Ferdinand i of austria biography of william

Born in Wolfenbüttel, Germany, Karl Wilhelm was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1780 until his death and ruled over the Wolfenbüttel subdivision of the duchy.
Until Valmy and Jena, Karl was considered a master of the warfare of the period. He was also a cultured and benevolent despot in the model of Frederick the Great. He married Augusta, a sister of George III of Great Britain.
 
After receiving a wide-ranging education, Karl saw his first military action in the North German campaign of 1757 during the Seven Years' War, under Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. His gallant actions at the Battle of Hastenbeck where he charged at the head of an infantry brigade won him much admiration leading him to choose a military career. He was soon to be recognised as a master of irregular warfare. As for more formal fighting, his action at Minden and Warburg made him appreciated as an excellent subordinate.
 
At the end of the Seven Years' War, Karl married Augusta, the daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales (father of the future George III). Becoming Duke of Brunswick in 1780, he was successful (with the assistance of his minister, Feonçe von Rotenkreuz) in rescuing the state from the bankr

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