Charles William Ferdinand ruled Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from 1780 until his death in 1806 from wounds suffered at Auerstedt — the same battle in which Napoleon's forces effectively dismantled the old Reich's military credibility in a single October day. His death came just weeks before the Principality itself was dissolved and absorbed into the French-controlled Kingdom of Westphalia under Jérôme Bonaparte.
Charles William Ferdinand ruled Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from 1780 until his death in 1806 from wounds suffered at Auerstedt — the same battle in which Napoleon's forces effectively dismantled the old Reich's military credibility in a single October day. His death came just weeks before the Principality itself was dissolved and absorbed into the French-controlled Kingdom of Westphalia under Jérôme Bonaparte.