Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher (1742 – 1819)

On 18 June 1815, the Battle of Waterloo took place. The Anglo-allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian army under the command of Field Marshal von Blücher defeated Napoleon. His victory earned von Blücher the Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, which made him – along with Paul von Hindenburg – the most highly decorated Prussian-German soldier in history. This award is now commonly known as “Blücher’s Star” (Blücherstern) after its first recipient.