Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Beust, Friedrich Ferdinand

(Encyclopedia)Beust, Friedrich Ferdinand frēˈdrĭkh fĕrˈdĭnänt boist [key], 1809–86, Saxon and Austrian politician. He held various portfolios in the Saxon ministry and served as premier (1853–66), but hi...

Charles William Ferdinand

(Encyclopedia)Charles William Ferdinand, 1735–1806, duke of Brunswick (1780–1806), Prussian field marshal. He had great success in the Seven Years War (1756–63) and was commander in chief (1792–94) of the A...

Franco-Prussian War

(Encyclopedia)Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, 1870–71, conflict between France and Prussia that signaled the rise of German military power and imperialism. It was provoked by Otto von Bismarck (the Prus...

Moltke, Helmuth Karl Bernhard, Graf von

(Encyclopedia)Moltke, Helmuth Karl Bernhard, Graf von, 1800–1891, Prussian field marshal. Following his graduation from the Royal Military Academy of Denmark, he entered the Danish service, but resigned his commi...

Cialdini, Enrico

(Encyclopedia)Cialdini, Enrico ănrēˈkō chäldēˈnē [key], 1811–92, Italian general and diplomat. During the wars leading to Italian unification he fought in Sardinian service in the campaigns of 1848–49 a...

Benedek, Ludwig von

(Encyclopedia)Benedek, Ludwig von lo͞otˈvĭkh fən bāˈnədĕkˌ [key], 1804–81, Austrian general. Entering the army in 1822, he served in the suppression of the Polish insurrection of 1846, in the Austrian ca...

Bad Langensalza

(Encyclopedia)Bad Langensalza bät längˌənzälˈtsä [key], town, Thuringia, S central Germany, ...

Louis II, king of Bavaria

(Encyclopedia)Louis II, 1845–86, king of Bavaria (1864–86), son and successor of King Maximilian II. Much was hoped from the handsome, talented, and liberal young prince at his accession, but his prodigality an...

Treitschke, Heinrich von

(Encyclopedia)Treitschke, Heinrich von hīnˈrĭkh fən trīchˈkə [key], 1834–96, German historian. A fervid partisan of Prussia, he left Baden at the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War (1866) and became profe...

Gorchakov, Aleksandr Mikhailovich, Prince

(Encyclopedia)Gorchakov, Aleksandr Mikhailovich, Prince əlyĭksänˈdər mēkhīˈləvĭch, gərchəkôfˈ [key], 1798–1883, Russian diplomat. After serving (1854–56) as ambassador at Vienna, he became Alexand...