Hans Joachim von Zieten

Hans Joachim von Zieten
Nickname(s)	Zieten aus dem Busch
Born	(1699-05-14)14 May 1699 Wustrau,Brandenburg
Died	26 January 1786(1786-01-26)(aged 86) Berlin
Allegiance	Prussia
Service/branch	Army
Rank	General of Cavalry
Commands held	Zieten Hussars
Battles/wars	War of the Polish Succession First Silesian War Second Silesian War Hohenfriedberg Katholisch-Hennersdorf Kesselsdorf Seven Years' War Reichenberg Prague Kolin Leuthen Domstadtl Torgau
Awards	Pour le Mérite Black Eagle Order Equestrian statue of Frederick the Great

Hans Joachim von Zieten,sometimes spelled Johann Joachim von Ziethen,(14 May 1699 – 26 January 1786), also known asZieten aus dem Busch,was acavalrygeneralin thePrussian Army.He served in four wars and was instrumental in several victories during the reign ofFrederick the Great,most particularly atHohenfriedbergandTorgau.He is also well known for a raid into theHabsburg territoriesduring theSecond Silesian War,known asZieten's Ride.After engaging in a reputed 74 duels, and fighting in four wars, he died in his bed at the age of 86.

Early life

Zieten was born on 14 May 1699 in thehamletof Wustrau, now part ofFehrbellin,in theMargraviate of Brandenburg.His father was Joachim Matthias (1657–1720) and his mother, Catharine Jurgass. The family had lived there for several hundred years; records show them founding a Latin School in the mid-fourteenth century. The property was small and the family referred to the ramshackle house as a calliope. His father shared the property with his brother, Hans Dietrich; when the brother died in 1693, the father owned the property outright, valued at 4,000thalers.Zieten was the third of seven children; by 1720, when his father died, only four children remained.Wustrau came to Zieten and his three sisters. The estate was valued at 8,000 thalers, of which the maintenance of the mother had to be fulfilled and his sisters' inheritances and dowries paid.This left Zieten with about half of the value.

Military career

A neighbor, Generalvon SchwendyofBuskow,took Zieten in 1715 as corporal in his regiment inNeuruppin.On 7 July 1722, Zieten became acadet.Upon his appointment as governor ofSpandau,Schwendy, who had been Zieten's mentor, released his regiment to command ofGeneralmajorKurt Christoph Graf von Schwerin.In a report toFrederick William I,Zieten was described as "... very small, and of [too] weak [a] voice for commanding." This was sufficient for the so-called soldier-king, who was obsessed with tall men, to overlook Zieten in the promotions lists. On 28 July 1724, Zieten journeyed fromCrossen,where his regiment was garrisoned, with a petition for promotion to the King, who then wrote on the margin of the petition that Zieten "shall have his dismissal."Zieten retired to his estates. Two years later, during a stay in Berlin, Zieten heard of the doubling of the dragoon regiment of Wuthenow and obtained a position aslieutenantin this regiment. In 1727, after an argument with his captain (Rittmeister), he was condemned to a one-year imprisonment on the fortress ofKönigsbergfor disobedience. After returning from the fortress, Zieten challenged theRittmeisterto a duel and he was subsequentlycashiered.He returned to Wustrau.

By 1730, on the recommendation of GeneralWilhelm Dietrich von Buddenbrock,the supposedly rehabilitated Zieten entered the newly formedFreikompanie(independent company) of hussars atPotsdam.On 1 March 1732, a second company of the Hussars was created, and Zieten was appointed as its chief and promoted to theRittmeisterwith 50 thalers a month's salary. In summer 1732, Zieten was given four weeks of arrest for an offense. In 1735, Frederick William appointed Zieten as the head of a hussar company, and sent him to the Imperial Army on the Rhine, where he participated in theRhine campaign.Károly József Batthyány,the Austrian hussars' superintendent, served as his mentor in the fighting against France. At that time, theAustrianswere the reputed masters of light cavalry work. His next promotion, tomajortook place on 29 January 1736.

In 1737 Zieten married the 33-year-old Judith von Jürgaß. His eldest daughter came from this marriage. Shortly before the wedding, he dueled with his superintendent, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Ludwig von Wurmburg. Both were severely wounded.

Service to Frederick the Great

In 1741, at the onset of theFirst Silesian War(War of Austrian Succession), Zieten was amajorand squadron leader. On 10 May 1741 he distinguished himself in combat with the Austrians at theBattle of Strehlen.He was promoted tolieutenant colonelin the Life hussar regiment and received the OrderPour le Mérite.

