View source for Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel

{{Short description|German field marshal (1809–1885)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Freiherr]]
| name          = Edwin von Manteuffel
| image         = Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel by Adolphe Braun.png
| image_size    = 
| caption       = Manteuffel in 1879
| nickname      = 
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1809|2|24|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Dresden]], [[Kingdom of Saxony|Saxony]]
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1885|6|17|1809|2|24|df=y}}
| death_place   = [[Karlovy Vary|Karlsbad]], [[Bohemia]]
| placeofburial = [[Frankfurt Main Cemetery]]
| allegiance    = {{flag|Kingdom of Prussia}}<br />{{flag|German Confederation}}<br/>{{flag|North German Confederation}}<br/>{{flag|German Empire}}
| branch        = {{army|Kingdom of Prussia}}<br />{{army|German Empire}}
| serviceyears  = 1827–1885
| rank          = [[Field Marshal (Germany)|Generalfeldmarschall]]
| unit          = 
| commands      = [[IX Corps (German Empire)|IX Corps]]<br />[[I Corps (German Empire)|I Corps]]<br>1st Army<br />Army of the South<br />2nd Army<br />Army of Occupation
| battles       = [[Second Schleswig War]]<br />[[Austro-Prussian War]]<br />[[Franco-Prussian War]]
| awards        = [[Grand Cross of the Iron Cross]]<br />[[Pour le Mérite]]<br />[[Order of the Black Eagle]]
| relations     = 
| laterwork     = Imperial Lieutenant of [[Alsace–Lorraine]] (1879–85)
| signature     = Signatur Edwin von Manteuffel.PNG
}}

'''Edwin Karl Rochus Freiherr{{efn|{{German title Freiherr}}}} von Manteuffel''' (24 February 1809 – 17 June 1885) was a Prussian ''[[Generalfeldmarschall]]'' noted for his victories in the [[Franco-Prussian War]], and the first Imperial Lieutenant ({{langx|de|[[Reichsstatthalter]]}}) of [[Alsace–Lorraine]] from 1879 until his death.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

== Biography ==
Son of the president of the superior court of [[Magdeburg]], Manteuffel was born at [[Dresden]] and brought up with his cousin, [[Otto Theodor von Manteuffel|Otto von Manteuffel]] (1805–1882), the Prussian statesman. He entered the guards cavalry at Berlin in 1827 and became an officer in 1828. After attending the War Academy for two years, and serving successively as ''[[aide-de-camp]]'' to [[Karl Freiherr von Müffling|General von Müffling]] and to [[Prince Albert of Prussia (1809–1872)|Prince Albert of Prussia]], he was promoted captain in 1843 and major in 1848, when he became ''aide-de-camp'' to [[Frederick William IV of Prussia|Frederick William IV]], whose confidence he had gained during the revolutionary movement in Berlin.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1852, and colonel (and commanding officer of the [[Uhlan|5th Uhlans]]) in 1853, Manteuffel was sent on important diplomatic missions to [[Vienna]] and [[St Petersburg]]. In 1857 he was promoted to major-general and chief of the [[German Imperial Military Cabinet|Prussian Military Cabinet]] (the King's military advisers). He gave strong support to the Prince Regent's plans for the reorganization of the army. In 1861 he was violently attacked in a pamphlet by [[Karl Twesten]] (1820–1870), a Liberal leader, whom he had wounded in a [[duel]], for which Manteuffel insisted on being briefly imprisoned. He was promoted to  [[lieutenant-general]] for the coronation of [[Wilhelm I of Germany|William I]] on 18 October 1861 and saw active service in that rank in the [[Schleswig-Holstein Question|Danish War of 1864]], then at its conclusion was appointed civil and military governor of [[Schleswig]]. In the [[Austro-Prussian War|Austrian War of 1866]] he first occupied [[Holstein]] and afterwards commanded a division under [[Eduard Vogel von Falkenstein|Vogel von Falkenstein]] in the Hanoverian campaign, then in July succeeded Vogel in command of the Army of the Main.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}
[[File:General von Manteuffel.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Manteuffel by [[Richard Brend'amour]]]]
Manteuffel's successful campaign ended with the occupation of Würzburg, and he received the order [[Pour le Mérite]]. However, on account of his monarchist political views throughout the political crises of the 1860s, and of his almost bigoted Roman Catholicism, he was regarded by Liberal politicians as a reactionary, and, unlike the other army commanders, he was not granted a financial reward for his services. He then went on a diplomatic mission to St Petersburg, where he was ''persona grata'', and gained Russia's acquiescence to Prussia's domination of north Germany. On his return he was made honorary colonel of the [[5th (Rhenish) Dragoons "Baron Manteuffel"|5th Dragoon Regiment]]. He was appointed to the command of the [[IX Corps (German Empire)|IX (Schleswig-Holstein) Corps]] in 1866. But having previously exercised both civil and military control in the Elbe duchies he was unwilling to be a purely military commander under one of his former civil subordinates, and retired from the army for a year.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}
[[File:Frankfurt Kriegskontribution 22 Juli 1866.jpg|thumb|Manteuffel's signature on a document from 20 July 1866: [[Frankfurt]] has to pay 25 million gulden war contribution within 24 hours.]]

