Joseph, Count Lucchesi d' Averna, was a

lieutenant field marshal Lieutenant field marshal, also frequently historically field marshal lieutenant (german: Feldmarschall-Leutnant, formerly , historically also and, in official Imperial and Royal Austrian army documents from 1867 always , abbreviated ''FML''), wa ...

in the Habsburg Army during 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 ...

. At the

Battle of Leuthen The Battle of Leuthen was fought on 5 December 1757 and involved Frederick the Great's Prussian Army using maneuver warfare and terrain to rout a larger Austrian force completely, which was commanded by Prince Charles of Lorraine and Coun ...

, he rallied his cavalry against the onslaught of the

Prussia 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 ...

n oblique maneuver. Luccesi had been promoted 25 March 1741 to ''Generalfeldwachtmeister'' (master general of field guards). This is an obsolete rank, above colonel, which was superseded by the rank of major general. He was promoted on 5 July 1745 to

. Later, he was promoted to General of the Cavalry on 12 June 1754, with rank retroactive to 3 December 1748 . Count Lucchesi d' Averna died on 5 December 1757, in Lutynia, Środa Śląska County, Leuthen, Silesia. He was decapitated by a cannon shot, while leading an attack against the 26th infantry, in an attempt to take the Butterberg artillery of the Prussians.Cormac o'Brien, ''Outnumbered: Incredible Stories of History's Most Surprising Battlefield Upsets'', Fair Winds Press, 2010 p. 171.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joseph Count Lucchesi d' Averna 1757 deaths Field marshals of Austria