Friedrich Karl Wilhelm, Fürst zu Hohenlohe
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Friedrich Karl Wilhelm, Fürst (prince) zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen was a general in the military service of the House of Habsburg during the French Revolutionary Wars
and the Napoleonic Wars
. He was born in Ingelfingen
, in southwest Germany, on 16 February 1752.
in 1772. He commanded the Dragoon regiment Waldeck in Austria's wars with the Ottoman Empire in 1788–1789. During the French Revolutionary Wars, he served in the Imperial Army of the Upper Rhine, under command of General of Cavalry Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser
. In 1781, he was a major in 39th Dragoon Regiment Waldeck, which he commanded as Colonel
in Austria's wars against the Turks in 1788–89. He also received the Bavarian Order of Saint Hubert
.
and was distinguished in the actions near Kaiserslautern
(20 September) and Oggersheim (9 October). On 11 October of that year Prince Friedrich was promoted to Major General. In 1795, the prince took part in the successful assault on Mainz
(29 October) and was victorious in the action at Bacharach (17 December). In 1796 he served in Germany under Archduke Charles
and was present at the Battle of Würzburg
as a cavalry brigade commander.
In 1799, the prince fought on the Rhine as a brigade commander in Lieutenant Field Marsh Johann Sigismund, Count Riesch's
cavalry division and was distinguished in the battle of Stockach
, on 25–26 March, when his Cuirassiers broke and scattered the reserve cavalry division of Jean-Joseph Ange d'Hautpoul
.
On 3 November, on his own initiative, he attacked the French under Michel Ney
at Löchgau-Erligheim on the River Enz
, defeating them decisively, and driving them west to Sinsheim
. This action convinced Francois Lecourbe, French commander of the siege of the at Philippsburg
, to withdraw. For the prince's action on the Enz, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
awarded him the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
on 21 November 1799.
On 2–3 December 1799, he commanded the 3rd Assault Column, with three battalions and 26 squadrons of cavalry) under overall command of Lieutenant Field Marshal Anton, Graf Sztáray, in the imperial victory at Wiesloch
over Francois Lecourbe's French troops. On 6 March 1800 he was promoted to Lieutenant Field Marshal and transferred back to the imperial army in southern Germany, under command of Pál Kray. Subsequently commanded a cavalry division in the Imperial center at the defeat in the battle of Hohenlinden on 3 December.
In 1801, he was appointed Colonel-Proprietor (Inhaber)
of 7th Dragoon Regiment. Prior to the Capitulation of Ulm
, he, Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg
, and Archduke Ferdinand d'Este
broke out of the French cordon surrounding the city and escaped to Bohemia
, hotly pursued by the French cavalry. On 5 November, he commanded an Austrian cavalry column at the Battle of Dürenstein
and a few weeks later, he commanded the Austrian cavalry at the Allied defeat at the Battle of Austerlitz
.
The decisive French victory at the Battle of Austerlitz
over the combined Russian and Austrian armies forced the Austrian withdrawal from the Coalition. The subsequent Peace of Pressburg
, signed on 26 December 1805, reinforced the earlier treaties of Campo Formio
and Lunéville
. Furthermore, Austria ceded land to Napoleon's German allies, and paid an indemnity
of 40 million franc
s. Victory at Austerlitz also gave Napoleon the latitude to create a buffer zone
of German states between France and Prussia, Russia, and Austria. These measures did not establish a lasting peace on the continent. Prussian
worries about growing French influence in Central Europe
sparked the War of the Fourth Coalition
in 1806, in which Austria did not participate.
Austria did not return to active war against France until the Danube Campaign of 1809. Although the Hasburgs eked out a victory at Aspern and Essling
, the campaign resulted in yet another decisive defeat at Wagram
. In this campaign, the prince saw no active service, although for nine months in 1809, he served as Adlatus (noble adjutant and mentor) of the Commanding General in Galicia. In December, he retired to his estates in Hungary
, where he died on 16 June 1815 in Kaschau, today Košice
, in the Czech Republic
.
