|
Major-General August von Kruse (1779 in Wiesbaden, Nassau (modern-day Germany) – January 1848), was a general in the army of the Duke of Nassau during the Napoleonic Wars and an experimental farmer in his retirement. von Kruse organized the military of the state of Nassau during the Napoleonic Wars, and participated in the lengthy French campaign in the Iberian Peninsula; under secret orders from his Duke, he switched sides in 1814, and fought against the French in northern Europe. He commanded the Nassau infantry brigade at the Battle of Waterloo. In his retirement, he experimented in new farming and cattle breeding techniques on a small acreage given to him by the Duke of Nassau, exploring the problems in raising healthy cattle. ==Family and military career== August von Kruse was born in Wiesbaden in 1779. His father, Karl Friedrich von Kruse (1737–1806), a state official in the service of Nassau-Usingen, wrote several books on husbandry and household management, including ''Lehrbegriffs der Landwirtschaft und Haushaltungskunste'' for the Naussau schools in 1780, and ''Wahren Darstellung der grossen französichen Staatsrevolutions'' in 1790, which entered into several printings.〔Verein für Nassauische Altertumskunde und Geschichte. ''Nassauische Annalen: Jahrbuch des Vereins für Nassauische... Wiesbaden: Der Verein, 1914-19??. Vol. 13-14, p. 15.〕 His mother was Philippina Catherina von Bitburg; he was their only son.〔 Johann Samuel Ersch. ''Allgemeine encyclopädie der wissenschaften und künste in alphabetischer folge ...'' Leipzig: J.f. Gleditsch, 1818-89, p. 300.〕 Against the wishes of his father, at the age of 17 he joined the military. For seven years he served in the military of the Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg. On 1 July 1803, he accepted a commission as a captain in the Nassau-Weilburg military. At that time, the army of the principality consisted of two companies. With the merger of the principality of Nassau Weilburg with Nassau, the army expanded considerably, and Kruse received the rank of major. As a client state of France, Nassau supported Napoleon in the Prussian campaign of 1806. By the end of the campaign, Kruse had been promoted to lieutenant colonel. In the summer of 1808, Kruse commanded the 2nd Nassau Infantry Regiment No. 88, and fought for the French in the Peninsular War. On 13 October 1808, the regiment crossed the Spanish border. The Nasssauers participated in 42 battles, including the Battle of Vitoria on 21 June 1813. On 10 December 1813, as Napoleon's empire crumbled in northern Europe, Kruse received secret orders from the Duke to join the British.〔 He carefully maneuvered his men so they could march to the British line, upon which he announced their change of allegiance.〔Richard Holmes. ''Redcoat: the British soldier in the age of horse and musket.'' New York: Norton, 2002, p. 54.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「August von Kruse」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|