Georg Wilhelm I. von Erbach-Erbach

## Graf zu Erbach

Portrait of the Count of Erbach, aged 54, as he would've appeared at the Prussian court.

## Title

### Secondary Titles

Freiherr von ReichenbergFreiherr von Wildenstein

Graf von Rot-an-der-Rot am Beiberach

## Occupations

### Allegiance

Russian Empire (1707-1717)Kingdom of Prussia (1717-1757)

### Ranks Held

Lieutenant (1699-1706)Major (1706-1711)

Adjutant (1711-1713)

Aide de Camp, to Peter I of Russia (1713-1717)

Hauptmann (1720-1724)

Major (1724-1737)

Frei-Kommandant (1737-1743)

### Wars Fought

Great Northern War (1700-1721; participated 1707-1717)War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718-1720)

War of the Polish Succession (1733-1738)

War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748 participated 1740-1745)

## Biography

### Full Name

Georg Wilhelm August Breuberg Reinhardt von Erbach

### Born

19th July 1686, Schloss Erbach, County of Erbach-proper

### Died

31st May 1757, Schloss Erbach, County of Erbach

### Burial

Gruft des Schlosskapelle, Schloss Erbach, County of Erbach

### Spouse

Leopoldine Sophie Wilhelmine von Salm-Grumbach

### Mother

Elisabeth Dorothea zu Hohenlohe, Gräfin zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst

### Religion

Protestant-Lutheranism

**Georg Wilhelm I zu Erbach-Erbach** (19th July 1686 - Présent) is a Prussian nobleman, aristocrat, author and the current-reigning ***Graf zu Erbach***. Born, bred, and raised as a member of the rural gentry native to Prussia, Georg Wilhelmwould go down in his family history as a distinguished military officer, a steadfast courtier and a diligent ruler as a benevolent statesman.

Although he hailed from the lower ranks of the aristocracy, Georg Wilhelm quickly distinguished himself as a man of great ambition. Developing a love for the military and passion for the hunt from a young age, the Count developed a regimented lifestyle, later entering the Prussian service in 1709. A veteran of the Balkan campaigns of the illustrious *Eugen, Prinz von Savoyen*, and an aide to Prussia's notorious *Soldatenkönig*, Georg Wilhelm saw many battles and partook in numerous wars.

The personal rule of Georg Wilhelm as *Graf zu Erbach* was largely viewed as enlightened. He permitted the oppressed Huguenots and other Protestant minorities to immigrate from neighbouring hostile Catholic principalities. A man of culture and refinement - he built several schools in his major cities, fed and clothed the poor on Sundays, and promoted the arts.

## Early Life

### ***Birth***

'Twas a hot summer afternoon in July of 1686. Born on the 19th day of the month, Georg Wilhelm entered the world in the early morning on July 19th, 1686. Born to the happy couple of Georg Wilhelm II and his mother, Elisabeth Dorothea of Hohenlohe, Georg Wilhelm III's birth was celebrated by the small court of his parent's Schloss.

The eldest of what would become three siblings, Georg Wilhelm's birth marked the continuation of his family's heritage. From birth, Georg Wilhelm was given the courtesy title as Freiherr von Reichenberg - traditionally held by the heirs to the line of the House of Erbach proper.

### ***Childhood and Education***

Shortly after his birth, Georg Wilhelm was christened in the chapel of Schloss Erbach. It was a small affair, with only the local gentry and the pastor of the town's parish presiding. Following his christening, Georg Wilhelm was sent with his mother to the family's ecclesiastical seat of the ***Abtei Rot-an-der-Rot*** in the synonymous county. His father, Georg Wilhelm II would remain away for quite some time as he was sent to join his regiment in Prussia's army on the campaigns in the Balkans against the Ottoman Empire in what would become the *Great Turkish War* of 1683-1699.

As a child, Georg Wilhelm II would be described as a playful and beautiful young boy. He was often seen running around the gardens of the abbey, helping the nuns in the gardens, and going out to the village to help give bread to the poor and needy. In his spare time, he learned to ride and shoot with the gentry of his father's court. At the age of 13, he attended his first hunt, and by the age of 18 was a considerably-skilled shot. He earned the nickname *Ritmeister Wilhelm* from his pupils and peers alike.

The schooling of the young Freiherr was undertaken by the sitting dean of the Abbey. Pastor *Konstanz von Breibach* was a diligent, yet stern preceptor to his aristocratic student. Like many aristocratic youths of the time, Georg Wilhelm soon became proficient in the matters of reading, writing, literature, poetry, Latin, German, French, and Italian. However, above all, he relished history. From a very early age, he revelled in classical history. The future count spent much of his time to devote long hours to reading great epics like the *Odyssey*, *Aeneid*, and histories of the *Romans* and other byzantine matters. By the dawn of 1703, Georg Wilhelm and his family returned back to their seat at *Schloss Erbach*, for the Great Turkish War had come to a close, and his father returned victorious from the campaigns against the Turks.

### ***Adolescence & Grand Tour***

In the spring of 1704, Georg Wilhelm was sent by his father on a Grand Tour of Europe shortly after he celebrated his 18th birthday. A Grand Tour, was, for many young noblemen at the time, a great affair of independence and cultural enrichment. For the next three years, Georg Wilhelm would tour the great courts of Europe with a small group of other debutants. They'd spend several months at a time at Europe's great palaces; *Versailles* in France, the *Vatican* in Rome, *Tsarkoe-Selo* in Saint Petersberg of Russia, and even venturing as far as London and Istanbul.

