Karl Friedrich von Lindenau (1746 – 21 February 1817) served in the

Prussian 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 e ...

army before an incident compelled him to switch allegiance to Habsburg Austria in 1789. A staff officer at the beginning of 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 was asked to mentor the young

Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen 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 ...

. The association with Charles lasted for the rest of Lindenau's military career. After being promoted to

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

in 1797, he led a brigade during the 1799 campaign and was elevated in rank to division commander. In 1803 he was appointed

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 wealth ...

of an infantry regiment. In 1805 he fought with distinction while leading a

grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...

division in Italy. The 1809 campaign found him leading an infantry division in Germany, after which he retired from active service.

References

* Arnold, James R. ''Crisis on the Danube.'' New York: Paragon House, 1990. * Bowden, Scotty & Tarbox, Charlie. ''Armies on the Danube 1809''. Arlington, Texas: Empire Games Press, 1980. * Petre, F. Loraine. ''Napoleon and the Archduke Charles''. New York: Hippocrene Books, (1909) 1976. * Rothenberg, Gunther E. ''Napoleon's Great Adversaries, The Archduke Charles and the Austrian Army, 1792-1814''. Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press, 1982 * Schneid, Frederick C. ''Napoleon's Italian Campaigns: 1805-1815''. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers, 2002.
Smith, Digby. Compiled by Leopold Kudrna. ''Bibliographical Dictionary of all Austrian Generals during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815: Karl von Lindenau''
Prussian Army personnel 18th-century German military personnel Austrian Empire military personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars Austrian Empire commanders of the Napoleonic Wars 1746 births 1817 deaths {{mil-hist-stub