Karl Christoph von der Goltz


Karl Christoph Freiherr von der Goltz was a lieutenant general in the Prussian army during the reign of Frederick the Great.

Military career

Goltz entered legal studies at Thorn from 1716 - 1720. Upon leaving university, for the next three years he worked at the Chancellery, and later for the Crown, but he did not like the legal profession. In 1723, Goltz entered into Prussian military service. At the beginning of 1724, he was a fahnenjunker in the Forcade regiment. In 1726 he went through the Holy Roman Empire on a recruiting tour, with such great success that he was promoted to cadet later that year.
In 1752 he became commander-in-chief and 1757 major general and regimental commander of the infantry regiment No. 24. On 6 February 1760, he was appointed lieutenant general. In March 1760, Frederick wrote to his general, "This is the old Prussian style, to hold themselves successfully against a far more numerous army." Goltz was able to retire in order to Neisse, after Daun defeated the Prussians at Battle of Maxen.
In October 1760, Goltz commanded 16 battalions and 35 squadrons to guard the fortress of Glogau against the Russians. After that he fought with Landshut again against the Austrian general Gideon von Laudon.
On 19 April 1761, Goltz presented an attack plan to the King. The plan was to attack with his 20,000 men from Glogau against the Russian troops. For this purpose, he was provided with the jus gladii by the king in the headquarters of Hausdorf. On 13 May 1761, Goltz was awarded the Black Eagle Order. In June, however, he fell ill with typhus in the encampment near Glogau, where he died. Goltz was included on the Equestrian statue of Frederick the Great.

Family

He was the second son of the rittmeister Henning Bernhard von der Goltz and his wife Maria Katharina von Heidebreck. His elder brother, Henning Bernd von der Goltz, was also a soldier.
Goltz married on 17 July 1737 to Frederike Margaretha von Burgsdorf a widow. . The couple had 11 children: