of the Kingdom of Bavaria . Weak Bavarian troops also suffered a number of defeats (at Kissingen, Aschaffenburg, Kuaberbischofsgeyma) and by the time of the signing of the peace treaty on August 23, 1866 were expelled from northern Bavaria.

Immediately after the war, Manteuffel visited the Russian Empire with a responsible mission, where, on behalf of Bismarck, he held important negotiations with Emperor Alexander II and Chancellor Alexander Gorchakov . The purpose of the negotiations was to obtain Russia's consent to territorial changes as a result of the war and its recognition of a new balance of power in central Europe. This mission was completed by him quite successfully.

Then Manteuffel was appointed to the post of commander of the 9th Army Corps in Schleswig-Holstein , but considered himself offended by this proposal: in fact, the corps was the same, only slightly enlarged detachment with which he started the war. Meanwhile, after successful operations in the war and a successful diplomatic mission, Manteuffel demanded a higher appointment. In protest in 1867, he retired. However, the following year he was offered command of the 1st Army Corps in Königsberg . This corps was considered the elite and most combat-ready formation of the Prussian army, so Manteuffel accepted the new offer and returned to service.

Franco-Prussian War

With the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war , the Manteuffel corps was transferred to the front and took part in the hostilities of the 1st Prussian army, actively operating in Lorraine . He participated in a number of successful battles for the Prussians and in the siege of Metz . After the capitulation in Metz of the French army, Marshal Bazin Manteuffel was appointed commander of the 1st Army in October 1870 instead of C. Steinmets , and he was entrusted with an offensive in the north of France. Moving towards the English Channel , in November-December 1870, the Manteuffel army defeated General Federerb's French Northern Army in three battles, hastily formed by the Government of National Defense and occupied Amiens and Rouen .

Since January 1871 - commander of the Prussian Southern Army. At this post, he managed to thwart the offensive of the 90,000th French East Army led by Klenshan at Belfort, then cut it off from French territory and forced him to cross the border with Switzerland , where the French were interned.

Top positions

At the end of the war, Manteuffel was appointed commander of the occupation army in France . September 19, 1873 he was promoted to Field Marshal of the German Empire . Since 1873 he was in Berlin , played a large role at Bismarck and Moltke . In 1876 and 1878 he again carried out diplomatic missions in Russia, moreover, he was awarded high honors from Emperor Alexander II, and was appointed chief of the 4th Dragoon Ekaterinoslav Regiment of the Russian Army. From June 1879 until the end of his life - Governor-General of Alsace-Lorraine .

He died during treatment at the resort of Carlsbad in Austria-Hungary .

He was awarded the highest orders of Prussia and Germany: Pour le Mérite (1866), Order of the Black Eagle (1871), The Great Cross of the Iron Cross (1871). Alexander II awarded Manteuffel the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called and the Order of St. George of the III degree ( for difference in the war with the French , 12/27/1870). Cavalier of many foreign awards.

A number of sources mention that Manteuffel was also granted the rank of Field Marshal of the Russian army, but this does not correspond to reality.

• Manteuffel, Edwin-Karl-Rochus, Baron // Military Encyclopedia : [18 vol.] / Ed. V.F. Novitsky [et al.]. - SPb. ; [ M. ]: Type. t-va I. D. Sytin , 1911-1915.