Wilhelm Petzel (General, 1814)

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Friedrich Wilhelm Alexander Petzel (born May 10, 1814 in Harmelsdorf , Deutsch-Krone district , † October 23, 1882 in Berlin ) was a Prussian major general .

Life

origin

Wilhelm was a son of the chief bailiff and landlord of Harmelsdorf Johann Gottlieb Pentzel (1781–1864) and his wife Johanne Henriette, née Krause (1791–1819).

Military career

Petzel attended the Joachimsthalsche Gymnasium in Berlin and, after graduating on April 1, 1832, joined the 3rd Artillery Brigade of the Prussian Army as a gunner . For further training, he completed the United Artillery and Engineering School from October 1833 to July 1836, and at the end of October 1835 advanced to the position of aggregate secondary lieutenant . After graduating, he was appointed artillery officer on January 26, 1837 and included in his association . From October 1843 to June 1846 he continued his training at the General War School . In the meantime, Petzel, who spoke fluent French and English , took a short leave of absence in 1844 to take part in the expedition under Marshal Bugeaud against the Kabyle of the Jurjura Mountains in Algeria. For his work in the battle at Ainel-Ari on Bourberak-Nissah, Petzel received the Cross of the Legion of Honor .

During the war against Denmark , from the end of April to the end of September 1848, Petzel was in charge of a half battery of howitzers and was awarded the Order of the Red Eagle, IV class with swords , for the battle near Schleswig . After the campaign he was transferred to the 1st Cavalry Squadron of the 2nd Artillery Brigade in Ueckermünde on October 26, 1848 under promotion to Prime Lieutenant . During the mobilization in 1850, he served as General Staff Officer of the mobile 5th Division . On June 22, 1852, Petzel was promoted to captain , in 1854 he was appointed chief of the 4th Fortress Company in Stettin and two years later chief of the 1st 12-pounder battery . From June 29, 1859 to March 16, 1863 he was an artillery officer from the place in Graudenz and then as Major Chief of the 2nd 6-pound battery in Artillery Brigade No. 2. This was followed by his appointment on June 6, 1863 to the department commander in the Silesian Artillery Brigade No. 6 . On November 26, 1863, Petzel was commanded to take on the business of the commandant's office in Swinoujscie , before he was appointed commandant on February 9, 1864 during the war against Denmark under position à la suite of the 2nd Artillery Brigade . At the end of September 1865, Petzel was transferred to the Westphalian Field Artillery Regiment No. 7 in Wesel when he was appointed commander of the mounted division . In the German War that followed , he led the division in the Battle of Langensalza in 1866 and in the combined Flies division during the Main Campaign . He enjoyed the support of Duke Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha , with whom he had a friendship since the campaign in Schleswig and who awarded him the Commander-in-Chief of his House Order .

Awarded the Order of the Crown III. Class with swords, after the war, Petzel was transferred to the Pomeranian Field Artillery Regiment No. 2 on October 30, 1866, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel on December 31, 1866 with a patent from October 30, 1866 . On January 14, 1868 he was appointed commander of the East Prussian Fortress Artillery Regiment No. 1 in Königsberg . In this position Petzel rose to colonel in mid-June 1869 , before he was given command of the Pomeranian Field Artillery Regiment No. 2 in Stettin on November 13, 1869. Petzel led his association in 1870/71 in the war against France in the battle of Gravelotte , the sieges of Metz and Paris and in the battle of Champginy . During the campaign in the Jura he succeeded in taking the Salins fortress . Petzel was awarded both classes of the Iron Cross and the Commander of the Württemberg Military Merit Order.

After the peace treaty , he was put on disposition with a pension on April 20, 1872 , due to health issues and given the character of major general . He died on October 23, 1882 in Berlin and was buried on October 26, 1882 in Landsberg an der Warthe .

family

Petzel married on October 28, 1851 in Glindow Pauline Fritze (1828-1854), a daughter of the brickworks owner Ferdinand Fritze. After her untimely death, on April 12, 1856, he married Emilie Schröder (1836–1922), the daughter of the merchant Wilhelm Schröder from Stettin . The following children emerged from the marriages:

literature
personal data
SURNAME Petzel, Wilhelm
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Petzel, Friedrich Wilhelm Alexander (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian major general
DATE OF BIRTH May 10, 1814
PLACE OF BIRTH Harmelsdorf , Deutsch-Krone district
DATE OF DEATH October 23, 1882
Place of death Berlin