Open military work and secret machinations tested his energy and patriotism equally, and after the outbreak of the Wars of Liberation in 1812, Major-General Gneisenau became Blücher's quartermaster-general. Thus began the connection between these two soldiers which has furnished military history with one of the best examples of harmonious co-operation between a commander and his chief-of-staff. With Blücher, Gneisenau served in the capture of Paris in 1814; his military character perfectly complemented Blücher's, and under this happy guidance the troops of Prussia, at times defeated but never discouraged, fought their way into the heart of France. The plan for the march on Paris, which led directly to the abdication of Napoleon in April 1814, was specifically the work of the chief-of-staff. In 1814, as a reward for his distinguished service, Gneisenau — along with Yorck, Kleist, and Bülow — was elevated to the rank of count, while at the same time Blücher became Prince of Wahlstatt.