Reimar Constantin von Alvensleben

Constantin von Alvensleben
Birth name	Reimar Constantin von Alvensleben
Birth date	26 August 1809(1809-08-26)
Place of birth	Eichenbarleben, Kanton Eichenbarleben, District of Neuhaldensleben, Departement der Elbe, Kingdom of Westphalia
Death date	28 March 1892 (aged 82)
Place of death	Berlin, Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Resting place	Ballenstedt cemetery
Allegiance	Kingdom of Prussia German Confederation North German Confederation German Empire
Service/branch	Prussian Army
Years of service	1827–1873
Rank	General of the Infantry
Battles/wars	Battle of Schleswig German revolutions of 1848–1849 Second Schleswig War German War of Brothers Franco-German War
Awards	Pour le Mérite Iron Cross Order of the Black Eagle

Reimar Constantin von Alvensleben (26 August 1809 – 28 March 1892) was a German officer of the Prussian Army, finally General of the Infantry and commanding general of an army corps.

Life

Five generals von Alvensleben, June 1865; from left to right: Hermann von Alvensleben (1809–1887), Gustav von Alvensleben (1803–1881), Werner von Alvensleben (1802–1877), Gebhard Karl Ludolf von Alvensleben (1798–1867) und Reimar Constantin von Alvensleben (1809–1892).

• 12 April 1820 Pädagogium (Kloster Unsrer Lieben Frauen under Probst D. Gotthilf Sebastian Rötger) in Magdeburg (Gymnasium)
  • 1821 Survived scarlet fever
• 1 November 1823 Cadet Corps (Kadettenhaus) in Berlin, 3rd Company under Hauptmann von Herrmann
  • July 1827 Officer examination passed
• 27 July 1827 Joined the 12th Company/(3rd) Fusilier Battalion/Kaiser Alexander Grenadier-Regiment; initially aggregated, then officially enlisted (einrangiert) on 15 March 1831
  • 1834 Educational trip to Switzerland and Italy
  • Participated in the Kalisch Review (under Emperor Nicholas I of Russia) from 12 to 22 September 1835, as did older brother Gustav Hermann
• 1836 Regimental adjutant
  • 1837 Educational trip to Italy with his father
• 31 May to 21 June 1842 Short service as adjutant of the 1. Garde-Landwehr-Brigade
• 22 June 1842 Return to the regiment as adjutant
  • April 1847 Used in the street riots in Berlin
  • 18 March 1848 Baptism of fire (Feuertaufe) during the barricade fighting in Berlin with the 2nd Battalion
• 19 September 1848 Commander of the 12th Company in the (3rd) Fusilier Battalion
  • January 1849 The company received the new Dreyse needle-gun
  • In the night from 4 to 5 May 1849, the company received the order to pack for Dresden
    • 5 May 1849, 5:00 a.m. departure, 6:00 p.m. arrival
  • 6 to 9 May 1849 Street fights in Dresden (Fusilier Battalion, as of 7 May also 1st Battalion)
    • 7 May 1849 First action for Constantin von Alvensleben's 12th Company
• 15 July 1849 (3rd) Fusilier Battalion, return to Berlin (the 1st Battalion had already returned in May)
• 18 June 1853 Transferred to the General Staff of the 7th Division
• 22 April 1856 Transferred to the General Staff of the 14th Division
• 22 July 1857 Transferred to the General Staff of the VII. Armee-Corps in Münster
  • May 1858 Accompanied Commanding General Karl Anton Joachim Zephyrinus Friedrich Meinrad von Hohenzollern to Lisbon (Kingdom of Portugal) on the occasion of the wedding of the generals sister Stephanie Josepha Friederike Wilhelmine Antonia von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen with King Peter V of Portugal, a Prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In Lisbon, he received his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel on 22 May.
    • Leaving Berlin on 2 May, they travelled to Düsseldorf, then Brussels and London, sailed, together with many German nobles, via Plymouth with a Portuguese war corvette and arrived on 17 May 1858. On 19 June, they began the return journey, which lasted several days, visiting Cádiz, Sevilla, Gibraltar, Tangier, Malaga, Alicante, Valencia, Barcelona, Marseilles, Lyon and Geneva.
• 28/29 June 1859 Chief of the General Staff of the I. Armee-Corps in Königsberg
• 12 June 1860 Head of the Department for Army Affairs in the War Ministry (Preußisches Kriegsministerium) under Albrecht Graf von Roon
• 20 September 1861 Commander of the Kaiser Alexander Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 1
  • 18 October 1861 Participated in the coronation ceremony for King Wilhelm I in Königsberg
• 25 June 1864 Commander of the 5th Infantry Brigade
  • his regimental officers presented him an honour rapier as a farewell gift
• 17 October 1864 Commander of the 2. Garde-Infanterie-Brigade
  • 5 November 1864 also head of the "Central Commission for the Transport of Large Masses of Troops on Railways"
  • 6 May 1866 Mobilization for the German War of Brothers
    • Generalmajor von Alvensleben was recommended for the Pour le Mérite by General Friedrich August Eberhard Prinz von Württemberg
    • 18 July 1866 Generalmajor von Alvensleben recommended Colonel Hugo Moritz Anton Heinrich Freiherr von Obernitz, Colonel Bernhard Alexander Heinrich von Kessel and Colonel Alexander August Wilhelm von Pape for the Pour le Mérite.
  • 20 September 1866 Ceremonial entry of the victorious troops into Berlin
  • 29 September 1866 Appointed member of the War Academy's Study Commission
• 30 October 1866 Commander of the 1. Garde-Infanterie-Division
• 18 July 1870 Commanding General of the III. Armee-Corps for the duration of the mobilization for the Franco-German War
  • 16 June 1871 Ceremonial entry of the victorious troops into Berlin
• 17 June 1871 Definitely appointed Commanding General of the III. Armee-Corps
  • 9 August 1872 First request to retire due to illness
  • 19 September 1872 Request denied by Kaiser Wilhelm I, but received paid leave until 1 March 1872
• 1 March 1872 2nd request to retire
• 27 March 1873 Placed at disposal (z. D.) with the statutory pension (de facto retired)
  • still à la suite of the Leib-Grenadier-Regiment (1. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 8
• He lived in Potsdam, Gernrode (as of 1877), Leipzig, Wiesbaden and, as of 1890, Berlin (Viktoriastraße)
  • He travelled ofte, especially to France and Italy. He made many trips to the old battlefields of 1870/71 and honoured the many fallen of his army corps.

