Franz von Weyrother
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Franz von Weyrother (1755 – 16 February 1806) was an
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: ...
staff officer and general who fought 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 ...
and the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
. He drew up the plans for the disastrous defeats 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 ...
,
Battle of Hohenlinden The Battle of Hohenlinden was fought on 3 December 1800 during the French Revolutionary Wars. A French army under Jean Victor Marie Moreau won a decisive victory over an Austrian and Bavarian force led by 18-year-old Archduke John of Austri ...
and the
Battle of Austerlitz The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in ...
, in which the Austrian army was defeated by
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 ...
twice and
Jean Moreau Adrien Édouard Jean Moreau (31 July 1888 – 5 June 1972) was a French politician. Moreau was born in Paris. He belonged first to the Republican Party of Liberty (1945–1946), then to the Independent Republicans (1946–1955) and then to ...
once.


Early career

Weyrother was born in Vienna as the son of cavalry ''Major'' (
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 ...
) Anton von Weyrother, who was Chief Rider of the
Spanish Riding School The Spanish Riding School (german: Spanische Hofreitschule) is an Austrian institution dedicated to the preservation of classical dressage and the training of Lipizzaner horses, based in Vienna, Austria, whose performances in the Hofburg are also ...
in Vienna. After studying at the ''Ingenieurakademie'' in Vienna (later known as the
Imperial and Royal Technical Military Academy The Imperial and Royal Technical Military Academy (German: ''k.u.k. Technische Militärakademie'') was a military training facility founded in 1717 for certain officer groups of the Habsburg monarchy. The location of the academy changed several ...
), he joined the army as a ''Fahnencadet'' (Academy graduate) in Infanterie-regiment Nr. 22 Franz von Lacy on 1 December 1775 as Lacy was his godfather. On 1 May 1777, he was promoted to ''Fähnrich'' (cadet officer or ensign) and on 16. November 1778 to ''Unterlieutenant'' (second lieutenant). In August 1779, he was chosen by ''Generalmajor''
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 ...
Graf Wenzel Colloredo as his adjutant and stayed in post until 1783. On 1 June 1784, he was promoted to ''Oberlieutenant'' and after his transfer on 1 August 1787 to Infanterie-regiment Nr. 2 Erzherzog Ferdinand, he served in the 1788—1790 Turkish War as Adjutant of ''Feldmarschalleutnant'' Maximilian Browne and on 1 February 1789, was appointed to ''Capitain-lieutenant'' (junior
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 ...
) followed by ''Hauptmann'' (full
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 ...
) on 6 July.Jens-Floria Ebert, ''Die Österreichischen Generäle 1792–1815''
Franz von WeyrotherNapoleon Online (de) Portal zu Epoche
. October 2003.
The
War of the First Coalition The War of the First Coalition (french: Guerre de la Première Coalition) was a set of wars that several European powers fought between 1792 and 1797 initially against the Kingdom of France (1791-92), constitutional Kingdom of France and then t ...
brought about Weyrother's important transfer to the ''Generalquartiermeisterstab'' on 16 July 1794 and he joined its former chief, ''Generalmajor'' Neu, who was now the Governor of the key fortress of
Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...
, where he soon gained the reputation of a cunning and well-educated officer, who was entrusted by Major General Neu with defensive actions against the French besiegers, when Neu was too ill to direct them. he moved over to offensive operations and on 19 November 1794, took the Wissenau Lines, followed by the Zahlbach Lines on 1 December. GM Neu commended him to ''Feldmarschall''
Albert Casimir, Duke of Teschen Prince Albert Casimir of Saxony, Duke of Teschen (11 July 1738, Moritzburg, Electorate of Saxony – 10 February 1822, Vienna) was a Saxon prince from the House of Wettin who married into the Habsburg imperial family. He was noted as an art ...
for his untiring efforts and exceptional skills on 1 December 1794. ''Feldzeugmeister'' (
General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
) Graf von Wartensleben commended ''Hauptmann'' Weyrother to ''Feldmarschall'' Clerfayt for his skilful leadership of the advance-guard in the assault on the Hartberg in May 1795, which led to his promotion to ''Major'' on 22 May, but on 30 August, in repelling a French assault on the Wissenau Lines, Weyrother was shot in the left shoulder. After his recovery, he was sent to the Army of the Rhine under the
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 ...
to serve on his staff. On 11 May 1796, was awarded the Military Order of Maria TheresiaDigby Smith, ''A Biographical Dictionary,'' a
Napoleon Series
28 December 2016.
and was promoted to ''Oberstleutnant'' (
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 colonel. ...
).


