August von Werder

Werder was born in Schloßberg near Norkitten (now in Chernyakhovsky District) in the Province of East Prussia. He entered the Prussian Gardes du Corps in 1825, transferring the following year into the Guard Infantry, with which he served for many years as a subaltern. In 1839 he was appointed an instructor in the Cadet Corps, and later he was employed in the topographical bureau of the Great General Staff. In 1842-1843 he took part in the Russian operations in the Caucasus, and on his return to Germany in 1846, was placed, as a captain, on the staff. In 1848 he married. Regimental and staff duty alternately occupied him until 1863, when he was made major-general, and given the command of a brigade of Guard Infantry.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Werder commanded the 3rd Division, which was part of the Second Army. Despite a lack of supply, Werder distinguished himself at Gitschin and Königgratz. He returned home with the rank of lieutenant-general and the Order Pour le Mérite. In 1870, at first employed with the 3rd Army Headquarters and in command of the Württemberg and Baden forces, he was after the Battle of Wörth entrusted with the operations against Strasbourg, which he captured after a long and famous siege.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Promoted general of infantry, and assigned to command the new XIVth Army Corps, Werder defeated the French at Dijon and at Nuits, and, when Charles-Denis Bourbaki's army moved forward to relieve Belfort, turned upon him and fought the desperate action of Battle of Villersexel, which enabled him to cover the Germans besieging Belfort. On 15, 16 and 17 January 1871, Werder with greatly inferior forces succeeded in holding his own on the Battle of the Lisaine against all Bourbaki's efforts to reach Belfort, a victory which aroused great enthusiasm in southern Germany.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}{{Cite web|last=Biographie|first=Deutsche|title=Werder, August Graf von - Deutsche Biographie|url=https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/sfz85074.html|access-date=2021-01-07|website=www.deutsche-biographie.de|language=de}} In the course of this enthusiastic prevailing mood, a monument - the Siegesdenkmal - was erected in Freiburg im Breisgau to honor his services and the victory of the German people in the Franco-Prussian War.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}

After the war Werder commanded the Baden forces, now called the XlVth Army Corps, until he retired in 1879. On his retirement he was raised to the dignity of count. He died in 1887 at Grüssow in Pomerania. The 30th (4th Rhenish) Infantry regiment carried his name, and there is a statue of Werder at Freiburg im Breisgau.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|

• {{flagicon image|Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg}} Kingdom of Prussia:{{citation|title=Rangliste de Königlich Preußischen Armee|year=1887|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015062308716&view=1up&seq=173&skin=2021 157]|location=Berlin|publisher=Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn|language=German|via=hathitrust.org}}
• Knight of Honour of the Johanniter Order, 28 September 1844{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste|journal=Preussische Ordens-Liste|volume=1|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=4&skin=2021|pages=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=15&skin=2021 7], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=30&skin=2021 22], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=1004&skin=2021 932], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=1085&skin=2021 1013]|language=German|location=Berlin|year=1886|via=hathitrust.org}}
• Pour le Mérite (military), 20 September 1866; with Oak Leaves, 17 January 1871{{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?tify={%22pages%22:[482],%22panX%22:0.327,%22panY%22:0.883,%22view%22:%22thumbnails%22,%22zoom%22:0.386}|page=478|volume=2|location=Berlin|publisher=Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn}}
• Service Award Cross
• Grand Cross of the Red Eagle, with Oak Leaves and Swords, 22 January 1871
• Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (1870), 22 March 1871{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste|journal=Preussische Ordens-Liste|volume=3|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878856&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878856&view=1up&seq=9&skin=2021 5]|language=German|location=Berlin|year=1877|via=hathitrust.org}}
• Knight of the Black Eagle, 9 September 1875; with Collar, 1876
• Grand Commander's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, with Star, 22 September 1877
• {{flagicon image|Flag of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Sigmaringen.png}} Hohenzollern: Cross of Honour of the Princely House Order of Hohenzollern, 1st Class with Swords
• {{flag|Austrian Empire}}: Commander of the Imperial Order of Leopold, 19 December 1863{{citation|chapter-url=https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1879&size=45&page=248|chapter=Ritter-Orden: Oesterreichisch-kaiserlicher Leopolds-orden|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie|date=1879|access-date=2 September 2021|page=[https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1879&page=258&size=45 78]|location=Vienna|via=alex.onb.ac.at}}
• {{flag|Baden}}:{{citation|title=Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden|year=1884|chapter=Großherzogliche Orden|chapter-url=https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1876029|pages=[https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1876033 61], [https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1876035 63], [https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1876097 125]|location=Karlsruhe|via=blb-karlsruhe.de}}
• Grand Cross of the Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order, 6 April 1871
• Grand Cross of the Zähringer Lion, with Swords and Golden Collar, 1872; with Star in Diamonds, 14 October 1875
• Knight of the House Order of Fidelity, 1879
• {{flag|Kingdom of Bavaria}}: Grand Cross of the Military Merit Order, 4 April 1871
• {{flag|Grand Duchy of Hesse}}: Grand Cross of the Ludwig Order, 10 April 1872{{citation|title=Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Grossherzogtums Hessen|year=1883|chapter=Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112032663715&view=1up&seq=39&skin=2021|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112032663715&view=1up&seq=52&skin=2021 24]|location=Darmstadt|publisher=Im Verlag der Invalidenanstalt|via=hathitrust.org}}
• {{flag|Mecklenburg-Schwerin}}: Military Merit Cross, 1st Class, 4 December 1866
• {{flag|Nassau}}: Commander of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau, 1st Class with Swords, February 1861{{citation|title=Staats- und Adreß-Handbuch des Herzogthums Nassau|year=1866|chapter=Herzogliche Orden|chapter-url=https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb10021632?page=5|page=[https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb10021632?page=34 18]|location=Wiesbaden|via=digitale-sammlungen.de}}
• {{flag|Russian Empire|1858}}:
• Knight of St. George, 3rd Class, 27 December 1870{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DYwWAQAAIAAJ |author=V. M. Shabanov|title=Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George: A Nominal List, 1769-1920|year=2004|location=Moscow|page=928|isbn=5-89577-059-2}}
• Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky, 20 June 1871
• Knight of St. Vladimir, 4th Class with Swords
• {{flagicon image|Flagge Fürstentümer Schwarzburg.svg}} Schwarzburg: Princely Schwarzburg Honor Cross , 1st Class
• {{flag|Württemberg}}:{{citation|title=Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg|year=1881|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433082066006&view=1up&seq=9&skin=2021|chapter=Königliche Orden|pages=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433082066006&view=1up&seq=85&skin=2021 37], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433082066006&view=1up&seq=102&skin=2021 54]|location=Stuttgart|via=hathitrust.org}}
• Grand Cross of the Military Merit Order, 30 December 1870
• Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown, 1877

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{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{EB1911|wstitle = Werder, Karl Wilhelm Friedrich August Leopold, Count von|volume=28|page=522}}

{{Recipients of the Grand Cross}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Werder, Karl Wilhelm Friedrich August Leopold Graf von}}

Category:1808 births

Category:1887 deaths

Category:People from Chernyakhovsky District

Category:Military personnel from East Prussia

Category:Counts in Germany

Category:Generals of Infantry (Prussia)

Category:Prussian people of the Austro-Prussian War

Category:German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War

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 Merit Order (Bavaria)

Category:Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class

Category:Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree