Matthias Gallas, Graf von Campo und Herzog von Lucera (Count of Campo, Duke of Lucera) (Matteo Gallasso; 17 October 1588 in

Trento Trento ( or ; Ladin and lmo, Trent; german: Trient ; cim, Tria; , ), also anglicized as Trent, is a city on the Adige River in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th ce ...

– 25 April 1647 in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

) was an

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 ...

n professional soldier during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

. He distinguished himself in the first half of the war in service of the Catholic League, in the

War of the Mantuan Succession The War of the Mantuan Succession (1628–1631) was a related conflict of the Thirty Years' War, caused by the death in December 1627 of Vincenzo II, last male heir in the direct line of the House of Gonzaga and ruler of the duchies of Mantua ...

, and as one of

Albrecht von Wallenstein Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein () (24 September 1583 – 25 February 1634), also von Waldstein ( cs, Albrecht Václav Eusebius z Valdštejna), was a Bohemian military leader and statesman who fought on the Catholic side during the Th ...

's Generals. After carrying out the dismissal and elimination of Wallenstein, Gallas became acting supreme commander of the Imperial Army three times between 1634 and 1647 but he never held the function or authority of a

Generalissimo ''Generalissimo'' ( ) is a military rank of the highest degree, superior to field marshal and other five-star ranks in the states where they are used. Usage The word (), an Italian term, is the absolute superlative of ('general') thus me ...

. He was a principal architect of the victory of Nördlingen 1634 but his following campaigns were less successful. After leading ineffective offensives against France, he managed to end Swedish attacks on

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

and to drive them back to the

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...

coast in 1637. Unable to eliminate them or sustain his own forces in the devastated

Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...

, Gallas retreated with his shrunken army in 1638. Because he was unable to stop the following Swedish advance, he lost his command for the first time. Called back in 1643 to stop

Lennart Torstensson Lennart Torstensson, Count of Ortala, Baron of Virestad (17 August 16037 April 1651), was a Swedish Field Marshal and military engineer. Early career He was born at Forstena manor in Västergötland. His parents were Märta Nilsdotter Posse a ...

who soon retreated to attack Denmark, Gallas was ordered to follow him and to support the Danes. This ended in Gallas' most disastrous campaign in which he was outmaneuvered and encircled by the Swedes, who cut him off from his supplies in late 1644. Having lost almost his entire army, he was again relieved from command, only to return to advise and support Archduke Leopold Wilhelm in defending the

Erblande The ''Erblande'' ("Hereditary Lands") of the House of Habsburg formed the Alpine heartland of the Habsburg monarchy.Kann, ''Habsburg Empire'', 1–4. They were the hereditary possessions of the Habsburgs within the Holy Roman Empire from before ...

against Sweden. Once again, he replaced the Archduke as supreme commander in 1647 but died soon afterwards after suffering many years from ill health.

Biography

Early career

Gallas started his career first as page and then as cavalryman in service of Ferdinando Madruzzo, a brother of the Prince-Bishop of Trento

Carlo Gaudenzio Madruzzo Carlo Gaudenzio Madruzzo (1562 – 14 August 1629) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and statesman. Biography Born in the castle of Issogne, Aosta Valley, he was the son of Baron Giovanni Federico Madruzzo and Isabelle of Challant, and ne ...

. He most likely fought as Spanish mercenary in

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

. Thereafter, he fought as

Fähnrich Fähnrich () is an officer candidate rank in the Austrian Bundesheer and German Bundeswehr. The word comes from an older German military title, (flag bearer), and first became a distinct military rank in Germany on 1 January 1899. However, ...

and

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 ...

under the Tyrolean ''Obristfeldhauptmann'' Giannangelo Madruzzo for Spain against Savoy. In 1616, Gallas participated at the Spanish siege of

Vercelli Vercelli (; pms, Vërsèj ), is a city and ''comune'' of 46,552 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, ...

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

. Following Giannangelo's death in December 1618, Gallas was designated to succeed him as commander of the fortress

Riva Riva may refer to: People * Riva (surname) * Riva Castleman (1930–2014), American art historian, art curator and author * Riva Ganguly Das (born 1961), Indian diplomat * Riva (footballer), Brazilian former footballer Rivadávio Alves Pereira ...

