Born at Briesen near
Friesack in
Brandenburg, to Friedrich von Bredow (1787–1878) and Bernhardine Sophie () (1792–1859), he joined the in 1832 as a junior officer. By 1859, he had been given command of the 4th Dragoon Regiment. As a colonel, Bredow led the 2nd Cavalry Brigade in the
Austro-Prussian War of 1866, and was promoted to major general. He is best known as a hero of the
Franco-Prussian War, for his actions during the
Battle of Mars-la-Tour on 16 August 1870. During this battle, he commanded the Prussian 12th Cavalry Brigade on one of the last successful massed cavalry charges in warfare. Before his assault, Bredow laconically stated that "it will cost what it will". "Von Bredow's Death Ride" resulted in nearly 50% casualties on the Prussian forces, but he managed to defeat a French force that outnumbered them four to one. The event was used in the following decades by military tacticians to argue that cavalry charges could still win battles. Bredow was subsequently promoted to
lieutenant general and given command of the
18th Infantry Division. After the war's conclusion, he was awarded the
Order of the Red Eagle on 2 December 1873. ==References==