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. He was born in Ingelfingen
Ingelfingen
Ingelfingen is a town in the Hohenlohe district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Kocher, 4 km northwest of Künzelsau, and 36 km northeast of Heilbronn....
, in southwest Germany, on 16 February 1752.
Family
The Family of Hohenlohe Ingelfingen descended from Christian Kraft, Graf v.Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, whose four sons held the title concurrently. Christian Kraft was a younger son of the Count of Hohenlohe-Langenburg und Gleichen. He married circa 1700 to Maria Katharina Sophia v.Hohenlohe-Waldenburg, a cousin, and they had seventeen children, ten of which survived past adolescence. Heinrich August zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen (1715–1796), the twelfth child, married circa 1750 to Wilhelmine Eleonore zu Hohenlohe-Neuenstein-Oehringen (1714–1794); after three daughters, the couple had a son, Friedrich Karl Wilhelm; a second son died before his sixth birthday, and two more children followed.Early military career
Friedrich Karl Wilhelm entered Habsburg military as a CuirassierCuirassier
Cuirassiers were mounted cavalry soldiers equipped with armour and firearms, first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. They were the successors of the medieval armoured knights...
in 1772. He commanded the Dragoon regiment Waldeck in Austria's wars with the Ottoman Empire in 1788–1789. During the French Revolutionary Wars, he served in the Imperial Army of the Upper Rhine, under command of General of Cavalry Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser
Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser
Dagobert Sigismund, Count Wurmser was an Austrian field marshal during the French Revolutionary Wars. Although he fought in the Seven Years War, the War of the Bavarian Succession, and mounted several successful campaigns in the Rhineland in the initial years of the French Revolutionary Wars, he...
. In 1781, he was a major in 39th Dragoon Regiment Waldeck, which he commanded as Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in Austria's wars against the Turks in 1788–89. He also received the Bavarian Order of Saint Hubert
Order of Saint Hubert (Bavarian)
The Bavarian Order of Saint Hubert was founded in 1444 or 1445 by Gerhard V, Duke of Jülich and Count of Ravensberg. He sought to commemorate his victory over the House of Egmond at the Battle of Linnich on 3 November, which is Saint Hubert's day....
.
Action in the French Revolutionary Wars
In 1793 he served in the Army of the Upper Rhine, under General of Cavarly Graf Wurmser. In 1794 he fought on the Rhine, under Feldzeugmeister (General of Infantry) Friedrich Wilhelm, Fürst zu Hohenlohe-KirchbergFriedrich Wilhelm, Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Kirchberg
Friedrich William, Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Kirchberg was born in Kirchberg, Hohenlohe, on 2 December 1732...
and was distinguished in the actions near Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate forest . The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, and from Luxembourg.Kaiserslautern is home to 99,469 people...
(20 September) and Oggersheim (9 October). On 11 October of that year Prince Friedrich was promoted to Major General. In 1795, the prince took part in the successful assault on Mainz
Battle of Mainz
The Battle of Mainz was fought on 29 October 1795 during the French Revolutionary Wars, between France and Austria. The battle was fought near the city of Mainz now in western Germany and ended in an Austrian victory.-People involved:...
(29 October) and was victorious in the action at Bacharach (17 December). In 1796 he served in Germany under Archduke Charles
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian field-marshal, the third son of emperor Leopold II and his wife Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain...
and was present at the Battle of Würzburg
Battle of Würzburg
The Battle of Würzburg was fought on 3 September 1796 between an army of Habsburg Austria led by Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen and an army of the First French Republic led by Jean-Baptiste Jourdan. The French attacked the archduke's forces, but they were resisted until the arrival of...
as a cavalry brigade commander.