Italy and Bavaria

In September 1796, Weyrother transferred to Northern Italy, where he fought in the
Battle of Bassano The Battle of Bassano was fought on 8 September 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars, in the territory of the Republic of Venice, between a French army under Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces led by Count Dagobert von Wurmser. The ...
under
Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
Dagobert von Wurmser, distinguishing himself at the
Battle of Bassano The Battle of Bassano was fought on 8 September 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars, in the territory of the Republic of Venice, between a French army under Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces led by Count Dagobert von Wurmser. The ...
on 6 November 1796. He then joined the renewed effort to relieve the
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 ...
, serving on the staff of
Feldzeugmeister ''Feldzeugmeister'' was a historical military rank in some German and the Austro-Hungarian armies, especially in use for the artillery. It was commonly used in the 16th or 17th century, but could even be found at the beginning of the 20th century ...
József Alvinczi Freiherr Joseph Alvinczi von Borberek a.k.a. Baron József Alvinczi de Borberek (german: Joseph Alvinczy, Freiherr von Berberek; 1 February 1735 – 25 September 1810) was a soldier in the Habsburg Army and a field marshal of the Austrian Empi ...
, helping to plan the campaign, which ended in a narrow defeat by Bonaparte at the
Battle of Arcole The Battle of Arcole or Battle of Arcola (15–17 November 1796) was fought between French and Austrian forces southeast of Verona during the War of the First Coalition, a part of the French Revolutionary Wars. The battle saw a bold maneuver b ...
. His own plan for 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 ...
provided for three widely separated striking forces and unrealistically called for one flanking column to march across mountainous terrain in January. His plans were compromised by Napoleon's chief spy, Toli, who obtained a copy of the plan for the advance in January 1797, which ended in a decisive Austrian defeat 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 ...
and the consequent surrender of the fortress of Mantua.Oscar Criste. "Weyrother, Franz von" in: ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' 42 (1897)
p. 287–289
One of a group of three, known as "Thugut's Benjamins" (trusted assistants to the Foreign Minister
Johann Amadeus Francis de Paula, Baron of Thugut Johann Amadeus Franz de Paula Freiherr von Thugut (24 May 173628 May 1818) was an Austrian diplomat. Early life He was born in Linz. His origin and his unusual name (literally "do good") have been the subject of some legends. One such legend was t ...
, during the campaign of 1799, Weyrother served as chief of staff to
Feldzeugmeister ''Feldzeugmeister'' was a historical military rank in some German and the Austro-Hungarian armies, especially in use for the artillery. It was commonly used in the 16th or 17th century, but could even be found at the beginning of the 20th century ...
Pál Kray Baron Paul Kray of Krajova and Topolya (german: Paul Freiherr Kray von Krajova und Topola; hu, Krajovai és Topolyai báró Kray Pál; 5 February 1735 – 19 January 1804), was a soldier, and general in Habsburg service during the Seven Y ...
, where he distinguished himself at
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 ...
(26 March),
Magnano Magnano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about south of Biella. Magnano borders the following municipalities: Bollengo, Cerrione, Palazzo Canavese, ...
(5 April) and, now serving as liaison officer with the Russian
Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
Alexander Suvorov Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Суво́ров, Aleksándr Vasíl'yevich Suvórov; or 1730) was a Russian general in service of the Russian Empire. He was Count of Rymnik, Count of the Holy ...
, at Novi on 15 August. He then planned the epic march of the Russian troops under
Alexander Suvorov Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Суво́ров, Aleksándr Vasíl'yevich Suvórov; or 1730) was a Russian general in service of the Russian Empire. He was Count of Rymnik, Count of the Holy ...
across the Saint Gotthard Pass. Promoted to ''Oberst'' (
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 ...
) on 5 February 1800, Weyrother was given command of Infanterie-regiment Nr. 7 ''Schröder'', which was part of the army in Germany under
Pál Kray Baron Paul Kray of Krajova and Topolya (german: Paul Freiherr Kray von Krajova und Topola; hu, Krajovai és Topolyai báró Kray Pál; 5 February 1735 – 19 January 1804), was a soldier, and general in Habsburg service during the Seven Y ...
, but a further wound and the strains of campaigning led to his leaving the army to recuperate. Recalled in the autumn of 1800,
Emperor Francis II Francis II (german: Franz II.; 12 February 1768 – 2 March 1835) was the last Holy Roman Emperor (from 1792 to 1806) and the founder and Emperor of Austria, Emperor of the Austrian Empire, from 1804 to 1835. He assumed the title of Emperor of ...
assigned him to be chief-of-staff to the 18-year-old
Archduke John of Austria Archduke John of Austria (german: Erzherzog Johann Baptist Joseph Fabian Sebastian von Österreich; 20 January 1782 – 11 May 1859), a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, was an Austrian field marshal and imperial regent (''Reichsverwese ...
, the new commander of the army in Bavaria, and his ''Adlatus'' (chief adviser)
Franz von Lauer Franz von Lauer (11 May 1736 – 11 September 1803) entered the Imperial Army as a military engineer in 1755 and ended his career as Feldzeugmeister. After serving in the Seven Years' War, by 1783 he had reached the rank of oberst, or colonel. He ...
. Believing Jean Moreau's French army to be in retreat, Weyrother organised an aggressive pursuit through heavily forested terrain by four non-mutually-supporting columns. Instead, Moreau stood his ground, sprang an ambush, and enveloped the Austrian left flank. The resulting
Battle of Hohenlinden The Battle of Hohenlinden was fought on 3 December 1800 during the French Revolutionary Wars. A French army under Jean Victor Marie Moreau won a decisive victory over an Austrian and Bavarian force led by 18-year-old Archduke John of Austri ...
turned out to be a catastrophe for the Austrians, effectively ending the
War of the Second Coalition The War of the Second Coalition (1798/9 – 1801/2, depending on periodisation) was the second war on revolutionary France by most of the European monarchies, led by Britain, Austria and Russia, and including the Ottoman Empire, Portugal, N ...
. Nevertheless, Weyrother was appointed military adviser to the new Foreign Minister, Graf
Ludwig von Cobenzl Johann Ludwig Joseph, Graf von Cobenzl (21 November 1753 – 22 February 1809) was a diplomat and politician of the Habsburg monarchy. Von Cobenzl was born in Brussels in 1753 as one out of ten children to Count Johann Karl Philipp von Cobenzl ...
in the negotiations following the
Armistice of Steyr The Armistice of Steyr (or Steyer) was a ceasefire agreement between the forces of the Holy Roman Empire and the French Republic that ended active hostilities in the War of the Second Coalition in Germany. It was signed on 25 December 1800 in th ...
, which led to the Peace of Lunéville in 1801.


