Bl�cher, Gebhard Leberecht von, Prince of Wahlstadt, known as Marshal Forward 1742-1819
Prussian field marshal

Born in Rostock, Mecklenburg, after two years in the Swedish service (1756-58), he fought with the Prussian cavalry (1760-70), but was discharged for dissipation and insubordination, and for 15 years farmed his own estates. He fought against the French in 1793 on the Rhine and in 1806 at Auerst�dt, and fought also at L�beck and Stralsund. When the Prussians rose against France in 1813 Bl�cher took chief command in Silesia. At the Katzbach he repulsed the enemy, and at Leipzig (1813) won important successes. In January 1814 he crossed the Rhine, and though once routed by Napoleon I won several battles, and on 31 March entered Paris. After Napoleon'sreturn in 1815, Bl�cher assumed the general command; he suffered a severe defeat at Ligny, but completed Wellington's victory at the Battle of Waterloo (1815) by his timely appearance on the field, where his Prussians pursued the fleeing enemy all through the night. At the second taking of Paris, he wanted to inflict on Paris what other capitals had suffered, but was restrained by Wellington.

Bibliography: Roger Parkinson, The Hussar General: The Life of Bl�cher, Man of Waterloo (1975)