Enrolled as a sergeant in the
Semyonovsky Regiment of the
Imperial Russian Army at the age of 12 in 1781, Wittgenstein began actual military service as a
Wachtmeister in the
Life Guard Horse Regiment in 1789. In 1793 he gained promotion to Major in the Ukrainian light cavalry regiment. He fought with the unit in the
Kościuszko Uprising of 1794. Promoted to the rank of colonel in 1798, and to major general in 1799, in 1800 he took command of the Mariupolski Hussars Regiment. In 1805 he fought at
Austerlitz, in 1806
against the Turks, and in 1807 against
Napoleon at
Friedland and against the Swedes in
Finland.) decided the fate of
Saint Petersburg and earned Wittgenstein the title of "Saviour of Saint-Petersburg". Emperor
Alexander I of Russia awarded him the
Order of St. George. He tried to combine with
Pavel Chichagov at the
Battle of Berezina (November 1812), and later combined with the Prussian army corps under
Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg. In the campaign of 1813 in January, he took over the command of the Russian army after
Kutuzov's death in April 1813, and commanded the Russian army at
Möckern, where he also led the Prussians,
Lützen and
Bautzen. But after the defeats of the Spring campaign (Lützen and Bautzen), he laid down this command and led an army corps during the
Battle of Dresden (August 1813) and the
Battle of Leipzig (October 1813). In 1823 he was promoted
Field Marshal, and in 1828 he was appointed to command the Russian army in the
war against Turkey. But ill-health soon obliged him to retire. In 1834 King
Frederick William III of Prussia granted him the title of Fürst (Prince) zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. ==Family==