Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher

Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher was a Prussian field marshal who played a crucial role in the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in the Napoleonic Wars. He began his military career as a hussar in the Swedish army, but was captured by the Prussians in 1760 and joined their service. He fought in the Seven Years' War and the French Revolutionary Wars, rising to the rank of major general in 1794. He was forced to retire by Frederick the Great for insubordination, but was reinstated after his death in 1786. He became a lieutenant general in 1801 and commanded the cavalry corps in the disastrous campaign of 1806 against Napoleon. He was one of the few Prussian generals who resisted the French domination after the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807. He returned to active service in 1813, when Prussia joined the coalition against Napoleon. He was appointed commander of the Prussian army and fought with distinction at the battles of Lützen, Bautzen, Katzbach, Leipzig, La Rothière, Laon, and Paris. He was promoted to field marshal and made a prince of Wahlstatt for his achievements. He also received several orders and decorations from Prussia and other allied countries. In 1815, he led the Prussian army again against Napoleon, who had escaped from Elba and returned to power in France. He was defeated at Ligny, but managed to regroup his forces and join the British army under Wellington at Waterloo. His timely arrival on Napoleon's right flank turned the tide of the battle and ensured the final victory over the French emperor. He died in 1819 at his estate in Krieblowitz, where he was buried. He is regarded as one of the greatest Prussian generals and a national hero in Germany.