Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten

Who was Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten?

Alexander Burggraf und Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten was a Prussian field marshal and diplomat.

Alexander zu Dohna was born at the Palace of Coppet near Geneva to Frederick, Burgrave of Dohna, Governor of the Principality of Orange, and Sperentia née du Puy de Montbrun. He and his brother Christoper were educated by Pierre Bayle.

Dohna joined the Prussian Army in 1679 and became an Amtshauptmann of Mohrungen and Liebstadt in East Prussia. He was promoted to an Oberst and Geheimer Rat on 31 December 1686 and served as an envoy of Friedrich III., elector of Brandenburg at the Polish Royal Court. In 1689/90 he fought against France in the Nine Years' War and was wounded in a battle at Bonn on 10 October 1689. Dohna became a major general on 9 October 1690 and Commander of an Infantry Regiment, which was named after him.

He served again as a Prussian diplomat at the Royal Swedish court and became the governor of Pillau on 11 April 1692. In 1693 Dohna fought again against France and became responsible for the education of the Crownprince Friedrich Wilhelm in 1695 until 1704. In 1704 he came in conflict with Johann Kasimir Kolbe von Wartenberg and lost much of his influence at the Prussian Royal Court, but returned after Kolbe's dismissal. Dohna became the Chairman of the Royal Commission of Chamber- and Domain Affairs and the head of the District administration of Königsberg in 1712. Dohna was promoted to a General of the Infantry on 25 March 1713 and Generalfeldmarschall on 5 September 1713. He accompagnied Frederick William I in the Siege of Stralsund.