Hans David Ludwig York Yon Wartenburg, count, a Prussian soldier, born in Potsdam, Sept. 26, 1759, died at Klein-Oels, Silesia, Oct. 4, 1830. He belonged to an old English family settled in Pomerania. After eight years' military service, he was cashiered for insubordination, and held in prison in 1780-'81. He then enlisted in the Dutch army, and served in India in 1783-'4. In 1786 he was reinstated in the Prussian army, and in 1807 became major general, after being wounded and captured at Lübeck and detained for a year by the French. In the campaign of 1812 in Russia he finally became chief commander of the Prussian auxiliary troops in Napoleon's army of invasion. On Dec. 30 he concluded an agreement with Diebitsch and Clausewitz to remain neutral; the king of Prussia, still fearing Napoleon, officially disavowed this convention, but employed York in organizing the landwehr and the other forces. On the outbreak of the Prussian war against Napoleon he was placed at the head of the first corps, and on April 5, 1813, defeated Eugène de Beauharnais at Dannigkow; on May 19 he achieved another success at Weissig, and on the 21st at Bautzen he covered the retreat.

Pending the truce, his corps was assigned to Blticher's command in Silesia. He took a decisive part in the battle on the Katzbach, Aug. 26, and defeated Bertrand at Wartenburg, Oct. 3, whence he received his title of count. During the battle of Leipsic, Oct. 16, he defeated Marmont at Möckern. On Feb. 11, 1814, at Montmirail, he saved the corps of Gen. Sacken, which had rashly engaged Napoleon, and on March 9 distinguished himself at Laon. After Napoleon's return from Elba he was assigned to the reserve corps, and he repeatedly offered his resignation, which was not accepted till the restoration of peace. He was made field marshal in 1821. A statue of York by Rauch has been erected in Berlin. - See Droysen's Leben des Feldmarschalh Graf en York von Wartenburg (3 vols., 3d ed., Berlin, 1851).