In 1868, however, Manteuffel returned to active service and on 18 September 1869 he received the Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Red Eagle]]. In the [[Franco-Prussian War]] of 1870–71 he commanded the [[I Corps (German Empire)|I Corps]] under [[Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz|Steinmetz]], distinguishing himself in the [[Battle of Borny-Colombey]], and in the repulse of [[Achille François Bazaine|Bazaine]] at [[battle of Noisseville|Noisseville]]. In October he succeeded Steinmetz in the command of the 1st Army, won the [[Battle of Amiens (1870)|Battle of Amiens]] against ''[[Brigadier general|Général de brigade]]'' [[Jean-Joseph Farre]], and occupied [[Rouen]]. However he was less fortunate against [[Louis Faidherbe|Faidherbe]] at Pont Noyelles and [[Battle of Bapaume (1871)|Bapaume]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

In January 1871 he commanded the newly formed ''Army of the South'', which he led, in spite of hard frost, through the [[Côte-d'Or]] and over the plateau of Langres, cut off [[Charles Denis Bourbaki|Bourbaki]]'s [[Armée de l'Est|Army of the East]] with 80,000 men, and, after the [[battle of Pontarlier|action of Pontarlier]], compelled it to cross the Swiss frontier, where it was disarmed. His immediate reward was the [[Grand Cross of the Iron Cross]], and at the conclusion of peace he was made a member of the [[Order of the Black Eagle]]. When the Southern Army was disbanded Manteuffel commanded the Second Army and, from June 1871 until 1873, the army of occupation left in France, showing great tact in a difficult position.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

At the close of the occupation, the Emperor promoted Manteuffel to the rank of [[Field Marshal (Germany)|Field Marshal]] and awarded him a large financial grant, and about the same time [[Alexander II of Russia]] gave him the [[Order of St. Andrew]]. After this he was employed on several diplomatic missions, was for a time Governor of Berlin, and in 1879—perhaps, as was commonly reported, because he was considered by [[Otto von Bismarck|Bismarck]] as a formidable rival—he was appointed Imperial Lieutenant of occupied [[Alsace–Lorraine]]. He is remembered in Alsace–Lorraine as a very humane, cultivated man, and as a conciliator whose fairness was often abused by some dominant figures. Opening the first session of the ''Landesausschuss'' (the regional assembly of Alsace–Lorraine), he announced his firm intention to gain full autonomy for Alsace–Lorraine, so that it could become a fully-fledged state of the German Empire. He died at Karlsbad, [[Bohemia]], in 1885, still in office but without having achieved his aim.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