. He became Captain and commanded the fortress until January 1621. In this year, Gallas joined the forces of the Catholic League and entered the

as ''Obristwachtmeister'' and commander of an infantry regiment. He was second officer to Count Anholt and distinguished himself, especially at the

battle of Stadtlohn The Battle of Stadtlohn was fought on 6 August 1623 between the armies of the Electoral Palatinate and of the Catholic League during the Thirty Years' War. The League's forces were led by Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly, the Protestants by ...

(1623). After being promoted to colonel in 1625 and made

Reichsfreiherr (; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire ...

in 1627, the League president and Bavarian

Elector Maximilian Maximilian, Maximillian or Maximiliaan (Maximilien in French) is a male given name. The name " Max" is considered a shortening of "Maximilian" as well as of several other names. List of people Monarchs *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1459� ...

denied him further promotion, leading to Gallas' change into Imperial service in early 1629. Sacco di mantova nel 1630

Since 1629, he was serving as

Generalfeldwachtmeister ''Generalfeldwachtmeister'' is a historical military rank of general officer level in the armies of the German and Scandinavian countries, corresponding to the rank of ''maréchal de camp'' in France. A Generalfeldwachtmeister ranked above a brig ...

under Count Collalto in the

War of Mantuan succession The War of the Mantuan Succession (1628–1631) was a related conflict of the Thirty Years' War, caused by the death in December 1627 of Vincenzo II, last male heir in the direct line of the House of Gonzaga and ruler of the duchies of Mantua ...

. When Collalto fell sick, command of the Imperial army devolved to his deputies, Gallas and

Johann von Aldringen Johann Reichsgraf von Aldringen (sometimes spelled Altringer or Aldringer; 10 December 158822 June 1634) was an Austrian soldier active before and during the Thirty Years' War. He was born in Luxembourg in the Duchy of Luxembourg,Duc de Candale and the Venetian provveditore Zaccaria Sagredo at the

battle of Villabuona The Battle of Villabuona (sometimes spelled "Villabona") was a battle fought on 29 May 1630 in the frazione of Villabona (a locality in the comune of Goito) in southern Lombardy during the Mantuan war of succession between an allied Franco-Venet ...

. His complete victory at Villabuona ensured the fall of

Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the Eur ...

, and on 18 July Imperial troops under his command captured and then brutally sacked the city. Only the churches and the

ghetto A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished t ...

were spared, but the latter solely to expel the Jewish population and to plunder it nine days later. The expulsion was later rescinded by the Imperial court, and on 18 October the surviving Jewish population of Mantua was allowed to return. Gallas stayed in Italy to negotiate the Treaty of Cherasco in which he managed to prevent the demilitarisation of the

Valtellina Valtellina or the Valtelline (occasionally spelled as two words in English: Val Telline; rm, Vuclina (); lmo, Valtelina or ; german: Veltlin; it, Valtellina) is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Toda ...

that remained under Imperial control. Made

Imperial Count Imperial Count (german: Reichsgraf) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. In the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly ( immediately) from the emperor, rather than from ...

for the capture of Mantua and the negotiations at Cherasco, he returned to Germany for the campaign against Gustavus Adolphus and his Saxon allies in late 1631. Gallas was appointed 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 i ...

and assumed command over a corps of

Wallenstein Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein () (24 September 1583 – 25 February 1634), also von Waldstein ( cs, Albrecht Václav Eusebius z Valdštejna), was a Bohemian military leader and statesman who fought on the Catholic side during the Th ...

