Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow , Graf von Dennewitz ( February 16 , 1755 – February 25 , 1816 ) was a Prussian general of the Napoleonic Wars . Early life . Bülow was born in Falkenberg ( Wische ) in the Altmark and was the elder brother of Freiherr Dietrich Heinrich von Bülow . He received an excellent education , and entered the Prussian army in 1768 , becoming ensign in 1772 , and second lieutenant in 1775 . He took part in the Potato War of 1778 , and subsequently devoted himself to the study of his profession and of the sciences and arts . Throughout his life Bülow was devoted to music , his great musical ability bringing him to the notice of King Frederick William II of Prussia , and ca . 1790 he was conspicuous in the most fashionable circles of Berlin . He did not , however , neglect his military studies , and in 1792 he was made military instructor to the young Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia , becoming at the same time full captain . He took part in the campaigns of 1792 - 94 on the Rhine , and received for signal courage during the siege of Mainz the order Pour le Mérite and promotion to the rank of major . After this Bülow went to garrison duty at Soldau . In 1802 he married the daughter of Colonel von Auer , and in the following year he became lieutenant - colonel , remaining at Soldau with his corps . The vagaries and misfortunes of his brother Dietrich affected his happiness as well as his fortune . The loss of two of his children was followed in 1806 by the death of his wife , and a further source of disappointment was the exclusion of his regiment from the field army sent against Napoleon in 1806 . The disasters of the campaign aroused his energies . He did excellent service under Anton Wilhelm von L ' Estocq ' s command in the latter part of the war , was wounded in action , and finally designated for a brigade command in Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher ' s force . In 1808 Bülow married the sister of his first wife , a girl of eighteen . He was made a major - general in the same year , and henceforward he devoted himself wholly to the regeneration of Prussia . The intensity of his patriotism threw him into conflict even with Blücher and led to his temporary retirement ; in 1811 , however , he was again employed . War of Liberation . 1813 - 1814 . In the critical days preceding the War of Liberation , Bülow kept his troops in hand without committing himself to any irrevocable step until the decision was made . On 14 March 1813 he was made a lieutenant - general . He fought against Oudinot in defence of Berlin , and in the summer came under the command of Bernadotte , crown prince of Sweden . At the head of an army corps Bülow distinguished himself greatly in the Battle of Grossbeeren , a victory which was attributed almost entirely to his leadership . A little later he won the great victory at the Battle of Dennewitz , which for the second time checked Napoleon ' s advance on Berlin . This inspired the greatest enthusiasm in Prussia , as being won by mainly Prussian forces , and rendered Bülow ' s popularity almost equal to that of Blücher . Bülow ' s corps played a conspicuous part in the final overthrow of Napoleon at Leipzig , and he was then entrusted with the task of evicting the French from Holland and Belgium . In an almost uniformly successful campaign he won a signal victory at Hoogstraten although he was fortunate to be supported , often very significantly , by the British General Thomas Graham , second in command to Lord Wellington . In the campaign of 1814 he invaded France from the north - west , joined Blücher , and took part in the brilliant victory of Laon in March . He was made general of infantry and received the title of Count Bülow von Dennewitz . He also took part in the Allied sovereigns ' visit to England in June 1814 . Hundred Days . In the short peace of 1814 - 1815 Bülow was at Königsberg as commander - in - chief in Prussia proper . He was soon called to the field again , and in the Waterloo campaign commanded the IV Corps of Blücher ' s army . He was not present at Ligny , but his corps headed the flank attack upon Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo , and bore the heaviest part in the fighting of the Prussian troops around Plancenoit . He took part in the invasion of France , but died suddenly on 25 February 1816 , a month after his return to the Königsberg command .