Giorgio Basta, Count of Huszt, Gjergj Basta or Gheorghe Basta (1550 – 1607) was an
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
general, diplomat, and writer of
Arbëreshë Arbën/Arbër, from which derived Arbënesh/Arbëresh originally meant all Albanians, until the 18th century. Today it is used for different groups of Albanian origin, including:
* Arbër (given name), an Albanian masculine given name
* Arbëresh ...
origin, employed by the
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
Rudolf II
Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg), Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–160 ...
to command Habsburg forces in the
Long War of 1591–1606. He was later sent to administer
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
as an Imperial vassal and to restore Catholicism as the dominant religion in the region.
On his orders, his ally
Michael the Brave
Michael the Brave ( ro, Mihai Viteazul or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593 – 1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Transylvania (1599 – 1600). ...
, who ruled
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
,
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and so ...
, and
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
, was assassinated on 9 August 1601, a few days after the common victory at the
Battle of Guruslău
The Battle of Guruslău or Battle of Goroszló ( hu, goroszlói csata) was fought on 3 August 1601, between the troops of the Habsburg monarchy led by Giorgio Basta, the Cossacks and Wallachia led by Michael the Brave on one side, and the ...
, for trying to turn against Rudolf II. For this, he is often depicted as disloyal and violent by Romanian and Hungarian historians. Basta was also the author of books on the art of military leadership.
Biography
Basta was born to an
Arbëreshë Arbën/Arbër, from which derived Arbënesh/Arbëresh originally meant all Albanians, until the 18th century. Today it is used for different groups of Albanian origin, including:
* Arbër (given name), an Albanian masculine given name
* Arbëresh ...
family.
He is claimed to be born in La Rocca, modern day
Roccaforzata
Roccaforzata is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Taranto, Apulia, southeastern Italy. Roccaforzata was historically an Arbëreshë Arbën/Arbër, from which derived Arbënesh/Arbëresh originally meant all Albanians, until the 18th cen ...
, a village in
Salento
Salento ( Salentino: ''Salentu'', Salentino Griko: ''Σαλέντο'') is a cultural, historical and geographic region at the southern end of the administrative region of Apulia in Southern Italy. It is a sub-peninsula of the Italian Peninsula ...
, Italy, however historical sources claim he was born in Rocca sul Tanaro, Monferrato.
He was the son of Demetrius Basta, an
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
Epirote
Epirus (; el, Ήπειρος, translit=Ípiros, ) is a traditional geographic regions of Greece, geographic and modern administrative regions of Greece, administrative region in northwestern Greece.Π.Δ. 51/87 “Καθορισμός των ...
who had fled the
Ottoman conquest of the region to Italy, where he served the
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
. His father fought in the Piedmont countryside in the middle 1500s, and then in Flanders as commander of a cavalry regiment under the
Duke of Alba
Duke of Alba de Tormes ( es, Duque de Alba de Tormes), commonly known as Duke of Alba, is a title of Spanish nobility that is accompanied by the dignity of Grandee of Spain. In 1472, the title of ''Count of Alba de Tormes'', inherited by G ...
. Very young, Basta became a soldier, and eventually got promoted to the rank of officer in a detachment commanded by Demetrio. Then after his father died, Basta served in a cavalry company run by his oldest brother Niccolò.
In 1589, he married Anne de Liedekerke de Gavre, with whom he had 3 children: Ferdinand, Nicolas and Alexandrine.
He began his military career in Flanders, where the young officer impressed
Don John of Austria
John of Austria ( es, Juan, link=no, german: Johann; 24 February 1547 – 1 October 1578) was the natural son born to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V late in life when he was a widower. Charles V met his son only once, recognizing him in a secret ...
, and gained the governorship of
Nivelles
Nivelles (; nl, Nijvel, ; wa, Nivele; vls, Neyvel) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the former municipalities of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstre ...
. In the service of Philip II of Spain, he led his army mainly on the French front during the
War of the Three Henrys and the
Catholic League. In 1584, Basta gained his first major victory when his troops were blocking communications between
Malines and
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, . Even in the Spanish defeat in Brussels in March 1585, the blockade of the city was achieved by Basta's troops. During the end of the year, the commander led the cavalry of the expeditionary body which at Charles de Mansfeld's orders.... When the Catholics, in 1589, marched to
retake Paris, it was the cavalry led by Basta who rescued the back of the Spanish army from the sudden attack of
Henry of Navarre
Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarch ...
.