's army. Over the winter, he recovered parts of Bohemia from Saxon occupation. Wallenstein's army recaptured

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

and subsequently turned to Bavaria to face the Swedish army in 1632. Gallas' corps served at the

Battle of the Alte Veste The Battle of the Alte Veste was a significant battle of the Thirty Years' War. Background In the late summer of 1632 the army of Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus met Albrecht von Wallenstein near Nürnberg. The successes of Gustavus Adolphu ...

near

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

against the Swedish King. After the battle, Gallas was promoted to Field Marshal. Wallenstein sent him to

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

prior to the Battle of Lützen and called him back too late, so that he did not arrive in time to participate. On a proposal from Wallenstein,

Emperor Ferdinand II Ferdinand II (9 July 1578 – 15 February 1637) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1619 until his death in 1637. He was the son of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria and Maria of Bavaria. His parents were de ...

appointed Gallas to ''Generalleutnant'', second-in-command to the

. Over the year 1633, he commanded in Silesia. When Wallenstein's repeated disobedience and unauthorized negotiations with

strengthened the court's mistrust of him, the Imperial counselor Wolkenstein contacted Gallas to check his loyalty and to introduce him to plans to depose Wallenstein. Initially skeptical of the plans, he unsuccessfully tried to change Wallenstein's mind. He was made provisional supreme commander until the Emperor's son Ferdinand of Hungary took command. After he was informed of the Emperor's decision to arrest or kill Wallenstein, Gallas left the army's headquarters in Pilsen on 12 February 1634 to plan the execution. He declared the orders of Wallenstein,

Adam Erdmann Trčka von Lípa Adam Erdmann Trčka von Lípa (1599 – 23 February 1634) was a Bohemian nobleman and lieutenant field marshal, who fought during the course of the Thirty Years' War. He became a close associate of Imperial Generalissimo Albrecht von Wallenstein. ...

and

Christian von Ilow Christian von Ilow (1585 – 25 February 1634) was a Neumark nobleman and Generalfeldmarschall who fought during the course of the Thirty Years' War. At the outbreak of the war, Ilow enlisted into the Imperial army, rapidly advancing through the ...

invalid and secured the loyalty of the troops while Wallenstein fled to

Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, baroque bui ...

where he was assassinated. Gallas was greatly rewarded with the vast majority of the former

Duchy of Friedland Duchy of Friedland (Czech: ''Frýdlantské vévodství'', German: ''Herzogtum Friedland'') was a de facto sovereign duchy in Bohemia. It was created in 1627 and disappeared in 1634, after death of the ruler, Albrecht von Wallenstein (1582 - 163 ...

Generalleutnant and Imperial commander

Jan van der Hoecke - The Battle of Nördlingen, 1634

In the next campaign, Gallas was the actual commander as chief advisor to the inexperienced Ferdinand of Hungary. Their plan was to regain Regensburg and to link up with a Spanish army under the

Cardinal-Infante The title Cardinal-Infante may refer to any one of the following, each of them both an ''infante'' (prince) and a cardinal: * Cardinal-Infante Jaime of Portugal (1433–1459) * Cardinal-Infante Afonso of Portugal (1509–1540) * Henry of Portugal ...

. The Imperials captured Regensburg on 26 July, followed by

Donauwörth Donauwörth () is a town and the capital of the Donau-Ries district in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is said to have been founded by two fishermen where the rivers Danube (Donau) and Wörnitz meet. The city is part of the scenic route called "Roman ...

on 16 August. They proceeded to besiege

Nördlingen Nördlingen (; Swabian: ''Nearle'' or ''Nearleng'') is a town in the Donau-Ries district, in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, with a population of approximately 20,674. It is located approximately east of Stuttgart, and northwest of Munich. It was b ...

where the Spanish army joined their forces. A numerically inferior Swedish force under Gustav Horn and Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar tried to lift the siege and attacked them on 5 September but Gallas directed the united Habsburg army to a resounding victory in the Battle of Nördlingen. The Swedes lost two armies and the control over southern Germany while the Imperials chased them up to the

Main Main may refer to: Geography * Main River (disambiguation) **Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *"Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries ...

before moving into winter quarters in

Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Württ ...

