Alexander Graf von Dönhoff (9 February 1683 – 9 October 1742) was a

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

n lieutenant-general and confidant of King Friedrich Wilhelm I. He was born in

Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was na ...

, the son of Friedrich von Dönhoff and Eleonore Katharina née von Schwerin, daughter of Otto von Schwerin, the President of the Elector of Brandenburg's Privy Council. In November 1699 he became enlisted in Brandenburg services. Then he went to Hesse-Kassel, where he was captain and in 1701 participated in the

War of Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

against

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

. He was promoted to major in 1704, to 9nd lieutenant colonel in February 1705, and engaged in combat in northern Italy in 1706 and 1707. On 27 December 1709 he became a colonel, and led a separate regiment in 1720 and became major general on 13 July 1722, in the Prussian service. In the trial against the Prussian Crown Prince

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode * Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederi ...

and

Hans Hermann von Katte Hans Hermann von Katte (28 February 1704 – 6 November 1730) was a Lieutenant of the Prussian Army, and a friend, tutor and possible lover of the future King Frederick II of Prussia, who was at the time the Crown Prince. Katte was executed by Fred ...

1730, he was a member of the war court. In the years 1734 and 1735 he led the campaign on the

Rhine The Rhine ; french: Rhin ; nl, Rijn ; wa, Rén ; li, Rien; rm, label=Sursilvan, Rein, rm, label=Sutsilvan and Surmiran, Ragn, rm, label=Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader and Puter, Rain; it, Reno ; gsw, Rhi(n), including in Alsatian dialect, Al ...

, and on 7 June 1737 was promoted to lieutenant general. On 24 June 1740 he retired from active service. On 31 October 1720 he married Charlotte Gräfin

von Blumenthal The von Blumenthal family are Lutheran and Roman Catholic German nobility, originally from Brandenburg-Prussia. Other (unrelated) families of this name exist in Switzerland and formerly in Russia, and many unrelated families (quite a few of them J ...

(born 28 September 1761 in

Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...

, the daughter of a Prussian Supreme Lord), and they had two sons and a daughter. His son,

Friedrich Ludwig Graf von Dönhoff Friedrich may refer to: Names *Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich'' *Friedrich (given name), people with the given name ''Friedrich'' Other *Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' ...

(born 10 February 1724 - 19 June 1778) was also major-general.

Literature

Kurt von Priesdorff Kurt is a male given name of Germanic or Turkish origin. ''Kurt'' or ''Curt'' originated as short forms of the Germanic Conrad, depending on geographical usage, with meanings including counselor or advisor. In Turkish, Kurt means "Wolf" and is ...

(Hg.): ''Soldatisches Führertum''. Hanseatische Verl.-Anst., Hamburg

937 Year 937 ( CMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * A Hungarian army invades Burgundy, and burns the city of Tournus. Then they go southward ...

Band 1, Nr. 216 * Anton Balthasar König: Biographisches Lexikon aller Helden und Militärpersonen, welche sich in preussischen Diensten berühmt gemacht haben,

ever Ever may refer to: * Ever (artist), creator of street art, from Buenos Aires, Argentina * Ever, Kentucky * -ever, an English suffix added to interrogative words in forms like ''wherever'' * KT Tech EVER, a South Korean mobile phone manufacturer ...

Berlin 1788-1791, Nachdruck: LTR-Verlag, Starnberg 1989, {{DEFAULTSORT:Donhoff, Alex 1683 births 1742 deaths Military personnel from Königsberg People from East Prussia Alexander von Dönhoff Counts of Germany Lieutenant generals of Prussia