August von Goeben

author

August von Goeben

1816–1880

A Prussian general and military writer, he saw action in Spain and later became known for first-hand accounts of 19th-century warfare. His life combines battlefield drama with the voice of someone determined to record what he had lived through.

1 Audiobook

Vier Jahre in Spanien. Die Carlisten, ihre Erhebung, ihr Kampf und ihr Untergang.

Vier Jahre in Spanien. Die Carlisten, ihre Erhebung, ihr Kampf und ihr Untergang.

by August von Goeben

About the author

Born in Stade on December 10, 1816, August Karl Friedrich Christian von Goeben became a Prussian officer, but his early career took an unusual turn. As a young man he left for Spain and fought in the First Carlist War, experiences he later turned into vivid memoirs and military writing.

After returning to Prussian service, he rose through the army and took part in several major 19th-century conflicts. He is especially associated with the wars of German unification and went on to become a general of infantry.

Goeben died in Koblenz on November 13, 1880. Alongside his military career, he is remembered for books drawn from direct experience, which give readers a personal view of soldiering, command, and war in his era.