. The attention of the Imperials turned to the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

in 1635. After the open outbreak of hostilities with France, Gallas and his troops crossed the river at the recently captured

Philippsburg Philippsburg () is a town in the district of Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. History Before 1632, Philippsburg was known as "Udenheim". The city was a possession of the Bishop of Speyer from 1371–1718. The town is named after ...

in May. He captured most of the Palatinate with Kaiserslautern as well as

Worms Worms may refer to: *Worm, an invertebrate animal with a tube-like body and no limbs Places *Worms, Germany Worms () is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, situated on the Upper Rhine about south-southwest of Frankfurt am Main. It had ...

and started to besiege

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 joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...

in summer. At the approach of a French-Weimar relief force under Bernhard and Cardinal La Valette, Gallas retreated to harass them with light cavalry and to cut off their supplies. This proved successful, most of the French army perished because of sickness or hunger, or it dissolved on its retreat to

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...

. The siege of Mainz was renewed and successfully concluded in December while Gallas advanced via Saarbrücken into

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...

. He joined forces at

Dieuze Dieuze (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. People Dieuze was the birthplace of: *Charles Hermite, mathematician * Edmond François Valentin About, novelist, publicist and journalist * Émile Friant, ...

with the exiled

Duke of Lorraine The rulers of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions, since its creation as the kingdom of Lotharingia by the Treaty of Prüm, in 855. The first rulers of the newly established region were kings of ...

who urged to recapture his capital Nancy. Yet Gallas preferred to entrench his army at the Seille to give his troops some rest. An outbreak of the plague and shortage of supplies forced him to retreat into

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

where he set up winter quarters at

Saverne Saverne (french: Saverne, ; Alsatian: ; german: Zabern ) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is situated on the Rhine-Marne canal at the foot of a pass over the Vosges Mountains, and 45 km (2 ...

For 1636, Ferdinand of Hungary had convinced the Cardinal-Infante to invade France from the north in an attempt to end the war. Gallas was ordered to lead a separate southern invasion into Burgundy to support Spain. Despite Gallas' reluctance to initiate offensive campaigns, he collected his troops in

Breisach Breisach (formerly Altbreisach; Low Alemannic: ''Alt-Brisach'') is a town with approximately 16,500 inhabitants, situated along the Rhine in the Rhine Valley, in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about halfway ...

and marched via the Belfort Gap into the Franche-Comté. French troops had invaded this Habsburg territory in May and were besieging the capital

Dole Dole may refer to: Places * Dole, Ceredigion, Wales * Dole, Idrija, Slovenia * Dole, Jura, France ** Arrondissement of Dole * Dole (Kladanj), a village at the entity line of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina-Republika Srpska * Dole, Ljubušk ...

. Gallas sent his vanguard under

Guillaume de Lamboy Guillaume III de Lamboy de Dessener, 1590 to 1659, was a Field Marshal in the Imperial Army, who served in the 1618 to 1648 Thirty Years War, and the 1635 to 1659 Franco-Spanish War. Born in Kortessem, then in the Spanish Netherlands, now Li ...

and the Duke of Lorraine ahead; they relieved Dole in August. His main force encamped at

Champlitte Champlitte is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. The inhabitants of Champlitte are known in French as the Chanitois. History During the Roman Era, Champlitte was close to two maj ...

where it was confronted by a French army under Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar and La Valette in September. Unwilling to attack the French head-on, Gallas broke up his camp after several weeks and marched on

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlies ...

. After capturing the castle of Mirebeau-sur-Bèze on 24 October, he was again hesitant to advance further and decided to lay siege to

Saint-Jean-de-Losne Saint-Jean-de-Losne (, literally ''Saint John of Losne'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department in eastern France. It is about southeast of Dijon. History Despite its size, the town's position on t ...

to secure its strategic bridge for supplies or a possible retreat. However, the small town resisted all Imperial attacks until French reinforcements and heavy rain forced Gallas to abandon the siege and the overall invasion in early November. After being sent to northern Germany with his army in 1637, Gallas was more successful at stopping the advance of the Swedish general

Johan Banér Johan Banér (23 June 1596 – 10 May 1641) was a Swedish field marshal in the Thirty Years' War. Early life Johan Banér was born at Djursholm Castle in Uppland. As a four-year-old he was forced to witness how his father, the Privy Councillo ...

