Background
Poten was born in Celle into a bourgeois family of officers from Kurhannover.
Poten was born in Celle into a bourgeois family of officers from Kurhannover.
Family and In 1861, Poten married Anna Sophie Elisabeth Behncke (1837-1905) in Celle. They had a son Heinrich Georg Wilhelm Alexander von Poten (1863-1920) also a Prussian major general and commander of the Cuirassiers in Brandenburg. Poten died in Berlin on 22 November 1909.
Berhard von Poten served from 1847 to 1866 in the Hanover Military services.
In 1847, he was a Second Lieutenant, and was promoted to First Lieutenant in 1854 and in 1863 to Captain. As such, he belonged to the Hanoverian Queens Hussar Regiment.
In 1867, Poten was squadron leader in Hussar Regiment northern 4. His promotion to Major came in 1870.
Between 1871 and 1874, he was on the staff of the regiment and 1874-1884 adjutant at the General Inspectorate of the military education and training system.
He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1875, and then to Colonel in 1878.