Adam Bajalics von Bajaháza, also Adam Bajalić von Bajaházy or Adam Bayalitsch, (1734 – 5 June 1800) entered
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
military service and fought against
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
,
Ottoman Turkey
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. During the 1796–1797
Italian campaign against
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, he commanded a brigade or a division in several actions.
Military career
Born to a ''Dalmatin'' (
Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...
from
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
, today known as
Bunjevci
Bunjevci ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Bunjevci, Буњевци, ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, label=, separator=" / ", Bunjevac, Буњевац, sh-Latn-Cyrl, label=, separator=" / ", Bunjevka, Буњевка) are a South Slavic sub-ethnic group living ...
)
family in
Szeged
Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
in 1734, Bajalics enlisted in the ''Archduke Ferdinand'' Infantry Regiment # 2 from 1750 to 1754. He rejoined the Austrian army in 1758, this time in the ''Warasdiner''
Grenz Infantry Regiment. (The Grenz were light infantry recruited from the military border with Ottoman Turkey.) He fought in the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
and earned promotion to
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
(''Leutnant''). During the
War of the Bavarian Succession
The War of the Bavarian Succession (; 3 July 1778 – 13 May 1779) was a dispute between the Austrian Habsburg monarchy and an alliance of Saxony and Prussia over succession to the Electorate of Bavaria after the extinction of the Bavarian bra ...
, he was a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
(''Hauptmann'') and was soon elevated to the rank of
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
. In 1783, he was appointed
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
(''Oberst-Leutnant'') of the ''Szluiner'' Grenz Infantry Regiment. He served with distinction during the
Austro-Turkish War (1788–91) The term Austro-Turkish War may refer to:
* Austro-Turkish War (1593–1606)
* Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664)
* Austro-Turkish War (1683–1699)
* Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718)
* Austro-Turkish War (1737–1739)
* Austro-Turkish War (1788–1 ...
, becoming
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
(''Oberst'') on 28 February 1789.
The Seven Years' War (1756-1763), which essentially pits France and Austria against England allied with Prussia, offers Bajalics the opportunity to earn his stripes of lieutenant in 1760. Captain-Lieutenant in 1768 then captain in 1773, he was appointed major on the occasion of the conflict for the succession of Bavaria (1778-1779), between Austria, on the one hand, Prussia, Saxony and Bavaria on the other.
In 1782, on September 10, he received the title of Baron von Bajahaza.
French Revolutionary Wars
On 1 January 1794, Bajalics became a
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
(''General-Major''). During the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...
he served as a brigade commander in Count
Dagobert von Wurmser's army on the upper
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
. He earned the
Military Order of Maria Theresa for his exploits during the
Battle of Handschuhsheim
The Battle of Handschuhsheim or Battle of Heidelberg (24 September 1795) saw an 8,000-man force from Austrian monarchy, Habsburg Austria under Peter Vitus von Quosdanovich face 12,000 men from the First French Republic, Republican French army led ...
on 24 September 1795, in which a French division was cut to pieces.
After General Bonaparte's French army overran the
Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont
The Kingdom of Sardinia,The name of the state was originally Latin: , or when the kingdom was still considered to include Corsica. In Italian it is , in French , in Sardinian , and in Piedmontese . also referred to as the Kingdom of Savoy-S ...
in the spring of 1796, Bajalics was posted to northern Italy. He commanded a brigade in Wurmser's first relief of the
Siege of Mantua in early August. Wurmser assigned Bajalics to mask the fortress of
Peschiera. After the Austrian defeat at the
Battle of Castiglione
The Battle of Castiglione saw the French Army of Italy under General Napoleon Bonaparte attack an army of the Habsburg monarchy led by ''Feldmarschall'' Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser on 5 August 1796. The outnumbered Austrians were defeated ...
, Bajalics sent four battalions of his troops to cover the main army's withdrawal.
During the fourth relief of
Mantua
Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...
in January 1797, Bajalics commanded a 6,200-man division that threatened French-held
Verona
Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...
. In this effort, in which
Jozsef Alvinczi's main army advanced from the north and
Giovanni di Provera's division moved against
Legnago
Legnago () is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Verona, Veneto, northern Italy, with population (2012) of 25,439. It is located on the Adige river, about from Verona. Its fertile land produces crops of rice, other cereals, sugar, and toba ...