Zieten met his old teacher, Batthyány, during theFirst Silesian Warand defeated him at theBattle of Rothschloss.The chivalrous Austrian sent him a complimentary letter a few days later, and General von Winterfeldt, who had been in command at Rothschloss, reported upon his conduct so favorably thatFrederickmarked him for future high command. Within a year he wascolonelandproprietorof the newly formed Hussar Regiment, theZieten Hussars,the second Hussar Regiment. In theMoravianforay of the following year, Zieten and his hussars penetrated almost toVienna,and in the retreat toSilesiahe was constantly employed with the rearguard.

Although upon his rejoining the military in 1730 as a "rehabilitated" officer, Zieten's temperament had not wholly reformed. With several contemporaries, he maintained a running rivalry with Hans Karl von Winterfeldt, one of Frederick's trusted confidantes. It had its origins in simultaneous promotions to colonel following the Battle of Rothschloss. Although Zieten was the older in years and service, and had actually been in command at the battle, he and Winterfeldt were promoted together. Zieten resented the rapid promotion of his junior. The animosity was perpetuated by Frederick's long-standing trust of Winterfeldt, who had stood by him during theKatte Affair.

Zieten transformed the tactics of his hussar troop, and gave them a new uniform.

Zieten had the family house demolished, and built a new manor house of Wustrau: Schloss Wustrau.

Detail of the crest at the family house at Wustrau.

Zieten's ride

In the winter of 1741–1742, and later during the short peace between the first and second Silesian wars, Zieten was engaged in the reorganization of Prussian cavalry. In 1743 he had his family house, the old "Kaluppe", demolished, and began construction of a new, stately mansion in Wustrau. During the short peace, the hussars, like the rest of the Prussian cavalry, had undergone a complete transformation. To their discipline they had added the dash and skirmishing qualities of the best irregulars, and the Prussian hussars were considered the best of their kind in Europe.In 1743 the Zieten hussars adopted the distinctive tiger-skinpelissefor their parade uniforms, with company officers wearing fur caps withheronfeathers and field officers using aneagles' wing.

In 1744, Zieten advanced with the avant-garde of the Prussian army in Bohemia toBudejovice.On his own initiative at Moldau, the colonel, with his red-uniform Hussar Regiment No. 2, forced a larger enemy's force into its knees. Zieten covered the retreat behind theElbe,and on 12 October, he fell into a violent ambush at Moldau. In this year the nickname, "Zieten aus den Busch" (Zieten of the bush) was born.

On 20 May 1745, he and his hussars distinguished themselves with a daring nocturnal passage past an Austrian corps of 20,000 men. Zieten led the famousZietenritt(Zietenride) around the enemy's lines to deliver the King's order to a distant detachment. Two weeks later, atHohenfriedbergon 4 June, the Zieten Hussars distinguished themselves for the first time in a battle. Before theBattle of Hennersdorfin November, the Zieten Hussars shadowed the Imperial army, waiting to pounce on them. At Hennersdorf, Zieten repulsed the sudden and unexpected assault of the Austro-Saxons;Winterfeldt arrived on the field in time to take a decisive part in the victory. Once again the rivals had to share their laurels, and Zieten actually wrote to the king in disparagement of Winterfeldt, receiving in reply a full and generous recognition of his own worth and services, coupled with the curt remark that the king intended to employ General von Winterfeldt in any way that he thought fit.

The victory at Hennersdorf ended the Second Silesian War.After theTreaty of Dresden,the daily routine of peacetime military service began to drag his spirits down. At times, the opinionated Zieten fell into disgrace with the King, who, in Zieten's opinion, did not sufficiently support him. Zieten separated himself from the court, and grumbled to Frederick from his estate. In March 1756, his wife died and the aging general began to be plagued by thegout.

Seven Years' War

Further information:Seven Years' War

Zieten was promoted togeneralleutnantand took part in theBattle of Reichenbergin 1757 and again at theBattle of Prague.On 5 May 1757, he received theOrder of the Black Eagle.In theBattle of Kolínhe commanded the advance guard and was then assigned to DukeAugust Wilhelm Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern,who was given the command in Silesia. On 24 November 1757, he led the rest of the army pastGlogautoLiegnitzto join Frederick's army; he subsequently distinguished himself in theBattle of Leuthenon 5 December,by helping to run down the Austrian left flank. At theBattle of Hochkirch,his cavalry, and that of Seydlitz, provided the rear guard for the Prussian withdrawal.During the attack at Domstadt, he could not prevent the loss of a large supply convoy. During theBattle of Liegnitzon 15 August 1760, he managed to keep the Austrian main army at bay so that it could not participate in the battle. Zieten was promoted togeneralof cavalry. He made one of the few tactical mistakes of his career early in theBattle of Torgau,3 November 1760, when he misdirected an attack against the Austrian troops; he made up for this error when he and his hussars stormed the Süptitzer heights.