In 1799, the prince fought on the Rhine as a brigade commander in Lieutenant Field Marsh Johann Sigismund, Count Riesch's
Johann Sigismund Riesch
Johann Sigismund Graf von Riesch joined the army of Habsburg Austria as a cavalry officer and, during his career, fought against the Kingdom of Prussia, Ottoman Turkey, Revolutionary France, and Napoleon's French Empire...
cavalry division and was distinguished in the battle of Stockach
Battle of Stockach (1799)
On 25 March 1799, French and Austrian armies fought for control of the geographically strategic Hegau region in present day Baden-Württemberg. The battle has been called by various names: First Battle of Stockach, the Battle by Stockach, and, in French chronicles, the Battle of Liptingen...
, on 25–26 March, when his Cuirassiers broke and scattered the reserve cavalry division of Jean-Joseph Ange d'Hautpoul
Jean-Joseph Ange d'Hautpoul
Jean-Joseph Ange d'Hautpoul was a French cavalry general of the Napoleonic wars. He came from an old noble family of France whose military tradition extended for several centuries....
.
On 3 November, on his own initiative, he attacked the French under Michel Ney
Michel Ney
Michel Ney , 1st Duc d'Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa was a French soldier and military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of the original 18 Marshals of France created by Napoleon I...
at Löchgau-Erligheim on the River Enz
Enz
The Enz is a left tributary of the Neckar in Baden-Württemberg.It is 112 km long.Its headstreams – the Little Enz and the Big Enz – rise in the northern Black Forest, the latter at Enzklösterle. In Calmbach , the Little Enz and the Big Enz join to form the Enz. The river passes through...
, defeating them decisively, and driving them west to Sinsheim
Sinsheim
Sinsheim is a town in southwestern Germany, in the Rhine Neckar Area of the state Baden-Württemberg about 22 kilometers southeast of Heidelberg and about 28 kilometers northwest of Heilbronn in the district Rhein-Neckar. It consists of a city center and 11 suburbs with a total population of 35,605...
. This action convinced Francois Lecourbe, French commander of the siege of the at Philippsburg
Philippsburg
Philippsburg is a town in Germany, in the district of Karlsruhe in Baden-Württemberg.-History:Before 1632, Philippsburg was known as "Udenheim".The city was a possession of the Bishop of Speyer from 1371–1718...
, to withdraw. For the prince's action on the Enz, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis II was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until 6 August 1806, when he dissolved the Empire after the disastrous defeat of the Third Coalition by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz...
awarded him the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
Military Order of Maria Theresa
The Military Order of Maria Theresa was an Order of the Austro-Hungarian Empire founded on June 18, 1757, the day of the Battle of Kolin, by the Empress...
on 21 November 1799.
On 2–3 December 1799, he commanded the 3rd Assault Column, with three battalions and 26 squadrons of cavalry) under overall command of Lieutenant Field Marshal Anton, Graf Sztáray, in the imperial victory at Wiesloch
Battle of Wiesloch
The Battle of Mingolsheim was fought on April 27, 1622, near the German village of Wiesloch, 14 miles south of Heidelberg , between a Protestant army under General von Mansfeld and the margrave of Baden against a Roman Catholic army under Count Tilly.Early in the spring of 1621, mercenary forces...
over Francois Lecourbe's French troops. On 6 March 1800 he was promoted to Lieutenant Field Marshal and transferred back to the imperial army in southern Germany, under command of Pál Kray. Subsequently commanded a cavalry division in the Imperial center at the defeat in the battle of Hohenlinden on 3 December.
Napoleonic Wars
In 1801, he was appointed Colonel-Proprietor (Inhaber)
Proprietor (Inhaber)
A Proprietor, or Inhaber, was a term used in the Habsburg military to denote special honors extended to a noble or aristocrat. The Habsburg army was organized on principles developed for the feudal armies in which regiments were raised by a wealthy noble, called the Inhaber who also acted as...
of 7th Dragoon Regiment. Prior to the Capitulation of Ulm
Ulm Campaign
The Ulm Campaign consisted of a series of French and Bavarian military maneuvers and battles to outflank and capture an Austrian army in 1805 during the War of the Third Coalition. It took place in the vicinity of and inside the Swabian city of Ulm...
