Ernst von der Lancken

Major General Ernst Ferdinand von der Lancken (24 August 1841 – 18 May 1902) was a Swedish Army officer. His senior commands includes the post as Inspector of the Swedish Army Service Troops (1889–1892) and Acting Chief of the General Staff (1892–1895).

Early life von der Lancken was born on 24 August 1841 in Malmö, Sweden, the son of lieutenant colonel Gustaf Ferdinand von der Lancken and his wife Katarina Benedikta (née Wulff). He was the brother of Deputy Governor of Stockholm (Underståthållare), Ehrenfried von der Lancken (1843–1919). He passed studentexamen in Lund in 1858 and graduated with an administrative degree (kansliexamen) in 1864.

Career von der Lancken was commissioned into the South Scanian Infantry Regiment with the rank of underlöjtnant in 1860. He became a General Staff officer in 1866 and was promoted to lieutenant in the South Scanian Infantry Regiment in 1870. von der Lancken became captain in the General Staff in 1873 and in the South Scanian Infantry Regiment in 1878. He served as teacher of general staff service at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1878 to 1884 and as chief of staff of the 4th Military District from 1879 to 1881.

He was also the driving force of the 1881—83 Service Regulations Committee. He wrote a large number of annual reports, biographies, essays and - generally very sharp - criticisms in Krigsvetenskapsakademiens handlingar och tidskrift, and also translated and provided comments to the Russian military author 's work Positive Strategy (1874).

Death He died on 18 May 1902 in Hedvig Eleonora Parish in Stockholm.

Dates of rank 1858 – Furir 1860 – Underlöjtnant 1866 – Lieutenant 1870 – Second lieutenant 1873 – First lieutenant 1873 – Captain 1881 – Major 1884 – Lieutenant colonel 1890 – Colonel 1896 – Major general

Awards and decorations

Honours Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1875)