Finally, it was Zieten who, in 1761, took the King out of a deep spiritual crisis while the army was entrenched atBunzelwitz.Until the end of the war, he was repeatedly entrusted with the supreme command of the Prussian army in the absence of the king. By the end of the war, Zieten belonged to the elite of the kingdom and the inner circle of friends of the monarch.

Aging years

After the Seven Years' War, Zieten retired from active service, widely considered a hero. During theWar of the Bavarian Succession,Frederick forbade him to go, so he stayed on his estate at Wustrau with his niece, Johannavon Blumenthal,whose son was serving in his regiment. During this period she gathered his reminiscences for a biography.

In the subsequent years of peace, the old army commander remained a tireless instructor of his now legendary Hussar regiment. In his last years of life, Zieten alternated between Berlin, where he bought a house in 1763 on Kochstrasse No. 61–62. and on his property at Wustrau, where he devoted himself mainly to charity. At the same time, he worked with great care to improve his property. He enjoyed the special trust of Frederick, who frequently visited "his old father Zieten." In one visit with the King, atSanssouci,after a long conversation, the King ordered a chair to be placed on which he invited the 85-year-old man to sit. Despite his infirmities, Zieten refused to sit in the presence of the monarch; the King said: "Sit down, Zieten, or I will go away."

"Sit down, Zieten, or I will go away," said the King. (1800 etching byDaniel Chodowiecki)

On 26 January 1786, Zieten died in his bed in Berlin, a remarkable age considering his hair-trigger temper and his reputed 74 duels.He was buried on 31 January 1786 on the Wustrau cemetery next to the village church. His estate was valued at 65,057 thalers. Apart from property at Wustrau, he left no fortune. The furniture of the Berlin house had to be auctioned after his death, and his widow was only freed from debt by a gift from King Frederick of ten thousand thalers.

Marriages and children

From his first marriage with Judith von Jürgaß (1703–19 March 1756) (married on 5 November 1737) came a daughter, Johanna (1747–7 June 1829). She married Karl von Jürgaß (1702–19 March 1756), the son of Joachim von Jürgaß and Luise von Zieten.

After the death of his first wife, he married on 24 August 1764 to Hedwig von Platen (1738–6 September 1818). His only son,Friedrich von Zieten(6 October 1765–29 June 1854), whose baptism Frederick witnessed, was first a captain of hussars and from 1800–1824 councilor ofRuppin.In 1840 he was raised to the nobility byFrederick William II of Prussia.He died in 1854, unmarried, and was buried in the local cemetery.

With the death of the last male heir, the property and title moved from the Zieten family to the line of Schwerin, due to the marriage of one of his granddaughters, Karoline Albertine Luise Wilhelmine Emilie von Zieten (22 April 1806–24 February 1853) to Albert Ludwig Wilhelm von Schwerin (17 June 1801–27 October 1865). Their children inherited the property and title.

Another famous member of the Hussars-Zieten,Hans Count von Zieten,is only remotely related to Hans Joachim.

Memorials

In 1794Frederick William IIplaced a monument to Zieten in Berlin on the Wilhelmplatz (Berlin-Mitte). It was first created by Johann Gottfried Schadow inmarbleand replaced in 1857 with a bronze cast byAugust Kiß.It stands today on theZietenplatzon the cornerWilhelmstraßeandMohrenstraße (Berlin)next to the monument ofLeopold I, the Old Dessauer.A similar one stands at Rupppin See.

Memorials

• 
  Frederick William II established the first memorial in Berlin in 1794.
• 
  Relief on pedestal of the Memorial plaque for Hans Joachim von Zieten in theCharge of the Süptitzer Höhen(in Fehrbellin-Wustrau)
• 
  Memorial established at the site of theBattle of Hennersdorf
• 
  Memorial to Zieten on the Obelisk at Rheinsberg
• 
  Zieten's grave inFehrbellin-Wustrau
• 
  Zieten memorial inKreuzberg(Berlin)

Zieten's name is on theEquestrian statue of Frederick the Greatin Berlin (1851), and a full-sized relief of him stands at the corner of the statue; in addition, built between 1981 and 1983, theNational People's Armybarracks in Beelitz bore his name, as well as Zietenstraße inDüsseldorfand the Zietenring inWiesbaden,a street inLünen,also bear his name. From 1936 to 1945,Göttingenhad the Zieten barracks and the Zieten Terrace;Pietrowice(German: Peterwitz) in the rural community ofGłubczyce(German: Leobschütz) in Silesia was called Zietenbusch from 1936 to 1945.

See also

• Statue of Hans Joachim von Zieten,Berlin
• SMS Zieten

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Zieten, Hans Joachim von".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 980.