The New International Encyclopædia/Blumenthal, Leonhard

BLUMENTHAL, Leonhard, Count von (1810-1900). A Prussian field-marshal. He was born July 30, 1810, at Schwedt-on-the-Oder. He received a military education in the Prussian Cadet Corps, and in 1827 became an officer in the Reserve Guard. From 1830 to 1833 he studied at the Berlin Military Academy, and later served in all branches of the army, in order to acquire a full military training. In 1848 he became a member of the Prussian General Staff. He was chief of staff of the Schleswig-Holstein Army in 1849; became aide-de-camp to Prince Frederick Charles (1858); colonel of the Seventy-first Infantry (1860); and chief of staff of the Austro-Prussian Army in the war against Denmark (1864). In the same year he was made a major-general, and in the campaign of 1866 against Austria acted as chief of staff to the Crown Prince Frederick William, and distinguished himself at Königgrätz. After the war Blumenthal became a lieutenant-general. During the Franco-Prussian War he again acted as chief of staff to the Crown Prince, and participated in the events leading up to Sedan and the capitulation of Paris. He was afterwards intrusted with the command of the Fourth Army Corps, with headquarters at Magdeburg, and given the rank of general of infantry in 1873. In 1888 he was created field-marshal, and given important duties as inspector-general of the Fourth Division. He died December 22, 1900.