==Honours==
He received the following orders and decorations:<ref>{{cite book|title=Handbuch über den Königlich Preussischen Hof und Staat|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NXgOAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA36|year=1884|page=36}}</ref>
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg}} [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]]:
** Knight of Honour of the [[Johanniter Order]], ''29 November 1848''<ref name="prus">{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste|volume=1|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878864&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021|pages=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878864&view=1up&seq=17&skin=2021 13], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878864&view=1up&seq=24&skin=2021 20], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878864&view=1up&seq=36&skin=2021 32], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878864&view=1up&seq=588&skin=2021 576], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878864&view=1up&seq=935&skin=2021 923], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878864&view=1up&seq=1002&skin=2021 990]|lang=German|location=Berlin|publisher=Gedruckt in der Reichsdruckerei|year=1877|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
** Knight's Cross of the Royal [[House Order of Hohenzollern]], ''1851''; Commander's Cross with Star and Swords, ''1864''; Grand Commander's Cross with Swords on Ring, ''29 June 1865''<ref name="prus"/>
** [[Pour le Mérite]] (military), ''7 August 1866''; with Oak Leaves, ''24 December 1870''<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lehmann|first1=Gustaf|title=Die Ritter des Ordens pour le mérite 1812–1913|year=1913|trans-title=The Knights of the Order of the Pour le Mérite|language=de|url=https://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/id/PPN135808618|page=462|volume=2|location=Berlin|publisher=[[E.S. Mittler & Sohn|Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn]]}}</ref>
** Knight of the [[Order of the Crown (Prussia)|Royal Crown Order]], 1st Class with Enamel Band of the Red Eagle Order and Oak Leaves, ''19 January 1867''<ref name="prus"/>
** [[Order of the Red Eagle|Grand Cross of the Red Eagle]], with Oak Leaves, ''18 September 1869''; with Swords, ''1871''<ref name="prus"/>
** [[War Commemorative Medal of 1870/71]]<ref name="Machine">{{cite web|title=Edwin Karl Rochus Freiherr von Manteuffel|website=the Prussian Machine|access-date=3 April 2021|url=http://prussianmachine.com/prussia/manteuffel.htm}}</ref>
** [[Grand Cross of the Iron Cross]] (1870), ''22 March 1871''<ref name="Machine"/>
** [[Order of the Black Eagle|Knight of the Black Eagle]], ''16 June 1871''; with Collar, ''1872''<ref name="prus"/>
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Anhalt Duchies.png}} [[House of Ascania|Ascanian duchies]]: Grand Cross of the [[Order of Albert the Bear]], ''25 January 1854''<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Herzogtum Anhalt'' (1867) "Herzoglicher Haus-orden Albrecht des Bären" p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=TYEp3N5O48EC&pg=PA19 19]</ref>
* {{flag|Baden}}: Knight of the [[Order of Berthold the First]], ''1877''<ref name="HandbuchBaden">''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden'' (1880), "Großherzogliche Orden" [https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1875342 73]</ref>
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Bavaria}}:
** Commander of the [[Order of Saint Michael (Bavaria)|Merit Order of St. Michael]], ''1854''<ref>{{citation|title=Hof- und – Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Bayern|year=1882|language=German|chapter=Königliche Orden|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx3e6l&view=1up&seq=37&skin=2021|location=Munich|publisher=Druck and Verlag|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx3e6l&view=1up&seq=102&skin=2021 72]|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
** Grand Cross of the [[Military Order of Max Joseph]], ''11 April 1877''<ref>{{cite book|last=Ruith|first=Max|title=Der K. Bayerische Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx3bms&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx3bms&view=1up&seq=101&skin=2021 85]|location=Ingolstadt|publisher=Ganghofer'sche Buchdruckerei|year=1882|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
** Grand Cross of the [[Military Merit Order (Bavaria)|Military Merit Order]]
* {{Flag|Brunswick}}: Grand Cross of the [[Order of Henry the Lion]], with Swords
* {{Flagicon|Saxe-Coburg and Gotha}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Altenburg}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Meiningen}} [[Ernestine duchies]]: Grand Cross of the [[Saxe-Ernestine House Order]], ''October 1861''<ref>''Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtums Sachsen-Altenburg'' (1869), "Herzogliche Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden" [https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00243702/Parladrusa_Staatshandbuch_SA_166810592_1869_0040.tif?logicalDiv=jportal_jparticle_00472815 p. 26]</ref>
* {{flagicon image|Flagge_Großherzogtum_Hessen_ohne_Wappen.svg}} [[Hesse and by Rhine]]: Grand Cross of the [[Order of Philip the Magnanimous|Merit Order of Philip the Magnanimous]], with Swords, ''5 February 1861''<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Hessen'' (1879), "Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen", [https://archive.org/details/hofundstaatshan00gergoog/page/n100/mode/2up p. 76]</ref>