In 1590 he joined the forces of
Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma
Alexander Farnese ( it, Alessandro Farnese, es, Alejandro Farnesio; 27 August 1545 – 3 December 1592) was an Italian noble and condottiero and later a general of the Spanish army, who was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1586 to 1592 ...
in Flanders. He returned to France in 1591, and partook in the
siege of Rouen with the rank of Commander General of the cavalry. He however was almost killed by
Sir Roger Williams, who sliced his neck in personal combat. In February 1592 he separated Navarre from his greater army and the prince fled capture by his forces. He was tasked with ensuring communications between Rouen and the Netherlands, which was massively threatened by the French army, and then protecting the retreat of the Spaniards after the injury of Alexander Farnese to Caudebec. In 1596, after the death of the Duke of Parma, Balta followed the fate of many Italian princes, and had to abandon the Spanish. He then went to the service of
Emperor Rudolf II
Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). He was a member of the Hous ...
, on the recommendation of
Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
, and served as general master in the army of Archbishop Mattia, later deputy governor of Upper Hungary, and finally the commander of the armies of Hungary and Transylvania. Ambrogio Merodio in his ''Istoria Tarantina'', calls him the "terror of Ottoman armies".
For more than a decade, Basta fought against
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
, Transylvanians,
Vlachs
"Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other Easter ...
, and
Tatars
The Tatars ()[Tatar]
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different , gaining much fame as one as the best generals of the Empire. In 1597 he was released, together with General Schwarzenberg, from
Pápa
Pápa is a historical town in Veszprém county, Hungary, located close to the northern edge of the Bakony Hills, and noted for its baroque architecture. With its 32,473 inhabitants (2011), it is the cultural, economic and tourism centre of the re ...
, which was conquered three years earlier by the Turks. In 1597, while he was deputy governor of Hungary, he recaptured the city of
Huszt, which had rebelled against the Empire.
At the
Battle of Mirăslău
The Battle of Mirăslău, or Battle of Miriszló, took place on September 18, 1600, near Miriszló ( ro, Mirăslău), Transylvania, between the Wallachian troops led by Michael the Brave supported by ethnic Hungarian Szeklers and the troop ...
, Michael the Brave was defeated by Basta, forcing Michael to appeal to the Emperor Rudolf II to mediate the dispute with Basta.
Under his command, his ally
Michael the Brave
Michael the Brave ( ro, Mihai Viteazul or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593 – 1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Transylvania (1599 – 1600). ...
, the former ruler of
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
,
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and so ...
and
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
, was assassinated at Keresztesmező camp, near
Câmpia Turzii
Câmpia Turzii (; german: Jerischmarkt; hu, Aranyosgyéres) is a municipality in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania, which was formed in 1925 by the union of two villages, Ghiriș (''Aranyosgyéres'') and Sâncrai (''Szentkirály''). It was decla ...
, because Basta considered him a liability. The event happened on 9 August 1601, only days after a joint victory in
Battle of Guruslău
The Battle of Guruslău or Battle of Goroszló ( hu, goroszlói csata) was fought on 3 August 1601, between the troops of the Habsburg monarchy led by Giorgio Basta, the Cossacks and Wallachia led by Michael the Brave on one side, and the ...
.
Following the murder of Michael and his victory over Báthory, Basta became military commander of Transylvania, but his cruelty led to public discontent. Under his leadership, iniquities and murders multiplied throughout Transylvania. During this brief period, Basta tried to uproot Protestantism. Following Papal and Imperial policy, Calvinist Hungarians and Székelys, Orthodox Wallachians and Serbs, and Lutheran Saxons were subject to any kind of abuse. Following years of warfare and his ruthless regime, famine and plague appeared in Transylvania.
At that time Rudolf II decided to recall him from command, leading to Basta's departure from Transylvania and put him in charge to fight against the Ottomans of West Hungary(1604). He successfully defended Esztergom with his 10,000 mercenaries against 80,000 Ottomans.
After Bocskai's uprisen army chased away
Belgiojoso,
Rudolph sent Basta from West-Hungary to the
Partium
Partium (from Latin ''partium'', the genitive of '' pars'' "part, portion") or ''Részek'' (in Hungarian) was a historical and geographical region in the Kingdom of Hungary during the early modern and modern periods. It consisted of the eastern a ...
to suppress the uprising. In November 1604 Basta twice defeated forces led by
Stephen Bocskai
Stephen Bocskai or Bocskay ( hu, Bocskai István; 1 January 155729 December 1606) was Prince of Transylvania and Hungary from 1605 to 1606. He was born to a Hungarian noble family. His father's estates were located in the eastern regions of th ...