Family

Constantin von Alvensleben was the son of Lieutenant Colonel Gebhard Johann von Alvensleben (1773–1856) and his wife (∞ 27 June 1799 in Neugattersleben) Friederike Eleonore Karoline, née von Alvensleben (1773–1826). He had six siblings:

• Gebhard Ludwig (1800–1864), Secret Senior Mine Council (Geheimer Oberbergrat) in Halle
• Werner (1802–1877), Lieutenant General
• Gustav Hermann (1803–1881), General of the Infantry
• Agnes Ehrengard (1805–1808)
• Gebhard Karl (1806–1857), Major in the 2. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß, wounded on 18 March 1848 in Berlin
• Karoline Albertine Wilhelmine Ottilie (1811–1813)

Promotions

• 27 July 1827 Seconde-Lieutenant (2nd Lieutenant)
• 14 August 1842 Premier-Lieutenant (1st Lieutenant)
• 19 September 1848 Hauptmann (Captain)
• 18 June 1853 Major
• 22 May 1858 Oberst-Lieutenant (Lieutenant Colonel)
• 1 July 1860 Oberst (Colonel)
• 25 June 1864 General-Major (Major General)
• 31 December 1866 General-Lieutenant (Lieutenant General) with Patent from 30 December 1866
• 22 March 1873 General der Infanterie (General of the Infantry)

Awards, decorations and honours

Awards and decorations

• Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class with Swords (RAO4⚔) in 1849
• Saxon Military Order of St. Henry, Knight's Cross (SH3) for Dresden in 1849
• Austrian Order of Leopold, Knight's Cross (ÖL3)
• Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz; DA/PDK)
• Saxe-Ernestine House Order, Commander 2nd Class (HSEH2b/HSH2b)
• Red Eagle Order, 3rd Class with the Bow (mit der Schleife) and Swords on Ring
• Saxe-Ernestine House Order, Commander 1st Class (HSEH2a/HSH2a) in April 1859
• Russian Order of Saint Anna (Sankt-Annen-Orden), 2nd Class with Diamonds (RA2mBr)
• Russian Order of Saint Stanislaus, 1st Class (RSt1)
• Prussian Order of the Crown (Preußischer Kronenorden), 2nd Class on 22 September 1863
• Pour le Mérite on 20 September 1866
• Commemorative Cross for the Campaign of 1866 (Erinnerungs-Kreuz für den Feldzug von 1866)
• Belgian Order of Leopold, Grand Cordon (BelgL1/BL1)
• Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves and Swords on Ring
• Russian Order of Saint Anna, I. Class (RA1)
• Star to his Red Eagle Order 2nd Class with Oak Leaves and Swords on Ring on 3 July 1869
• Iron Cross (1870), 2nd and 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 21 August 1870
  • 1st Class on 18 October 1870
• Russian Order of St. George, 3rd Class (RG3) on 27 December 1870, permission to accept and wear on 30 December 1870
• Oak Leaves to his Pour le Mérite on 31 December 1870
• War Commemorative Medal of 1870–1871 (Kaiserliche Kriegsdenkmünze 1870/71; KD70/71)
• Red Eagle Order, 1st Class with Oak Leaves and Swords on 16 June 1871
• Knight of the Russian Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (RAN)in December 1871 (personally presented by Russian Emperor Alexander II in Saint Petersburg)
• Red Eagle Order, Grand Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on Ring on 12 January 1892
• Order of the Black Eagle on 12 January 1892

Honours

• À la suite and uniform of the Leib-Grenadier-Regiment (1. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 8 on 16 June 1871 (special honour by the emperor)
• Endowment of 150,000 Talers (a thaler or taler is a silver coin) on 22 June 1871
• Fort de Plappeville near Metz was renamed Fort C. Alvensleben on 1 September 1873
• Infanterie-Regiment „von Alvensleben“ (6. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 52 named in his honour by Kaiser Wilhelm II on 30 March 1892
• General-von-Alvensleben-Kaserne (barracks) in Cottbus
• Alvenslebenstraße (street) in Cottbus (until 1946)
• Alvensleben monument (Alvensleben-Denkmal) in Cottbus, unveiled on 16 August 1913; destroyed by the Red Army in 1945.

Further reading

• Constantin v. Alvensleben, General der Infanterie – Ein militärisches Lebensbild, Berlin 1903 (Google Books)