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Hanover}}: Commander of the [[Royal Guelphic Order]], 1st Class, ''1858''<ref>{{cite book|author=Staat Hannover|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch für das Königreich Hannover: 1865|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_bAFTAAAAcAAJ|year=1865|publisher=Berenberg|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_bAFTAAAAcAAJ/page/n103/mode/2up 86]}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon image|Flagge Großherzogtümer Mecklenburg.svg}} [[Mecklenburg]]:
** [[House Order of the Wendish Crown|Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown]], with Golden Crown
** [[Military Merit Cross (Mecklenburg-Schwerin)|Military Merit Cross]], 1st Class ([[Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|Schwerin]])
* {{flag|Nassau}}: Grand Cross of the [[Order of Adolphe of Nassau]], with Swords, ''March 1865''<ref>''Staats- und Adreß-Handbuch des Herzogthums Nassau'' (1866), "Herzogliche Orden" [https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb10021632?page=30 p. 14]</ref>
* {{Flag|Oldenburg}}: [[House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis|Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig]], with Golden Crown and Swords, ''29 July 1866''<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AD6sPIakAuMC&pg=PR1 |title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Oldenburg: 1879 |publisher=Schulze |date=1879 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=AD6sPIakAuMC&pg=PA42 42]}}</ref>
* {{flag|Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}: [[Order of the White Falcon|Grand Cross of the White Falcon]], ''21 May 1853''<ref>{{citation|title=Staatshandbuch ... Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach|year=1855|language=German|chapter=Großherzogliche Hausorden|page=[https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00285406/Staatshandbuch_Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach_1855_0025.tif?logicalDiv=jportal_jparticle_01120991 15]|location=Weimar|publisher=Böhlau|via=zs.thulb.uni-jena.de}}</ref>
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Saxony}}: [[Order of the Rue Crown|Knight of the Rue Crown]], ''1871''<ref>{{cite book|title=Staatshandbuch für den Freistaat Sachsen: 1873|year=1873|publisher=Heinrich|page=[http://opacplus.bsb-muenchen.de/title/9530888/ft/bsb11041169?page=27 5]}}</ref>
* {{flag|Schaumburg-Lippe}}: Military Merit Medal
* {{flag|Württemberg}}: Grand Cross of the [[Military Merit Order (Württemberg)|Military Merit Order]], ''20 November 1871''<ref>''[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433082066006&view=1up&seq=102 Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg]'' (1881), "Königliche Orden" p. 54</ref>
* {{flagcountry|Austrian Empire}}:<ref>{{citation|chapter-url=http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1918&page=424&size=45|chapter=Ritter-Orden|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie|date=1883|access-date=5 February 2021|pages=[https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1883&page=335&size=45 118], [https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1883&page=345&size=45 128], [https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1883&page=378&size=45 161]}}</ref>
** [[Order of the Iron Crown (Austria)|Knight of the Iron Crown]], 1st Class, ''1861''
** Grand Cross of the [[Order of Leopold (Austria)|Imperial Order of Leopold]], ''1863''
** Grand Cross of the [[Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary|Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen]], ''1872''
* {{flagicon image|Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg}} [[Second French Empire|France]]: Grand Officer of the [[Legion of Honour]]
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Italy}}: [[Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation|Knight of the Annunciation]], ''20 October 1875''<ref name="dell'interno1879">{{cite book|author=Italia : Ministero dell'interno|title=Calendario generale del Regno d'Italia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LrLyR54-DjEC&pg=PA41|year=1879|publisher=Unione tipografico-editrice|page=41}}</ref>
* {{flagcountry|Russian Empire|1858}}:
** [[Order of St. George|Knight of St. George]], 3rd Class, ''27 December 1870''
** [[Order of St. Alexander Nevsky|Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky]], in Diamonds
** [[Order of St. Vladimir|Knight of St. Vladimir]], 1st Class
** [[Order of St. Andrew|Knight of St. Andrew]]
* {{flag|Sweden|1844}}: [[Order of the Sword|Knight of the Sword]]
}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
'''Attribution:'''
* {{EB1911|wstitle=Manteuffel, Edwin, Freiherr von|volume=17|page=604}}
* Pierre Zind, ''Elsass Lothringen/Alsace Lorraine une nation interdite, 1870–1940'', Paris: Copernic, 1979. {{in lang|fr}}

{{Recipients of the Grand Cross}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manteuffel, Edwin Von}}
[[Category:1809 births]]
[[Category:1885 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Dresden]]
[[Category:German barons]]
[[Category:Field marshals of the German Empire]]
[[Category:Field marshals of Prussia]]
[[Category:Prussian military personnel of the Second Schleswig War]]
[[Category:Prussian people of the Austro-Prussian War]]
[[Category:German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War]]
[[Category:Burials at Frankfurt Main Cemetery]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Military Order of Max Joseph]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Military Merit Order (Bavaria)]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary]]
[[Category:Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class]]
[[Category:Knights of the Order of the Sword]]
[[Category:Manteuffel family|Edwin Freiherr]]