Career
He was a Major General in the army of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Josias II of Waldeck served in the army of Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg, where he was Colonel of the Infantry. In 1655 and 1656, he fought in Warsaw as a major general.
After that he served in the Swedish army in 1663 and participated in the Turkish War as a major in the imperial army.
He was wounded by an arrow before Pécs. When Duke George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg inherited the Principality of Lüneburg, he appointed Josias as major general and put him in command of the much enlarged army of the principality.
During the Siege of Candia, he was injured by shrapnel on 6 July 1669. On 29 July, he died of his injuries.
He was initially buried in the Saint Catherine"s Church in Candia.
His body was later transferred to Wildungen.