. He almost encircled the Swedes at

Torgau Torgau () is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district Nordsachsen. Outside Germany, the town is best known as where on 25 April 1945, the United States and Soviet Armies forces first ...

with superior numbers in June but Banér escaped by sacrificing parts of his baggage. In a pursuit up to

, Gallas was faster than Banér and blocked his way at Landsberg. Banér barely rescued his army by deceiving the Imperials into thinking that he would violate Polish neutrality and evacuate his army over their territory. However, he only sent his remaining baggage over the Polish border, while his troops moved westwards across the Oder. Gallas trapped him at the coastline and raised a cordon along the

Peene The Peene () is a river in Germany. Geography The Westpeene, with the Ostpeene as its longer tributary, and the Kleine Peene/Teterower Peene (with a ''Peene '' without specification (or ''Nordpeene'') as its smaller and shorter affluent) flo ...

river, taking all strongholds except the most heavily fortified, such as Stralsund or Stettin. The Swedes apparently showed readiness for peace, as their main army was locked in a few fortresses on the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...

. The new Emperor Ferdinand III was willing to compromise but the Swedish Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna eventually used his offers just to improve the French contributions in the Treaty of Hamburg in March 1638. During 1638, Gallas' situation strongly deteriorated; while Banér received fresh reinforcements from Sweden, Gallas gained only insignificant support from his allies Brandenburg-Prussia and Saxony. In October 1638, Banér broke through Gallas' cordon and reconquered

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; nds, label= Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schweri ...

. The Imperials were unable to sustain their army in the devastated area any longer and first retreated across the

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...

, then to Silesia, plundering and partially dissolving in the progress. After Gallas' retreat, Banér pushed into Saxony, defeating the Saxon army at Chemnitz in April 1639. The Swedes advanced even further entering Bohemia in May as the first enemy since 1634. At first left in command, Gallas focused on defending Prague against Swedish siege attempts. Unable to expel the Swedes from Bohemia and confronted with declining army morale and discipline, Gallas was replaced by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm in September. The emperor wanted Gallas to stay as counselor in Vienna, but he chose to return to Trento and to administer his various possessions for the next few years.

Return as commander

In March 1643, Gallas returned to succeed the Archduke and the interim commander

Piccolomini The House of Piccolomini (pronounced ) is the name of an Italian noble family, Patricians of Siena, who were prominent from the beginning of the 13th century until the 18th century. The family achieved the recognised titles of Pope of the Cathol ...

who both resigned following their defeat at Breitenfeld. Gallas anticipated the march of the Swedes under

from Saxony to

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The m ...

and tried to block his way with a defensive position at

Hradec Králové Hradec Králové (; german: Königgrätz) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected by law as an ...

as well as denying the Swedes any crossing of the Elbe. However, Torstensson feinted an attack at

Brandeis Brandeis is a surname. People *Antonietta Brandeis (1848–1926), Czech-born Italian painter *Brandeis Marshall, American data scientist * Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, Austrian artist and Holocaust victim * Irma Brandeis, American Dante scholar * Loui ...

while gaining a crossing at

Mělník Mělník (; german: Melnik) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 19,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Mělník lies in one of the most im ...

. This allowed Torstensson to reach Moravia and resupply the occupied

Olomouc Olomouc (, , ; german: Olmütz; pl, Ołomuniec ; la, Olomucium or ''Iuliomontium'') is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 99,000 inhabitants, and its larger urban zone has a population of about 384,000 inhabitants (2019). Located on t ...

. Gallas followed him over Brno and again took a strong defensive position in front of Torstensson. Instead of seeking battle, Gallas harassed him in skirmishes with the superior Imperial light cavalry and sent a diversion under Krockow to Pomerania. At the end of the year, the Swedes surprisingly left to attack Denmark in what became the

Torstenson War The Torstenson war, Hannibal controversy or Hannibal War ( no, Hannibalsfeiden) was a short period of conflict between Sweden and Denmark–Norway from 1643 to 1645 towards the end of the Thirty Years' War. The names refer to Swedish general ...

