Hans Gottlob von Zezschwitz

Hans Gottlob von Zezschwitz (born August 3, 1736 in Piskowitz , † June 20, 1818 in Dresden ) was a Saxon general of the cavalry .

Life

Coming from the Meißnian nobility family Zezschwitz (parents: Wolf Caspar and Amalie von Brück), he received from 1752 a proper military training with the Chevaulegersregiment "Prince Albrecht". His younger brother Joachim Friedrich Gotthelf (1740-1820) later also became a Saxon general.

During the Seven Years' War he took part in the rank of first lieutenant, first in Polish cavalry regiments under Nostitz and Zezschwitz, and from 1769 as adjutant to Prince Albrecht in the Austrian army. In the War of the Bavarian Succession he was an officer in the von Benkendorff cavalry . In 1779 he was promoted to colonel and appointed commander of the Chevaulegers regiment " Duke of Courland ". From 1792 Lieutenant General and Inspector General of the Cavalry, from October 1794 to September 1795 he was in command of the approximately 10,000 strong Saxon imperial contingent , which was deployed between Main and Neckar without major incidents , but was recalled for health reasons.

In 1802 Zezschwitz became General of the Cavalry and General Commander of the Garde du Corps .

In 1805 he commanded a 10,000-strong observation corps in the south-west of the electorate in anticipation of warlike events. In the same year Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand von Funck was appointed his adjutant general, who remained in this position during the autumn campaign of 1806 .

In the Fourth Coalition War (Allied Prussia against France) he was appointed commanding general for more than 20,000 men and, as leader of the 2nd division, was subordinate to the Prussian general Prince Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen . A part of this division was involved in the battle near Schleiz on October 8 and 9, 1806, together with General von Tauentzien's army detachment . Zezschwitz took on his department at Mittelpöllnitz , secured their retreat and stayed there until October 10, until the equally unfortunate battle near Saalfeld , where Saxon troops were also fighting, forced him to return to Jena . In the battle of Jena and Auerstedt that was fought on October 14th , he only gave up the post assigned to him at the "Schnecke" when all hope of a favorable outcome had disappeared. Then he withdrew with the orderly retreating infantry brigade Nehrhoff. He was urged to leave the infantry behind and to fight his way with three squadrons of Saxon carbines who were on hand. When this was successful, he had the widely dispersed remnants of his corps, for the most part, come together in Barby on the Elbe. He had chosen Barby - not Magdeburg, to which the Prussian retreat was going - because the city was within the Saxon state borders, and on October 21 he received the expected order to march into the peace garrisons on the basis of the signed neutrality treaty.

From then on, Zezschwitz was no longer used, remained on waiting allowance until 1815, then retired and died in 1818.

literature

• Bernhard von Poten :  Zezschwitz, Hans Gottlob von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 45, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1900, p. 145.