Bernhard von Kessel

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Bernhard Alexander Heinrich von Kessel (born November 20, 1817 in Breslau ; † June 7, 1882 in Berlin ) was a Prussian infantry general and adjutant general of Kaiser Wilhelm I.

Life

origin

Bernhard was a son of the Prussian Lieutenant General Gustav von Kessel (1760-1827) and his wife Angelika, nee Schock (1778-1857). The later Prussian major general Emil von Kessel (1804-1870) was his older brother.

Military career

Kessel visited the cadet houses in Potsdam and Berlin . On August 12, 1835, he was transferred as a second lieutenant to the 1st Guards Regiment on Foot of the Prussian Army , in which his father had already served as commander. In 1837/38 he was in command of the Combined Guard Reserve Battalion, rose to battalion adjutant in 1844 and became Premier Lieutenant in mid-May 1849 . From 1850 Kessel acted as a company commander in the school department, was promoted to captain in June 1852 and appointed commander of the school department on March 12, 1853 under position à la suite of the 1st Guards Regiment on foot. As a major , he led the 1st Battalion in the 25th Landwehr Regiment in Aachen from August 11, 1857 to November 5, 1858 and then returned on foot to the 1st Guards Regiment after being appointed commander of the Fusilier Battalion. On the occasion of the upcoming marriage to Antonia Maria of Portugal , Kessel accompanied Leopold von Hohenzollern to Lisbon . After his return he was on September 20, 1861 commander of the training infantry battalion and in this position in mid-October 1861 lieutenant colonel . On March 7, 1863 he was initially assigned to lead the 1st Guards Regiment on foot and on May 2, 1863 Kessel was appointed regimental commander. As a colonel , he led the avant-garde in the battles at Soor , Königinhof and Königgrätz during the war against Austria in 1866 . At the suggestion of his superior General von Alvensleben , Kessel was awarded the order Pour le Mérite on September 20, 1866, especially for his behavior at the Königinhof .

Leaving his position as regimental commander, Kessel was appointed wing adjutant to King Wilhelm I on December 31, 1866 . On May 18, 1867, he was commissioned to lead the 1st Guard Infantry Brigade and, at the same time, to take care of business as the commander of Potsdam. With the promotion to major general on March 22, 1868, he was appointed brigade commander and general à la suite of the king. Kessel took part in the fighting at Gravelotte , Beaumont and Sedan as well as the siege of Paris in 1870/71 during the war against France . He was awarded both classes of the Iron Cross and after the preliminary peace of Versailles on March 17, 1871, appointed General à la suite of the Emperor on duty . As such, Kessel was promoted to Lieutenant General on March 22, 1872 and was commanded to represent the sick commander of the 5th Division in Frankfurt (Oder) from September 13 to November 22, 1872 . Subsequently appointed commander of this large association , Kessel was awarded the Order of Saint Anna 1st Class, the Grand Cross of the Franz Joseph Order and the Mecklenburg Military Merit Cross 1st Class in December 1872 . From September 10, 1874, he was then active as adjutant general of the emperor, received the Order of the Red Eagle First Class with Oak Leaves on September 20, 1876, and on June 13, 1879, while remaining in his position as adjutant general, he became President of the General Order Commission . After Kessel had been promoted to General of the Infantry on September 18, 1880, he died on June 7, 1882 while exercising his service.

family

Kessel married on January 30, 1866 in Potsdam with his niece Margarethe von Kessel (1848–1878). The marriage remained childless.

literature
personal data
SURNAME Kessel, Bernhard von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kessel, Bernhard Alexander Heinrich von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian infantry general, adjutant general of Kaiser Wilhelm I.
DATE OF BIRTH November 20, 1817
PLACE OF BIRTH Wroclaw
DATE OF DEATH June 7, 1882
Place of death Berlin