In Paris, the Freiherr attended the many salons, met many great people. Awed in the splendours of the Sun King's court held at Versailles, he'd eventually return home with an aspiration to improve his own family's residences. In the Mediterranean heat of Italy, the visit to the Papacy enriched his understanding of theology and the religious crisis that Europe faced. Far-off in the freezing winters of Preobrajenskya lay the immaculate splendours of the Russian Empire at Peter the Great's court. In the mystic adventures of Constantinople and Alexandria lay Arabic riches and an abundant amount of lessons of classical history.

Returning home in the winter of 1707, Georg Wilhelm would now undertake his destiny as a worldly, enlightened and diligent aristocrat. Inspired by the awesomeness of Versailles, the grandeur of Saint Petersburg, and inspired by the industriousness of Constantinople, Georg Wilhelm began to undertake a matter of civil projects and push for a series of reforms in his father's land.

### ***The Great Northern War***

For nearly a decade, all of Eastern Europe had become engulfed in the complicatedness of the Great Northern War. Georg Wilhelm, who was now greatly educated on worldly affairs, and armed with a sharp wit, great skill with a rifle, and agility on the saddle, was willing to join the fight. On the night of April 19th, 1708, Georg Wilhelm boarded a carriage and set-out to become part of the retinue of the Russian czar *Peter the Great*. Arriving nearly two weeks later in war-ravaged Saint-Petersburg, he joined the camp of the Russian emperor.

In August of 1708, a Swedish army of 12,000 men under General *Georg Henrik Lybecker* attacked *Ingria*, crossing the *Neva* from the north. Clad in a powder-blue suit and a cuirass, he saddled his horse and rode with the czar to meet the Swedish invasion. The Swedish invasion would soon fail, as they met severe and stubborn resistance from the native Russian population. Constantly harassed by a series of cossacks, levies and peasants, the Swedes retreated to an area just west *Kronstadt*. Czar Peter ordered a column stationed in the Ukraine to reinforce his attack on the Swedes. The ensuing battle was a complete disaster for Sweden and a glorious victory for Peter. The victory wouldn't last long, as the winter of 1708/1709 was one of the harshest in European history.

Thwarted by his Russian enemy, King Charles XII took matters in his own hands. The Swedish monarch returned in the late spring of 1709 with an army of 30,000 to march on Moscow and deal a heavy blow of revenge to Peter. The Russian people and their heroic Czar weren't having any of it. Initially landing on Russian soil in January of 1709, Charles XII's arrogance would prove consequential, as the Great Frost of 1709 withered his away with at least 10,300 dead from starvation or subsumption to the severe weather. That summer, in July, the Swedes were thirsty for blood and hungry for battle. Charles ordered a final attack on the Russian heartland with a possible assault on Moscow from his campaign base.

With an army severely impacted by the winter, and now low on supplies, Charles XII attempted to siege the Russian fortress at *Poltava* on May 9th, 1709*.* Peter, who received word, immediately marched with an army of 80,000 to relieve the garrison. Upon his arrival, Peter built a fortified camp on the Vorskla, some four kilometres north of Poltava. Peter, unaware of the Swedish strength, turned to his natural talent of fortifications. The Russians swiftly constructed a series of outposts and fortified camps in the woods surrounding the Swedes. For nearly three months, the Swedes lay trapped. One morning, whilst observing the Russian position on the 20th of June, Charles XII was struck by a stray bullet in his foot, crippling him in paralysis of the leg.

The *Battle of Poltava* held on July 9th, 1709, would go down in history as one of Russia's greatest victories. After a matter of hours, all but some 1,500 men of Sweden's army were defeated, encircled, and taken prisoner by the Russians. Charles XII barely escaped with his regiment of Guards, whilst his entire General Staff were taken, prisoner.

#### ***Road to Peace***

The war between Russia and Sweden continued after the disaster of *Poltava* in 1709, though the shattered Swedish continental army could provide very little help to its defeated King. The bulk of the Russian forces moved along the coast towards *Borgå*. Several years later, on the 21st and 22nd of May of 1713, a Russian force of 10,000 men landed at *Pernå* and constructed fortifications there. Large stores of supplies and munitions were transported from *Vyborg* and *Saint Petersburg* to the new base of operations. Russian cavalry managed to link up with the rest of the army there as well. Charles XII gathered the remainder of his troops and baggage train and retreated to the south later that same day. The armies met again later at *Napue* in February 1714, where the Russians won another decisive victory.

In the search of allies, Charles XII attempted to negotiate an alliance with the British Jacobite party. The results failed and added insult to injury. This resulted in Great Britain declaring war on Sweden in 1717. The war culminated with Swedens defeat and the end of over 200 years of Swedish dominance as Europe's reigning military power in Central and Northern Europe.

## Personal Rule: *Graf zu Erbach-Erbach*

Returning home in the spring of 1717 following the end of his observation of the Czar's military glories, Georg Wilhelm stopped for a brief time in Potsdam of Prussia; He intended to observe the rumoured splendour of the King of Prussia's renowned *Potsdam Giants.* His time in Potsdam was interrupted when he had received word by letter that his father had died. He was now the *Graf zu Erbach* in his own right of inheritance.

### **Inheritance**

Georg Albrecht II had passed away in the late night of March 23rd, 1717 at the family's seat of Schloss Erbach. Georg Wilhelm, now known by the regal moniker of *Georg Wilhelm the First,* inherited his father's lands at the age of 31. Seasoned by years of war, the adolescence of excellent education, and a childhood that nurtured his regal instincts, the *Graf zu Erbach* set-out on a campaign of reforms in his lands.