Johann von Thielmann

Johann von Thielmann
Johann Adolf Freiherr von Thielmann
Born	(1765-04-27)27 April 1765 Dresden, Electorate of Saxony
Died	10 October 1824(1824-10-10) (aged 59) Coblenz, Kingdom of Prussia
Allegiance	Kingdom of Saxony  Kingdom of Prussia
Service/branch	Bavarian Army Prussian Army
Years of service	1782–1824
Rank	General of the Cavalry
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars

Johann Adolf, Freiherr von Thielmann (27 April 1765 – 10 October 1824) was a Saxon soldier who served with Saxony, Prussia and France during the Napoleonic Wars.

Thielmann was born at Dresden. Entering the Saxon cavalry in 1782, he saw service against the French in the Rhine campaigns and served on the side of Prussia in the Jena campaign. After the disaster of Jena, Thielmann was sent by Saxony as ambassador to Napoleon I, became his ardent admirer, and did much to bring about the Franco-Saxon alliance. Thielmann accompanied the Saxon contingent which fought at the siege of Danzig and at Friedland.

In 1809, as colonel of Free-Corps, he opposed the advance of the Austrians into Saxony, and was rewarded for his services with the grade of major-general, further promotion to lieutenant-general following in 1810. As commander of the Saxon Heavy Cavalry Brigade he took part in the advance on Moscow two years later, and his exceptional bravery at Borodino attracted the attention of Napoleon, who took Thielmann into his own suite. His own sovereign at the same time made him Freiherr.

In the war of the Sixth Coalition, Thielmann, now von Thielmann, took a prominent part. As governor of Torgau, by his king's orders he at first observed the strictest neutrality, but on receipt of an order to hand over the fortress to the French he resigned his command and, accompanied by his staff officer Aster, joined the Coalition. As a Russian general he was employed in reorganizing the Saxon army after Leipzig, and in 1814 he commanded the Saxon corps operating in the Low Countries.