, he, Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg
Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg
Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg (or Charles Philip, Prince of Schwarzenberg (April 18, 1771 – October 15, 1820) was an Austrian field marshal.- Life :...
, and Archduke Ferdinand d'Este
Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este
Archduke Ferdinand Karl Anton Joseph Johann Stanislaus of Austria-Este was a son of Holy Roman Emperor Franz I and Maria Theresa of Austria. He was the founder of the House of Austria-Este and Governor of the Duchy of Milan between 1765 and 1796...
broke out of the French cordon surrounding the city and escaped to Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, hotly pursued by the French cavalry. On 5 November, he commanded an Austrian cavalry column at the Battle of Dürenstein
Battle of Dürenstein
The Battle of Dürenstein , on 11 November 1805, was an engagement in the Napoleonic Wars during the War of the Third Coalition...
and a few weeks later, he commanded the Austrian cavalry at the Allied defeat at the Battle of Austerlitz
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories, where the French Empire effectively crushed the Third Coalition...
.
The decisive French victory at the Battle of Austerlitz
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories, where the French Empire effectively crushed the Third Coalition...
over the combined Russian and Austrian armies forced the Austrian withdrawal from the Coalition. The subsequent Peace of Pressburg
Peace of Pressburg
The Peace of Pressburg refers to four peace treaties concluded in Pressburg . The fourth Peace of Pressburg of 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars is the best-known.-First:...
, signed on 26 December 1805, reinforced the earlier treaties of Campo Formio
Treaty of Campo Formio
The Treaty of Campo Formio was signed on 18 October 1797 by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of revolutionary France and the Austrian monarchy...
and Lunéville
Treaty of Lunéville
The Treaty of Lunéville was signed on 9 February 1801 between the French Republic and the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, negotiating both on behalf of his own domains and of the Holy Roman Empire...
. Furthermore, Austria ceded land to Napoleon's German allies, and paid an indemnity
Indemnity
An indemnity is a sum paid by A to B by way of compensation for a particular loss suffered by B. The indemnitor may or may not be responsible for the loss suffered by the indemnitee...
of 40 million franc
Franc
The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably the Swiss franc, still a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions and the former currency of France, the French franc until the Euro was adopted in 1999...
s. Victory at Austerlitz also gave Napoleon the latitude to create a buffer zone
Confederation of the Rhine
The Confederation of the Rhine was a confederation of client states of the First French Empire. It was formed initially from 16 German states by Napoleon after he defeated Austria's Francis II and Russia's Alexander I in the Battle of Austerlitz. The Treaty of Pressburg, in effect, led to the...
of German states between France and Prussia, Russia, and Austria. These measures did not establish a lasting peace on the continent. Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
worries about growing French influence in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
sparked the War of the Fourth Coalition
War of the Fourth Coalition
The Fourth Coalition against Napoleon's French Empire was defeated in a war spanning 1806–1807. Coalition partners included Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and the United Kingdom....
in 1806, in which Austria did not participate.
Austria did not return to active war against France until the Danube Campaign of 1809. Although the Hasburgs eked out a victory at Aspern and Essling
Battle of Aspern-Essling
In the Battle of Aspern-Essling , Napoleon attempted a forced crossing of the Danube near Vienna, but the French and their allies were driven back by the Austrians under Archduke Charles...
, the campaign resulted in yet another decisive defeat at Wagram
Battle of Wagram
The Battle of Wagram was the decisive military engagement of the War of the Fifth Coalition. It took place on the Marchfeld plain, on the north bank of the Danube. An important site of the battle was the village of Deutsch-Wagram, 10 kilometres northeast of Vienna, which would give its name to the...
. In this campaign, the prince saw no active service, although for nine months in 1809, he served as Adlatus (noble adjutant and mentor) of the Commanding General in Galicia. In December, he retired to his estates in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, where he died on 16 June 1815 in Kaschau, today Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
, in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
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