Friedrich August von Finck

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
After the battle of Maxen, Finck puts down his sword in front of Daun. Painting by Hyacinth de La Pegna , Heeresgeschichtliches Museum , Vienna .

Friedrich August von Finck (born November 25, 1718 in Strelitz , † February 22, 1766 in Copenhagen ) was a Prussian lieutenant general .

Life

origin

His parents were the Russian chief stable master and chief hunter of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Johann Wilhelm von Finck (1686–1742) and his wife Elisabeth Juliane, née von Maltzahn . She was the daughter of Konrad Hans Jakob von Maltzahn (1650-1719) and Dorothea Tugendreich von Wolffradt (1661-1724). His aunt Barbara Eleonora von Maltzahn (1691–1774) was married to the Russian Field Marshal Burkhard Christoph von Münnich . His sister Juliane (1723–1768) was married to the Prussian general Christoph Hermann von Manstein .

Military career

Fink initially lived in Strelitz, but in 1732 his father went to Russia and took him with him. He returned in 1734 and initially entered the imperial service. In 1737 he took part in the Turkish Wars. In 1738 he went into Russian service and in 1742 was a major in the Prussian Army . After the Battle of Kolin in 1757, Finck was promoted to colonel and head of the Hessen-Darmstadt regiment on foot and major general in the same year . In early 1759 he became lieutenant general. In the same year Finck was made Knight of the Black Eagle Order on September 21, 1759 after the battle at Körbitz .

In the Seven Years' War in 1759 Finck was assigned to Prince Heinrich , who was assigned the defense of Saxony . In the course of the year (September), after consultation with Frederick II , Dresden was surrendered without a fight and occupied by the Imperial Army. The Austrian Field Marshal Daun , however, moved on towards Bohemia to defeat General Finck's corps standing behind him. Finck, who noticed the deployment of the troops, hoped for relief from the Prussian king. He had given the somewhat ambiguous order: "... something strong comes along or the enemy just has a good disposition, you can let it happen ...". Finck thus faced the enemy at Maxen . However, he was soon trapped in the battle near Maxen and, after fierce resistance and a failed retreat, ultimately had to capitulate. Like the other generals, Finck was released on his word of honor and after the peace was sentenced by the court martial chaired by Zieten to two years of imprisonment and expulsion from the army. Most of his soldiers died in captivity of the " Red Ruhr ".

After serving his imprisonment, Frederick V of Denmark appointed Finck as general of the infantry in his service. He died as the first deputy in the General War Directorate in Copenhagen on February 22, 1766.

family

In 1754 he married Ulrike Henriette von Buggenhagen († 1766), the only daughter of District Administrator Julius Adolph von Buggenhagen. The following children were born from the marriage:

  • Karl Alexander (1759–1760)
  • Auguste Dorothea Henriette (* 1761) ∞ Wolf Friedrich von Stülpnagel on Taschenberg
  • Ulrike Luise Johanna (* March 2, 1763) ∞ Karl Gottlieb von Stülpnagel (* September 14, 1752 - February 23, 1802), parents of Wolf Wilhelm Ferdinand von Stülpnagel

Trivia

The hill near which Finck was captured in the battle of Maxen in 1759 is now called Finckenfang .

Works

  • Thoughts about military items. Berlin 1788, posthumously HU Berlin .

literature
personal data
SURNAME Finck, Friedrich August von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian lieutenant general
DATE OF BIRTH November 25, 1718
PLACE OF BIRTH Strelitz
DATE OF DEATH February 22, 1766
Place of death Copenhagen