Ladislas Ignace de Bercheny ( hu, Bercsényi László) (August 3, 1689 in Eperjes,
Sáros County
Sáros (- Hungarian, Slovak: ''Šariš'', Latin: ''comitatus Sarossiensis'', German: ''Scharosch'') was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in northeastern Slovakia. Today, Šariš is only an info ...
,
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
(today
Prešov,
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
) – January 9, 1778 in
Luzancy,
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...
(today
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
) was a Hungarian-born soldier who became
Marshal of France
Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...
.
Life
Ladislas Ignace de Bercheny was born in 1689, the son of Hungarian noble Miklós Bercsényi who was a friend of
Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi ( hu, II. Rákóczi Ferenc, ; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–11 as the prince ( hu, fejedelem) of the Estates Confeder ...
. Bercheny started his military career in the Bodyguard of prince Rákóczi. After the Prince's failure to achieve Hungarian independence in 1711, Bercheny emigrated to France. In 1712, he was named
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 colo ...
in the Rattky Hussards Regiment, then the only hussar regiment in the French Army. After a year spent at Rákóczi's court-in-exile in
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
, Bercheny was promoted ''mestre de camp'' (
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 o ...
) in the Rattky Regiment in 1719.
Around 1720, Bercheny proposed to recruit new hussars for the Rattky Regiment among the exiled Hungarians in Constantinople. The prospect soon turned into the creation of a new regiment, with Bercheny as his colonel-proprietor. Along with several French and Hungarians officers, Bercheny was able to muster 174 Hungarians by the end of 1722.
Afterwards Bercheny settled permanently in France. He married Anne Catherine Girard, a middle-class girl from
Haguenau, who had already given birth to his first son, in 1726. He was
made a French subject by letters from the King the same year. Bercheny purchased the lordship and manor of
Luzancy, which became his home, in 1729.
The new regiment, known as ''Bercheny-Houzards'', participated in the
War of the Polish Succession
The War of the Polish Succession ( pl, Wojna o sukcesję polską; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II of Poland, which the other European powers widened in pursuit of thei ...
(1733-1735), during which Bercheny was promoted
brigadier
Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. I ...
. He was further promoted to ''maréchal de camp'' (
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 ...
) in 1738 and participated in the
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's ...
, during which he was promoted
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 ...
, and 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 (175 ...
, during which he was made
Marshal of France
Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...
. This final promotion was only honorary, as he retired from active service the same day.
Bercheny died in 1778 in his manor of Luzancy.
Military History
Bercheny was renowned as an expert on light cavalry and became the first Inspector General of Hussars in 1743, giving him advisory role in officers' nominations and tactical use of units. He is widely known as the ''Father of French Hussars''. His regiment, Bercheny Houzards, became the most ancient hussars regiment in the French Army after the dissolution of the former Rattky regiment in 1756. This regiment is nowadays the
1st Parachute Hussars Regiment, but is still widely known as ''Bercheny-Houzards''.
[Raymond Boissau, "La Levée de Bercheny-hussards", ''Revue historique des armées'', n° 225, 2009, pp. 15-21]
Trivia
The
Hungarian military special forces, ''34th László Bercsényi Special Operations Battalion'', is named in his honour.
See also
*
1st Parachute Hussar Regiment
The 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment (french: 1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes, 1er RHP) is an airborne cavalry unit in the French Army, founded in 1720 by Hungarian noble Ladislas Ignace de Bercheny. It is stationed in Tarbes and is a p ...
*
References
External links
Bercheny
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bercheny, Ladislas
1689 births
1778 deaths
People from Prešov
Marshals of France
Hungarian nobility
Hungarian soldiers
18th-century Hungarian people