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So in 1831, Prussia mobilized an Army of Observation along the Polish frontier to guard against any spillover of the uprising, but both the commander (August von Gneisenau) and his chief of staff, Carl von Clausewitz, died in the subsequent cholera outbreak. Where do you think Clausewitz's career might have gone if he survived? He held a series of important posts in the Prussian army (tutor to the crown prince, corps chief of staff, commandant of the War Academy, in the inspectorate general of the artillery, field army chief of staff), was well connected in court through his wife, and was friends with the highly respected Gneisenau. On the other hand, he was a bit on the liberal side, which could put him at odds with Frederick William IV, so if he gets a position like Chief of Staff or Minister of War, it would most likely be in the 1831-1840 window. Certainly, it would be interesting to see if he would influence the outcome of the 1848 revolution, assuming it still happens in Prussia.
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