Friedrich von Arensdorff

Friedrich von Arenstorff (Danish: Frederik von Arenstorff) (1626 – 1689) was a German born officer in Swedish and Danish military service.[1]

Friedrich von Arenstorff
Born1626
Mecklenburg
Died1689
Denmark
AllegianceSweden
Denmark
Service / branchSwedish Army
Royal Danish Army
Years of service1645 – 1689
RankSupreme Commander
Battles / warsCopenhagen (1660)
Scanian War (1675 – 1679)

Military career

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Arenstorff was born at Rosenow in Mecklenburg. In 1645 he began his military career in the Swedish Army in Poland and took part in the battle of Copenhagen in 1660. After the death of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden in 1660, the Swedish government sought to get rid of the army's foreign officers. In 1661 he entered service with the Danish military. In 1672 he became an assessor in the Royal Danish Military Academy. In 1673 was promoted to major general and in 1675 to general lieutenant. In 1676 he started to command the Royal Danish Army at the Battle of Lund after injury to his brother Carl von Arenstorff (1625–1676) and the escape of King Christian V of Denmark.[2]

He was wounded during the Battle of Landskrona in 1677. In 1678 he commanded the Danish army in Scania. It is thought that his decision to lay waste the countryside and various country houses where Swedish troops were stationed created a lot of hostility among the local population.He disobeyed the order to save the trapped Danish army at Kristianstad and because of that he was sentenced to death with loss of title, land and property. But later he was reprieved by the King. In 1686, he was made commanding general in Schleswig-Holstein. In 1689, he died and was buried in Udbyneder Church in Randers. [3] [4]

References

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  1. ^ "von Arenstorff, Frederik, 1626-89". Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  2. ^ "von Arenstorff, Carl, dansk General". Salmonsens konversationsleksikon. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  3. ^ von Arenstorff roskildehistorie.dk
  4. ^ "von Arenstorff, Frederik, dansk General". Salmonsens konversationsleksikon. Retrieved January 1, 2019.