Born 21 July, 1754, in Zizenow in Pomerania, died in Haseley, Pomerania, 13 January 1823.
Almost the model of an 18-century Prussian infantry general, renowned for his dislike of the French and a very lively spirit, Rüchel began his military career at the Berlin cadet school on 14 January 1767. His first rank was as Fahnenjunker in the Strojetien infantry regiment 1771. He fell out however with the commander of the regiment, Major von Rüchel a relative of his but who treated him very harshly. In 1776 he began to study warcraft under Engineermajor von Fallois, becoming Fähnrich in 1773 and Second Lieutenant in 1774. In 1784 he was called to Potsdam to serve Frederick II directly and the King liked him and promoted him to Captain. Becoming Major in 1787, he was subsequently posted to Silesia in 1790 to fight Austria. His actions there were so successful that the king awarded the order “pour le mérite” and appointed him Quartermaster for Headquarters. Present at the siege of Longwy (23 August, 1793) as aide to the Landgraf von Hessen-Kassel. In 1795 he was made general and commanded the Prussian right wing at the blockade of Landau and he fought with skill at Kaiserslautern. On 30 January 1796 he was promoted to commander of the Guard Regiment, city commander and troop inspector in Potsdam. Finding further promotion under Frederick William III, he became Lieutenant General on 30 May, 1797. In 1802 he was awarded the order of the black eagle. In 1805 fell into disgrace because of the influence of the pro-French party and was sent to Königsberg, of which he became city governor on 17 August 1805 and general inspector of the East Prussian infantry. In 1806 he was appointed to head a corps destined to assist Hohenlohe in his operations. On the morning of 14 October he found himself at the head of a corps composed of 15,000 Hanoverians and Westphalians near Weimar. Although heading for Jena, he arrived too late (circa 2pm) – at Capellendorf Hohenlohe's retreating troops streamed past him. As he was forming his troops up to fight the now victorious French at Sperlingsberg, he was struck and badly wounded by a shot in the chest. A large part of his troops were killed to no great purpose, and Rüchel was taken prisoner and held at his country house in Pomerania under house arrest until December when he was appointed Prussian Minister for War. After Tilsit, he was removed from his post and he retired to his house in Pomerania where he died.
Sources
Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, s.v. Rüchel Vol. 29, 434-38
Dictionnaire Napoléon, s.v. Rüchel, vol. II, p. 671