Napoleonic Wars

When the
War of the Third Coalition The War of the Third Coalition) * In French historiography, it is known as the Austrian campaign of 1805 (french: Campagne d'Autriche de 1805) or the German campaign of 1805 (french: Campagne d'Allemagne de 1805) was a European conflict spanni ...
broke out, Weyrother was promoted to ''Generalmajor'' (
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 ...
). After the death of the Allied army
chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
,
Johann Heinrich von Schmitt Johann Heinrich von Schmitt (1743 – 11 November 1805) was an officer in the Army of the Holy Roman Empire. He was arguably one of the most successful chiefs of staff; he rose to the rank of '' Feldmarshalleutnant'' during the French Revolu ...
at the
Battle of Dürenstein A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
on 11 November 1805, the Allied commander-in-chief, the Russian General
Mikhail Kutuzov Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov ( rus, Князь Михаи́л Илларио́нович Голени́щев-Куту́зов, Knyaz' Mikhaíl Illariónovich Goleníshchev-Kutúzov; german: Mikhail Illarion Golenishchev-Kut ...
requested that Weyrother be made
chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
of the Austro-Russian army. Although the two men soon fell out, as Kutuzov wanted a defensive strategy, Weyrother gained the favour of Tsar
Alexander I of Russia Alexander I (; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first King of Congress Poland from 1815, and the Grand Duke of Finland from 1809 to his death. He was the eldest son of Emperor Paul I and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. The son of ...
with his aggressive strategy. With the Tsar's support, he created the plan for the
Battle of Austerlitz The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in ...
Chandler, p 416–417 in which the Allies were crushed by
Napoleon 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 ...
on 2 December 1805. The defeat was so bad, the Russians accused Weyrother of being in the pay of the French. Weyrother withdrew from military life and retired to Vienna, where he died aged 51. His inappropriate dispositions for the battle at Austerlitz are satirised by
Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
in
War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...
.


References

* Arnold, James R. ''Marengo & Hohenlinden.'' Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword, 2005. * Boycott-Brown, Martin. ''The Road to Rivoli.'' London: Cassell & Co., 2001. * Chandler, David. ''The Campaigns of Napoleon.'' New York: Macmillan, 1966. * Criste, Oscar. "Weyrother, Franz von" in: ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' 42 (1897),
S. 287–289
* Ebert, Jens-Floria, ''Die Österreichischen Generäle 1792–1815''
Napoleon Online (de) Portal zu Epoche
October 2003.


Footnotes


External links



{{DEFAULTSORT:Weyrother, Franz von 1755 births 1806 deaths Military personnel from Vienna Austrian Empire military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars Austrian Empire commanders of the Napoleonic Wars Generals of the Holy Roman Empire