Born in
Mecklenburg in
1742,
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher first joined the swedish
army as a cavalryman in
1756. He fought in three campaigns against
Prussia, but when captured by the enemy in
1760 promptly switched
sides.
Blücher was well known for his ferocity and his hatred against the
French. He urged the Prussian commanders to wage war against
Napoleon Bonaparte, but his unruly behaviour during the campaign of
1806 led to his forced retirement. He returned to duty in 1813,
promoted to Field Marshal of Prussia, and met the hated French at
Lutzen, Bautzen, Katsbach, Leipzig, Waterloo
and about half a dozen other battlefields. After Napoleon's first
defeat in 1814, Blücher received the title of Prince of
Wahlstatt. He died on September 12, 1819.
There are some anecdotes about this old soldier that suggests that he was not too mentally stable. In June 1815 he made a short speech in front
of his troops and announced that he was pregnant and about to give
birth to an elephant, fathered by a French grenadier. He was
removed from the front and placed in protective custody.