Gustav Ludwig Ferdinand Raabe

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gustav Ludwig Ferdinand Raabe (born October 2, 1774 in Dresden ; † April 8, 1837 there ; different date of birth October 3, 1774) was a Saxon artillery general.

Life

Gustav Ludwig Ferdinand Raabe was born the son of a Saxon artillery officer.

On January 1, 1788, at the age of 13, he joined the Electoral Saxon army as a sub-cannon with a claim to advance to a higher position. He received his specialist training at the Military Academy in Dresden, which he left in 1794 as a playjunker. In 1798 he was appointed a sub-lieutenant .

In the 1806 campaign during the Fourth Coalition War , he commanded the regimental guns of the infantry regiment "Prince Maximilian" and in the 1809 campaign he was employed as an adjutant in the general staff of the mobile section of the Royal Saxon Corps . In this function he fell on the Swedish commander-in-chief of the Allied Northern Army against Napoleon and later King of Sweden, Karl XIV. Johann , Prince of Ponte Corvo . He used it in the most important uses. In 1807 he was promoted to first lieutenant and in 1810 to captain in the field artillery corps.

In 1810 he went to an artillery regiment , but was shortly thereafter reassigned to the general staff and promoted to major in 1812 . In February 1813 he took over the command of the Saxon artillery of the VII Army Corps, which was under the command of Major General Jean-Louis-Ebenezer Reynier , meanwhile on January 27, 1813 rose to lieutenant colonel . In a critical situation, he managed to cross the Hundspass in the Guhrau district with the Saxon artillery without significant losses and thus to reach Glogau , which was occupied for almost a year from 1813 to 1814 while the Prussians were besieging it.

After the Battle of Großgörschen , the Saxon troops were able to reunite with the VII Army Corps, with Gustav Ludwig Ferdinand Raabe and the newly formed artillery involved in the battle of Bautzen and in the battles near Reichenbach and Markersdorf . In Markersdorf he was shot in the lower leg and, despite the wound, took command of the artillery during the armistice in the camp near Görlitz .

When the campaign reopened, the VII Army Corps and the Northern Army under Marshal Charles Nicolas Oudinot advanced against Berlin and when the pass near Wittstock was attacked on August 22, 1813, he was able to use the terrain, skillfully set up the guns and personally manage the Fire, have a positive effect on the battle. Through his work, the artillery could be withdrawn in an orderly manner at the Battle of Großbeeren on August 23, 1813 and Dennewitz on September 6, 1813. When Napoleon accepted the last army display of his allied Saxon troops at Eilenburg before Kültzschau, today's Eilenburg district east , on October 9, 1813 , he gave Gustav Ludwig Ferdinand Raabe public evidence of his satisfaction with the measures taken in the battle of Dennewitz.

On October 19, 1813, the last day of the Battle of Leipzig, the entire Saxon corps passed over from the ranks of the French to the allies.Gustav Ludwig Ferdinand Raabe initially only wanted to respond to General Gustav Xaver Reinhold von Ryssel's request after the approval of the King Friedrich August I followed, but then gave in and led the entire Saxon artillery to the allies.

" The consideration that the artillery that remained alone would be exposed to the fury and vengeance of the French and would be lost to the fatherland in the event of an unfortunate outcome of the battle, tempted me to take all means to maintain it, and the least of two evils to vote, even if even the inner voice argued against the legality of this company. "(Report by Gustav Ludwig Ferdinand Raabe in the library of the Saxon artillery brigade.)"

After the Saxon army united with the new allies, thanks to the efforts of Gustav Ludwig Ferdinand Raabe, the army was able to march to France and Flanders at the beginning of February 1814 . He was also involved in the 2nd campaign against France in 1815. On August 14, 1815, he was promoted to colonel . The promotion to major general took place on October 16, 1823.

When he died in 1837, he was in command of the artillery corps in Dresden for 24 years.

Gustav Ludwig Ferdinand Raabe was married and had six children in addition to his widow. At his funeral, Major General von Hausen led the funeral procession, which consisted of four guns and three line battalions, as well as numerous other mourners.

Awards

Because of his services in the Battle of Wagram during the 1809 campaign in Austria , he received the Cross of the Military Order of St. Henry and that of the Imperial French Legion of Honor .

For his achievements in 1814, especially for his involvement in the enclosure and occupation of the Maubeuge fortress , he was rewarded with the Russian Order of Saint Anne, 2nd class.

Shortly before his death, he received the Order of St. Stanislaus 2nd class from the Emperor of Russia .

Literature (selection)

personal data
SURNAME Raabe, Gustav Ludwig Ferdinand
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Saxon general of the artillery
DATE OF BIRTH October 2, 1774
PLACE OF BIRTH Dresden
DATE OF DEATH April 8, 1837
Place of death Dresden