Schwedisches und kaiserliches Lager bei Bernburg 1644

In the next year, Gallas was ordered to march to

Holstein Holstein (; nds, label=Northern Low Saxon, Holsteen; da, Holsten; Latin and historical en, Holsatia, italic=yes) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of German ...

to Denmark's aid. Being himself very skeptical about the prospects of this campaign, he delayed his departure until May and slowly moved up to

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland ...

that he recaptured from Sweden in August. The Swedish fleet had been trapped in the

Bay of Kiel The Bay of Kiel or Kiel Bay (, ; ) is a bay in the southwestern Baltic Sea, off the shores of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany and the islands of Denmark. It is connected with the Bay of Mecklenburg in the east, the Little Belt in the northwest, ...

after the

Battle of Colberger Heide The Battle of Colberger Heide (also Kolberger Heide or Colberg Heath) took place on 1 July 1644 during the Torstenson War, off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein. The battle was indecisive, but a minor success for the Dano-Norwegian fleet command ...

but Gallas arrived a few days too late to bombard it from land. Torstensson was already in control of

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

and bypassed Gallas' army after a short confrontation at the

Eider Eiders () are large seaducks in the genus ''Somateria''. The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The down feathers of eider ducks, and some other ducks and geese, are used to fill pillows and quil ...

to threaten their supply lines. Gallas was forced to retreat back to

Bernburg Bernburg (Saale) is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, capital of the Salzlandkreis district. The former residence of the Anhalt-Bernburg princes is known for its Renaissance castle. Geography The town centre is situated in the fertile Magdeburg ...

where Torstensson's superior cavalry supported by

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fully encircled the Imperials and denied them any supplies. By deceiving Torstensson to attack a small decoy force, Gallas was able to escape to

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river. Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebu ...

in November where the pattern repeated itself. His army been shrunken by hunger, sickness and desertion, and himself fallen ill, Gallas ordered his troops to break out. The cavalry under Adrian von Enkevort and Raimondo Montecuccoli was caught by the Swedes at

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and only partly escaped, the small remaining portion of infantry under

Johann Wilhelm von Hunolstein Johann Wilhelm von Hunolstein (french: Jean-Guillaume de Hunolstein; 24 April 1599 – 29 July 1664), also known as Hunoltstein or Hunoldstein, was a professional soldier in Lorrain, Bavarian and Imperial military service during the Thirty Years' ...

safely reached Bohemia in early February 1645. Gallas himself stayed with the diseased soldiers in Magdeburg and only returned to Prague in late February. His command was given to

Melchior von Hatzfeldt Melchior Graf von Gleichen und Hatzfeldt (Westerwald, 20 October 1593 – Powitzko, 9 January 1658) was an Imperial Field Marshal. He fought in the Thirty Years' War first under Albrecht von Wallenstein and Matthias Gallas, then received an i ...

who lost and was captured at Jankau in March. The slightly recovered Gallas was again recalled to assist the new Generalissimo Leopold Wilhelm as his deputy. He collected the dispersed Imperial troops in Bohemia and organised the defence of the kingdom whereas Archduke Leopold Wilhelm held the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...

. The Bavarian defeat by France at Second Nördlingen in August made an Imperial diversion necessary to help them out. Both Gallas and the Archduke moved to Bavaria and repulsed the French army back to the Rhine while the defence of the Danube was left to three army corps under Puchheim, Hunolstein and

Annibale Gonzaga Annibale Gonzaga (1602 – Vienna, 2 August 1668) was commander of the city of Vienna, imperial field marshal and president of the Hofkriegsrat. Life He was the son of Ferrante de Gazzuolo and Isabella Gonzaga, and thus a member of the Italia ...

. When Gallas' health and his relationship to the Archduke strongly declined at the end of the year, he left his office again. Feeling somewhat more in health, Gallas was asked to replace the Archduke as supreme commander in December 1646. Despite arguing for Piccolomini instead of him, Gallas agreed. Soon, he was again afflicted by gout and fever. Too ill to lead another campaign, he restricted his efforts to conserve the Imperial army through the winter. The war-weary Gallas could not prevent the Bavarian Elector Maximilian from signing the Truce of Ulm with France and Sweden in March 1647; he even admitted that Maximilian was doing the right thing. The emperor recalled Gallas to Vienna in late March, his command was transferred to Count Holzappel on 17 April. Gallas died eight days later due to a failed surgery.

