▁Gener alf eld mar sch all . ▁ ▁Six ▁months ▁later , ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁cousin ▁John ▁August us , ▁Prince ▁of ▁An halt - Z er bst , ▁without ▁any ▁issue ▁made ▁him ▁and ▁his ▁older ▁and ▁only ▁surv iving ▁brother , ▁John ▁Louis ▁II , ▁the ▁he irs ▁of ▁An halt - Z er bst ▁as ▁co - r ul ers . ▁Christian ▁August ▁remained ▁in ▁St ett in ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁took ▁full ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁government , ▁but ▁he ▁died ▁only ▁four ▁years ▁later , ▁un mar ried ▁and ▁child less . ▁For ▁this ▁reason , ▁Christian ▁August ▁had ▁to ▁leave ▁St ett in ▁and ▁return ▁to ▁Z er bst , ▁but ▁he ▁only ▁re igned ▁four ▁months ▁until ▁his ▁own ▁death . ▁ ▁Mar riage ▁and ▁issue ▁On ▁ 8 ▁November ▁ 1 7 2 7 ▁in ▁V ech elde , ▁Christian ▁August ▁married ▁Johann a ▁Elisabeth ▁of ▁Hol stein - G ott orp ▁( 2 4 ▁October ▁ 1 7 1 2 ▁– ▁ 3 0 ▁May ▁ 1 7 6 0 ), ▁daughter ▁of ▁Prince ▁Christian ▁August ▁of ▁Schles wig - Hol stein - G ott orp , ▁Prince ▁of ▁E ut in ▁and ▁sister ▁of ▁King ▁Adolf ▁Frederick ▁of ▁Sweden . ▁They ▁had ▁five ▁children : ▁Soph ie ▁August e ▁Frederick a ▁( 2 ▁May ▁ 1 7 2 9 ▁– ▁ 1 7 ▁November ▁ 1 7 9 6 ), ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁Catherine ▁II ▁the ▁Great , ▁Em press ▁of ▁Russia .