Johann Jakob von Wunsch

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Johann von Wunsch, portrait by Daniel Berger

Johann Jakob von Wunsch , born as Wünsch (* December 22, 1717 in Heidenheim , † October 18, 1788 in Prenzlau ) was a royal Prussian general of the infantry .

Life

His father was a furrier in Heidenheim an der Brenz. His grandfather Johann Georg Wünsch was also a citizen and master furrier of Heidenheim around 1680. He could afford to have his son trained at the cadet school. He was initially in the service of Württemberg. His regiment then fought for Austria in the Balkans against the Turks. Between 1737 and 1739 he took part in the battles of Banjaluka , Kornia, Meadia, Kruzla and Panczowa. In 1739 he became a lieutenant but had no prospect of promotion. So he went into Bavarian service in the Frangipani hussar regiment (like the later General Nikolaus von Luckner ). As part of the War of the Austrian Succession , the regiment was sent to Holland in 1745, where it took part in the battles of Rocour (Roucoux) and Lauffeldt . After the peace of 1748 he stayed in Holland.

With the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in 1756 he enlisted in the Prussian army and was a colonel in the free battalion Angelelli ( Ludwig von Angelelli de Malvezzi ). He proposed numerous improvements in the army organization and was also able to distinguish himself militarily.

Roll of honor for JJv Wunsch on the obelisk in Rheinsberg

He attracted the attention of Heinrich of Prussia and got permission from his brother, King Friedrich II. , To set up his own free corps in Halberstadt.

In June 1759 it was united with others to form the Monjou Free Battalion . On August 9, 1759 he was promoted to general and already on August 12, 1759 he had to prove himself, after the defeat of Kunersdorf his corps was one of the last operational, and so he was given the task of covering the retreat of the defeated army and Berlin to protect from the Austrians. Then he marched into Saxony with 10,000 to 12,000 men.

On August 28, 1759 he occupied Wittenberg , August 31, Torgau and defeated the Austrians under Daniel Friedrich von St.Andre on September 8 at Torgau, on September 13 he expelled the French from Leipzig and on October 29 he defeated the General Josef von Brentano near Kemberg . For this he was awarded the order Pour le Mérite . On November 20, 1759 he was included with nine other generals in the battle of Maxen . The commanding general von Finck surrendered while Wunsch attempted a breakout and was captured in the process.

After the war, a court martial was held in 1763 under von Zieten over the surrender. All of the generals were convicted except when requested. He received the Finck regiment on foot . 1771 appointed lieutenant general in Friedrich II. The general took part in the War of the Bavarian Succession (1778/79) and was promoted to General of the Infantry in 1787 . The new King Friedrich Wilhelm II awarded him the Order of the Black Eagle on May 22, 1787 , thereby elevating him to the Prussian nobility .

Successor as commander of the infantry regiment no. 12 was Franz Casimir von Kleist (1736 to 1808).

Prince Heinrich of Prussia dedicated a plaque on his Rheinsberg obelisk to him .

family

He was married to Josephine le Roi . They had a son.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels , Adelslexikon Volume XVI, page 417, Volume 137 of the complete series, CA Starke Verlag, Limburg (Lahn) 2005, ISBN 3-7980-0837-X .
personal data
SURNAME Wish, Johann Jakob von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wünsch, Johann Jakob von (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION royal Prussian general of the infantry
DATE OF BIRTH December 22, 1717
PLACE OF BIRTH Heidenheim
DATE OF DEATH October 18, 1788
Place of death Prenzlau