Christoph von Dohna-Schlodien

Christoph II, Burggraf and Count of Dohna-Schlodien (25 October 1702 in Schlodien – 19 May 1762 in Berlin) was a Prussian general. He was the son of Christopher I, Burgrave and Count of Dohna-Schlodien (1665–1733). He served in the armies of Frederick William I of Prussia and his son, Frederick II, in the Silesian and Seven Years' wars. He was particularly successful at the Battle of Gross-Jägersdorf, and instrumental in relieving Siege of Kolberg.

Family Christoph II descended from an old Prussian family, von Dohna, whose founder was Stanislaus von Dohna; his father, Christoph I. zu Dohna-Schlodien, was Stanislaus's great-grandson. His mother, Frede (Friederike) Marie, was the daughter of his uncle, Christian Albert, Burgrave and Count of Dohna. Christoph II married Gräfin Friederike zu Solms-Wildenfels in Wildenfels on 18 October 1734. She was the daughter of Friedrich Christoph zu Solms-Wildenfels . In April 1741 and in December 1742, the couple had daughters Sophia Albertine and Albertina Amalia. In 1747, when the couple had a daughter, the Princess Amalia and two younger brothers stood in for the King at the child's baptism.

Christoph II's military career emulated that of other Junker sons. Many of the Junkers owned immense estates, especially in the north-eastern part of Prussia (i.e. the Prussian provinces of Brandenburg, Pomerania, Silesia, East Prussia and Posen). Their younger sons followed careers as soldiers (Fahnenjunker); consequently, the links between the Junker families to the Prussian Army firmly united the Prussian elite with the Prussian state.

Military career

Promotions

Frederick William died in May 1740 and his son, Frederick II declined to endorse the Pragmatic Sanction. By the end of 1740, with the death of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, Prussia and Austria were at war over Maria Theresa's succession and inheritance. On 20 June 1745, Dohna was appointed major general by patent effective as of 15 May 1743. He became proprietor of Infantry Regiment Nr. 4 in 1745; this regiment, established in 1672, had been his father's and grandfather's during their military service. He later became the proprietor of Infantry Regiment Nr. 23 until 1748; on 14 July 1748, he became proprietor of Infantry Regiment No. 16, which had been established by his grandfather in 1689, and at which he remained until his death in 1762. On 25 January 1751, Frederick promoted him to lieutenant general. Subsequently, he forced the Russians to lift their siege of the Battle of Kolberg, inflicting 600 casualties on the Russians. After relieving the siege, his wing moved against the Austrians under András Hadik in Saxony. By January 1759, he was back in Pomerania fighting the Swedes, and had taken the towns of Damgarten, Richtenberg, Grimm, Greifswald, Demmin and Anklam for Frederick, pushing the Swedes back to Stralsund and Rügen. After his recovery, he rejoined the army at Landsberg on the Warthe. On 24 June 1759 he marched with Manteuffel into Poland in their unsuccessful effort to prevent the Russians from advancing into Silesia. On 22 July 1759, he opposed the Russian army at Züllichau, but he again was recalled to Berlin for health reasons before the armies could engage. Carl Heinrich von Wedel, his successor at Züllichau, engaged the Russian army at the Battle of Kay, which the Prussians lost with high casualties.