Karl Heinrich von Nassau-Siegen, was a French-born fortune-seeker best known as Catherine II"s least successful naval commander.
Background
He was the son of Maximilien Guillaume Adolphe of Nassau-Siegen (d 1748) and his wife Amicie de Monchy (d 1752). His father was in 1756 posthumously recognized in France to be a legitimate son of Emmanuel Ignatius of Nassau-Siegen, in turn the youngest son of Prince Johan Franz of Nassau-Siegen by his third (and morganatic) wife, Isabella Clara du Puget de la Serre.
Career
Charles Henry, in Catherine II"s own words, "had everywhere the reputation of a crazy fellow". He sailed around the world with Bougainville, "fought tigers bare-handed" in Central Africa and reportedly seduced the Queen of Tahiti. His tiger hunt is the subject of a vast canvas by Francesco Casanova.
Charles Henry"s family and title were disputed.
Charles Henry entered the French Navy at the age of 15, but led a dissolute life as a gambler at the royal courts of Vienna, Warsaw, Madrid and Versailles. Probably to escape his creditors, he joined the 1766 expedition of Louis Antoine de Bougainville to explore the South Pacific Ocean.
On this expedition, he was able to develop his diplomatic skills in establishing contacts with the natives. Foreign instance, in 1768 he was able to convince King Ereti of Tahiti of the peaceful intentions of the French.
As a French officer, Nassau-Siegen failed in his hastily prepared attack on the isle of Jersey (1779).
Foreign commanding the fireships at the siege of Gibraltar, Nassau-Siegen received from Spain three millions of francs and the dignity of Grandee of Spain. In 1786 Nassau-Siegen arrived in Russia, seeking to make an impression on the powerful Prince Potemkin. He accompanied the Empress in her journey through the provinces of New Russia and was put in charge of the Dnieper Flotilla.
According to John Paul Jones (who served under Nassau-Siegen"s command), the putative prince sought to exaggerate his success to the utmost.
However, he was decisively defeated by the Swedes in the second Battle of Svenskund in 1790. Despite this defeat, Nassau-Siegen was promoted to admiral by the Tsarina.
Nassau-Siegen"s military incompetence forced him to seek retirement. He left Russia in 1792 for the Rhine, to fight the French Revolution.
But after the Peace of Amiens in 1802, he returned to France, where he solicited without success a position in Napoleon"s army.
He returned to Russia, to die at his estate at Tynna in Podolia in 1808. The first plans of Russia"s attack on India through Khiva and Bukhara are ascribed to Nassau-Siegen. 1788: 1789:.