Assessment

The successes of Gallas' early career were not matched by his achievements after 1634. He was a general that never lost a major battle because he did not lead his army into any after Nördlingen. Unwilling to risk his army in

pitched battle A pitched battle or set-piece battle is a battle in which opposing forces each anticipate the setting of the battle, and each chooses to commit to it. Either side may have the option to disengage before the battle starts or shortly thereafter. A ...

, he still could not prevent the ruin of his armies in various campaigns because of lack of supplies. In fact, Gallas often complained about the unsustainable conditions but still obediently followed the orders of the emperor. After his disastrous campaigns of 1638 and 1644, he became even known as the “destroyer of armies” - originating from French and Swedish war propaganda, it evolved into a lasting nickname. According to his biographer Rebitsch, Gallas was an able and wily tactician who most excelled in the defence but often lacked the determination and risk appetite in the offensive. He was competent in the operative planning of his campaigns but more and more overstrained in their execution under the increasingly difficult external conditions of the later Thirty Years' War. Gallas was in contrast to for example Torstensson or Piccolomini not among the commanders that could adequately adapt to these altered conditions. Gallas was most likely an alcoholic like many of his contemporaries in the military, for example his Swedish opponent Johan Banér. Yet authentic descriptions of his drinking behaviour are rather rare and derive mostly from internal rivals like Charles of Lorraine in 1635 or Archduke Leopold Wilhelm in 1645.

Family

Gallas first married Isabella of Arco in 1630 in a double marriage with his colleague Johann von Aldringen who married Isabella's sister Livia. After the death of his first wife in 1632, Gallas remarried Dorothea Anna von Lodron two years later, a daughter of Count Philipp von Lodron and relative to

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

's Prince-Bishop Paris von Lodron. Together, they had at least seven children, of which Franz Ferdinand (1635–1697), Theresia Annunziata Francesca († 1667), Anton Pankraz (1638–1695) and Maria Viktoria (1639–1687) survived their childhood. The most remarkable descendant of Gallas was his grandson Johann Wenzel von Gallas (1669–1719), a diplomat and Austrian

Viceroy of Naples This is a list of viceroys of the Kingdom of Naples. Following the conquest of Naples by Louis XII of France in 1501, Naples was subject to the rule of the foreign rulers, the Kings of France, Aragon and Spain and the Habsburg Archdukes of Austri ...

. After the death of the last male Gallas in 1757, Johann Wenzel's son Philipp Josef, the heir Christian Philipp von Clam took the name Clam-Gallas, a family which provided many reputable soldiers to the Imperial army.

Possessions

Trento-Palazzo Fugger Galasso-from southwest

Despite holding the title ''Count of Campo'', Gallas never possessed the eponymous Castle Campo near Fiavé that his family had lost many generations before. From his pay as soldier and officer, he purchased the first pieces of land prior to 1621, followed by a house in Trento in 1623 and a mansion in Mattarello in 1628. In 1632 or 1642, he bought the Palazzo Fugger in Trento, afterwards known as Palazzo Galasso. His loyalty to the Habsburgs during Wallenstein's dismissal in early 1634 brought Gallas as highest-ranking executor the majority of the Generalissimo's property in the Bohemian Duchy of Friedland with

Frýdlant Frýdlant (; also known as Frýdlant v Čechách, german: Friedland in Böhmen) is a town in Liberec District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,400 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law a ...

and Liberec but without the capital

Jičín Jičín (; german: Jitschin or ''Gitschin'') is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. Th ...

. From Adam Trčka's possessions, the dominion of Smiřice was given to Gallas. In northern Italy, he purchased Castle Freyenthurn ( it, Torre Franca) in Mattarello and most of the surrounding village from 1634 to 1636. On 22 August 1635, Gallas was made Duke of Lucera by King

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered ...

. The title was linked to a territory in the Kingdom of Naples. Gallas himself did not use the title in documents or correspondence.

Notes

References

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallas, Matthias 1588 births 1647 deaths People from Trento Counts of Austria Austrian people of the Thirty Years' War Military personnel of the Thirty Years' War Field marshals of the Holy Roman Empire