(see also:
Bocskai Uprising). Bocskai at the end cut his supplies and he had to withdraw in winter to
Eperjes
Eperjes is a village in Szentes District of Csongrád County, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary.
Geography
It covers an area of and has a population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single ...
where he got trapped. After some months Rudolph called him back to defend at first the mine towns (e.g.
Besztercebánya) in Upper-Hungary, Moravia and Austria against Bocskai's looting armies.
In July 1605 he did not get enough money to keep up enough mercenaries to defend
Visegrád
Visegrád (; german: Plintenburg; la, Pone Navata or ; sk, Vyšehrad) is a castle town in Pest County, Hungary. It is north of Budapest on the right bank of the Danube in the Danube Bend. It had a population of 1,864 in 2010. The town is the s ...
,
Esztergom
Esztergom ( ; german: Gran; la, Solva or ; sk, Ostrihom, known by alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the right bank of the river Danu ...
and
Érsekújvár against the Ottomans and was defeated by Lalla Mehmed. The Military Committee didn't supply him enough money but Rudolph II made him a Czech baron to compensate. The court became tired of the war and they started pushing aside Basta after the Treaty of Vienna and
Treaty of Zsitvatorok, and even didn't want to pay him their debt. He claimed 380,000
Thaler
A thaler (; also taler, from german: Taler) is one of the large silver coins minted in the states and territories of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy during the Early Modern period. A ''thaler'' size silver coin has a diameter of ...
debt from the court (80 000 wages of mercenaries came from his own pocket). His last 4 years he did not get his payment and was not even invited to the
Military Committee.
[In: Basta György hadvezér levelezése és iratai. iorgio Basta military leader's letters and documents II. Volume. 1602-1607 Editor and translator: Dr. Veress, Endre. Budapest, 1913. Akadémiai Kiadó bout Basta's last yearsXXV-XXXII. phttps://archive.org/stream/bastagyrgyhadv02bastuoft#page/466/mode/1up]
After his experiences of warfare in Eastern Europe he went to
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
to live a quiet life; he died in the same city.
Basta wrote several military manuals, the best known of which are his ''Il maestro di campo generale...''(Venice 1606), and his posthumous work ''Il governo della cavalleria leggiera'' (Venice 1612).
Both were translated into German and into French.
Contributions and military Style
Basta was born into a period of transition from the tradition sword and shield to the gun. And cavalry switched from the
Gendarme
Wrong info! -->
A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to "Man-at-arms, men-at-arms" ...
to lighter and armed cavalrymen, which valued quick cavalry charges. Due to influence from his father, he was a very strict observer of the rules, and the laws of a militia. When he worked for Alexander, Duke of Parma he was responsible for the renewal and restructuring of the cavalry weapon. However, during his early years, Basta experimented with his personal method of "mobile sculptures", which were small and numerous groups of cavalrymen who pushed in the forefront of the army, so as to create a complete "crown" in continuous movement; The method assured the army of sudden destructive capability and gave fruit in the French countryside.
''The government of light cavalry'' is doubtless the most important work of Basta, as it represents the first organic regulation of light cavalry in Europe. Basta's theories led to the cavalry being released from its close ties with infantry, according to previous military tactics. To a degree, Basta's work is also largely anticipatory of further developments, especially in the concept of light cavalry being "the pupil of the armies" and in the reiterated need for a constant coordination of cavalry movements with those of other weapons : Theories, which influenced
Raimondo Montecuccoli
Raimondo Montecuccoli (; 21 February 1609 – 16 October 1680) was an Italian-born professional soldier, military theorist, and diplomat, who served the Habsburg monarchy.
Experiencing the Thirty Years' War from scratch as a simple footsoldier ...