, the Austrian plan miscarried. On 12 January, Bajalics mounted an attack on Verona to draw attention from Alvinczi and Provera. After eight hours of combat with
André Masséna
André Masséna, Prince of Essling, Duke of Rivoli (born Andrea Massena; 6 May 1758 – 4 April 1817) was a French military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.Donald D. Horward, ed., trans, annotated, The Fre ...
's division, the Austrians fell back. On 14 January, Bonaparte crushed
Jozsef Alvinczi's army at the
Battle of Rivoli
The Battle of Rivoli (14–15 January 1797) was a key victory in the French campaign in Italy against Austria. Napoleon Bonaparte's 23,000 Frenchmen defeated an attack of 28,000 Austrians under General of the Artillery Jozsef Alvinczi, en ...
, then he hurried back to Mantua to wipe out Provera's column. Only Bajalics' troops escaped intact from the catastrophe. He was promoted to
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
(''Feldmarschal-Leutnant'') on 1 March 1797.
When Bonaparte hustled the army of
Archduke Charles
Archduke Charles Louis John Joseph Laurentius of Austria, Duke of Teschen (german: link=no, Erzherzog Karl Ludwig Johann Josef Lorenz von Österreich, Herzog von Teschen; 5 September 177130 April 1847) was an Austrian field-marshal, the third s ...
out of Italy in the spring of 1797, Bajalics led part of the right wing in its retreat from
Udine
Udine ( , ; fur, Udin; la, Utinum) is a city and ''comune'' in north-eastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps (''Alpi Carniche''). Its population was 100,514 in 2012, 176,000 with t ...
in present-day
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
toward
Villach
Villach (; sl, Beljak; it, Villaco; fur, Vilac) is the seventh-largest city in Austria and the second-largest in the federal state of Carinthia. It is an important traffic junction for southern Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the po ...
in modern
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. In a confused series of actions from 21 to 23 March, the French succeeded in closing off the Austrian escape route at
Tarvisio
Tarvisio (German and fur, Tarvis, sl, Trbiž) is a comune in the northeastern part of the autonomous Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy.
Geography
The town is in the Canal Valley (''Val Canale'') between the Carnic Alps and Karawanks range ...
. On the latter day, hemmed in by the divisions of Masséna and
Jean Sérurier, Bajalics surrendered with 3,500 men, 25 artillery pieces and 400 wagons. His forces also suffered 1,000 killed and wounded while inflicting 1,200 casualties on the French.
Bajalics retired from military service in 1797 and died in 1800 in
Karlovac
Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. According to the 2011 census, its population was 55,705.
Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located on the Zagreb- Rijeka highway and railway line, south-west of Zagre ...
.
See also
*
Siege of Mantua (1796-1797) Siege of Mantua can refer to:
* Siege of Mantua (1630) (War of the Mantuan Succession, French defending)
* Siege of Mantua (1702) (War of the Spanish Succession, French defending)
*Siege of Mantua (1796–97) (First Coalition, French besieging)
*Sie ...
*
Paul Davidovich
Baron Paul Davidovich or Pavle Davidović ( sr-cyr, Павле Давидовић) (1737, Buda – 18 February 1814, Komárom) became a general of the Austrian Empire and a Knight of the Military Order of Maria Theresa. He played a major ro ...
*
Franjo Vlašić
*
Anton Csorich
Anton Csorich ( hr, Antun Čorić; 1795–1864) was a Croatian nobleman and general in the Habsburg monarchy imperial army service. He was titled ''baron of Monte Creto'' and promoted to the position of lieutenant field marshal when he became th ...
*
Martin von Dedovich
*
Andreas Karaczay
References
Sources
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External links
Bajalics by Digby Smith, compiled by Leopold Kudrna
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bajalics von Bajahaza, Adam
1734 births
1800 deaths
People from Szeged
Austrian Empire military personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars
Austrian lieutenant field marshals
Croatian military personnel in Austrian armies
Bunjevci
Habsburg Croats
18th-century Croatian people