Louis of Hesse-Philippsthal
Encyclopedia
Louis of Hesse-Philippsthal (German: Ludwig von Hessen-Philippsthal; 8 October 1776 - 15 February 1816) was a German general who fought for the Kingdom of Naples
(later Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
).
A prince of the family of the Landgraves of Hesse-Philippsthal, he fought for the Kingdom of Naples
during the Napoleonic Wars
. In the course of the War of the Third Coalition, he commanded the garrison of the fortress of Gaeta
in the siege
laid by the French in 1806, refusing to obey the order of the Neapolitan government to surrender it. His troops resisted for six months, until 18 July after Louis, while leading his men on the bastions, was wounded on 10 July and had to leave the fortress.
Later, together with colonel Nunziante
and lieutenant colonel Bardot, an expedition of 4,000 men who, in 1807, left Sicily
to attempt the reconquest of the mainland of Naples. They were however defeated in the Battle of Mileto
of 28 May 1807.
After the death of his brother Charles in the siege of Frankfurt
in 1793, Louis succeeded him as hereditary prince of the langraviate of Hesse-Philippsthal. When Louis died childless at Naples in 1816 (his only child had died 1802, aged four), the title went to his brother Ernest Constantine.
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
(later Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, commonly known as the Two Sicilies even before formally coming into being, was the largest and wealthiest of the Italian states before Italian unification...
).
Biography
Louis was born at Philippsthal.A prince of the family of the Landgraves of Hesse-Philippsthal, he fought for the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
during 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...
. In the course of the War of the Third Coalition, he commanded the garrison of the fortress of Gaeta
Gaeta
Gaeta is a city and comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is 120 km from Rome and 80 km from Naples....
in the siege
Siege of Gaeta (1806)
The Siege of Gaeta of 1806 was a siege of the fortress city of Gaeta by French forces under André Masséna, which began in late February during the War of the Third Coalition....
laid by the French in 1806, refusing to obey the order of the Neapolitan government to surrender it. His troops resisted for six months, until 18 July after Louis, while leading his men on the bastions, was wounded on 10 July and had to leave the fortress.
Later, together with colonel Nunziante
Vito Nunziante
Vito Nicola Nunziante was an Italian general, politician and entrepreneur, who was active in the Kingdom of Naples ....
and lieutenant colonel Bardot, an expedition of 4,000 men who, in 1807, left Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
to attempt the reconquest of the mainland of Naples. They were however defeated in the Battle of Mileto
Battle of Mileto
The Battle of Mileto was a battle of the War of the Third Coalition. It occurred on 28 May 1807 in Calabria during an attempt by the Bourbon Kingdom of Sicily to re-conquer its possessions in continental Italy, known as the Kingdom of Naples...
of 28 May 1807.
After the death of his brother Charles in the siege of Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
in 1793, Louis succeeded him as hereditary prince of the langraviate of Hesse-Philippsthal. When Louis died childless at Naples in 1816 (his only child had died 1802, aged four), the title went to his brother Ernest Constantine.