. Interesting remarks are made by Basta regarding the choice of cavalry officers to be performed not according to the nobility titles, but on a more
meritocratic
Meritocracy (''merit'', from Latin , and ''-cracy'', from Ancient Greek 'strength, power') is the notion of a political system in which economic goods and/or political power are vested in individual people based on talent, effort, and achieve ...
internship through the various degrees of the militia. He wants the captain to have absolute authority over all officers, "but always with the advice of the commissioner"; For the lieutenant requires a mature age, which can guarantee "credit and authority on the soldiers"; Young people must be standard bearers, for the pursuit and adventurous spirit. Those carrying the banner must "have in their heads the guidance of all the others." Particular care is given by Basta to the question of the armament of soldiers. The
Blunderbuss
The blunderbuss is a firearm with a short, large caliber barrel which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore, and used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity or caliber. The blunderbuss is commonly consid ...
should be equipped with an arbutus to carry with shoulder strap and a short sword, which allows to hit the tip, more timely and more effectively, according to the dictation of the Italian school, rather than cutting. Among the Blunderbuss, who must be young and robust in shape, Basta values particularly
Flemish
Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...
to be best, not
Italians
, flag =
, flag_caption = The national flag of Italy
, population =
, regions = Italy 55,551,000
, region1 = Brazil
, pop1 = 25–33 million
, ref1 =
, region2 ...
, who prefer
military in infantry.
The main quality of the lancers' wards must be, according to Basta, "velocity and collision velocity, i.e. velocity joint mass"; The gun armor is, besides the spear, a short sword for tip and picks that "can greatly benefit in retreat." On the "rules of residence", Basta illustrates the rules already dictated by Alessandro Farnese: the commissioner. It has to carry out topographic surveys and deal with all the logistical problems with the help of a "forier major", also providing the surveillance system for the equinox. Another important chapter is the one devoted to remote viewing, which Basta underlines as one of the main tasks of the cavalry. In this part, he sets out with great precision the various procedures to be followed to surprise a large army of enemies. Especially of personal experiences in the Netherlands and France, although he attributes the merit of introducing this use of cavalry to the Duke of Alba. Finally, Basta deals with the tactical organization of light cavalry in combat, recommending the crescent moon, rather than the manipulative ones, in lines, in chessboard, in columns.
Gallery
Hans von Aachen - Allegory of the Turkish war - The Battle of Gorossló.jpg, Battle of Guruslău
The Battle of Guruslău or Battle of Goroszló ( hu, goroszlói csata) was fought on 3 August 1601, between the troops of the Habsburg monarchy led by Giorgio Basta, the Cossacks and Wallachia led by Michael the Brave on one side, and the ...
Georgius Basta.jpg , 17th century aquarell of Basta
Via Giorgio Basta (Brindisi Montagna).jpg, Street sign in Brindisi Montagna
Brindisi Montagna, also spelled Brindisi di Montagna ( Lucano: ) is an Arbëreshë town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.
Geography
The municipality borders with Albano di Lucania, Anzi, Pot ...
See also
*
Ottoman wars in Europe
A series of military conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and various European states took place from the Late Middle Ages up through the early 20th century. The earliest conflicts began during the Byzantine–Ottoman wars, waged in Anatolia in ...
*
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estim ...
References
External links
* ''Il mastro di campo generale'' (Venice, 1606
available on Internet Archivefrom
Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma
The Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma (''Rome National Central Library''), in Rome, is one of two central national libraries of Italy, along with ''Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze'' in Florence. In total, 9 national libraries exist, ...
** German translation: ''Il maestro di campo generale, das ist: außfürliche Anzeig, Bericht und Erklärung von dem Ampt eines General-Feldt-Obersten'' (Frankfurt, 1617
available on Google Booksfrom
Austrian National Library
The Austrian National Library (german: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek) is the largest library in Austria, with more than 12 million items in its various collections. The library is located in the Neue Burg Wing of the Hofburg in center of V ...
* ''Il governo della cavalleria leggiera'' (Venice, 1612
available on Internet Archivefrom
Complutense University of Madrid
The Complutense University of Madrid ( es, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; UCM, links=no, ''Universidad de Madrid'', ''Universidad Central de Madrid''; la, Universitas Complutensis Matritensis, links=no) is a public research university loca ...
(scans in reverse order)
** German translation: ''Governo della cavalleria, Das ist, Bericht Von Anführung der leichten Pferde'' (Frankfurt, 1614
available on Google Booksfrom Austrian National Library
*''Basta György hadvezér levelezése és iratai''.
iorgio Basta military leader's letters and documents II. Volume. 1602-1607 Editor and translator
ost of the letter are in Italian, German and Latin, some of them in 16th century Hungarian Dr.
Veress, Endre. Budapest, 1913. Akadémiai Kiadó 974
p
{{DEFAULTSORT:Basta, Giorgoi
1544 births
1607 deaths
16th-century Austrian people
16th-century condottieri
16th-century Albanian people
Counts of Austria
Rulers of Transylvania
Austrian people of Albanian descent
People from the Province of Taranto
People of the Long Turkish War
Military writers