HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Charles-Joseph Lamoral, 7th Prince de Ligne in French; in
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
Karl-Joseph Lamoral 7. Fürst von Ligne (also known as Karl Fürst von Ligne or ''Fürst de Ligne''): (23 May 1735 – 13 December 1814) was a
field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
,
inhaber ''Inhaber'', or Proprietor, 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 weal ...
of an infantry regiment, prolific writer, intellectual, member of the princely family of Ligne. He fought as a field officer during several famous battles during the
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
and briefly returned to military duty in the
War of the Bavarian Succession The War of the Bavarian Succession (; 3 July 1778 – 13 May 1779) was a dispute between the Austrian Habsburg monarchy and an alliance of Electorate of Saxony, Saxony and Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia over succession to the Electorate of Bavaria ...
. He performed an important diplomatic mission to
Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...
in 1787 and led troops against the Turks at
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
in 1789. Beginning in the 1770s, he authored an impressive volume of work. After his estates in the
Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The period began with the acquisition by the Austrian Habsburg monarchy of the former Spanish Netherlands under the Treaty of Ras ...
were lost to France during the
War of the First Coalition The War of the First Coalition () was a set of wars that several European powers fought between 1792 and 1797, initially against the Constitutional Cabinet of Louis XVI, constitutional Kingdom of France and then the French First Republic, Frenc ...
, he lived in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
. All three of his sons died before him, but his wife and four daughters all outlived him. His grandson, the 8th Prince, became a Belgian statesman.


Military service

Prince Charles-Joseph de Ligne was born in
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
,
Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The period began with the acquisition by the Austrian Habsburg monarchy of the former Spanish Netherlands under the Treaty of Ras ...
, the son of Field Marshal
Claude Lamoral, 6th Prince of Ligne Claude Lamoral, Prince of Ligne (7 August 1685 – Chateau de Beloeil, 7 April 1766) was a Generalfeldmarschall, Field marshal and sixth Prince in the House of Ligne. A state councilor, he reorganized the army in the newly conquered Austrian ...
and Princess Elisabeth Alexandrina zu Salm, daughter of Ludwig Otto, 5th Prince zu Salm and his wife Princess Albertine of Nassau-Hadamar. As an
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n subject he entered the imperial army at an early age. He distinguished himself by his valor in the
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
, notably at Breslau, Leuthen, Hochkirch and Maxen. A young captain at Leuthen, he found himself suddenly in command of 200 men, the battalion colonels and majors having been killed, and led them to shelter from Prussian cannon fire beside a windmill; subsequently, he participated in the retreat to
Königsburg The Königsburg is a ruined medieval castle southeast of Königshütte, a village in the borough of Oberharz am Brocken, in Harz district in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Site The ruins are located above the confluence of the Warme Bod ...
.J. F. C. Fuller, ''A Military History of the Western World'', Da Capo Press, 1987,
p. 212–215
During the Seven Years' War, de Ligne was promoted
major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
in 1757, ''
Oberstleutnant () (English: Lieutenant Colonel) is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, ...
'' in 1758, and ''
Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...
'' (
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...
) in 1759. He was named general-major on 23 April 1764 and ''
Feldmarschall-Leutnant Lieutenant field marshal, also frequently historically field marshal lieutenant (, formerly , historically also and, in official Imperial and Royal Austrian army documents from 1867 always , abbreviated ''FML''), was a senior army rank in certai ...
'' on 1 May 1773. He was awarded the
Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...
in 1772. He was appointed
Inhaber ''Inhaber'', or Proprietor, 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 weal ...
(proprietor) of Infantry Regiment Nr. 30 in 1771, the successor to Prince William Carl Christian of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He became the intimate friend and counselor of
Emperor Joseph II Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor F ...
, and, inheriting his father's vast estates, lived in the greatest splendor and luxury until the
War of the Bavarian Succession The War of the Bavarian Succession (; 3 July 1778 – 13 May 1779) was a dispute between the Austrian Habsburg monarchy and an alliance of Electorate of Saxony, Saxony and Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia over succession to the Electorate of Bavaria ...
brought him again into active service. In 1778, de Ligne was impressed by a captured Prussian officer Flemming von Hagen, who was asked about his girl friends by his captors and replied, "I love nothing more dearly than my sword". He wished that more Austrian officers were as serious about their military profession. King
Frederick the Great Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...
of Prussia built a number of palaces and other buildings in
Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...
, but upon closer inspection, the place had a seedy appearance. de Ligne wrote that Frederick had a chance to do something new in Potsdam, but "he believed that he could bend Nature to his will by the force of his intellect, in the same way as he attained his victories, and managed war, politics, population, finances and industries. But Nature has a way of laughing at heroes. She prefers a
Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
farmer". This war was short and uneventful, and the prince then traveled in England, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and France, devoting himself impartially to the courts, the camps, the salons and the learned assemblies of
philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
s and scientists in each country. He developed a great admiration for
Frederick the Great Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...
, even to the point of justifying his seizure of
Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...
. De Ligne was promoted to '' Feldzeugmeister'' (full general) on 8 September 1787. He earned the Commander's Cross of the Order of Maria Theresa on 12 October 1789. In 1787 he was with
Catherine II Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III ...
in Russia and accompanied her in her journey to the Crimea. In 1789 he was present at the Siege of Belgrade. Shortly after the siege of Belgrade, he was invited to place himself at the head of the Belgian revolutionary movement, in which one of his sons and many of his relatives were prominent, but declined with great courtesy, saying that "he never revolted in the winter." Though suspected by Joseph of collusion with the rebels, the two friends were not long estranged, and after the death of the emperor the prince remained in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
. He was appointed Grand Bailiff of Hainaut in 1791. After entering diplomacy, his sympathy for the Belgian rebels closed the door to him. During the annexation by France in 1792, his property was confiscated. He never saw his Château de Beloeil again, which was sequestered, and settled permanently in Vienne in 1792. His Brabant estates were overrun by the French in 1792–93, and his eldest son killed in action at La Croix-du Bois in the Argonne (14 September 1792). He was given an honorary command at court.


Later life

De Ligne served as captain of the Trabanten Life Guard (Gentlemen at Arms) and the Hofburgwache (Palace Bodyguard) from 13 June 1807 until his death. He received promotion to ''
Feldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several List of states in the Holy Roman Empire, German states and the Holy ...
'' on 6 September 1808. Despite the loss of his estates, Charles-Joseph lived in comparative luxury in his later life, and devoted himself to his literary work. He lived long enough to characterize the proceedings of the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
with the famous mot: "''Le Congrès ne marche pas, il danse''." (The Congress does not march, it dances.) He has been described as one of the most charming men who ever lived. He died, aged 79, in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
in December 1814 and was buried at the ''Kahlenberg'' cemetery.''Karl Fürst von Ligne''
at bezirksmuseum.at In 1815, the proprietorship of Infantry Regiment Nr. 30 passed to Laval Nugent von Westmeath.


Collected works

His collected works appeared in thirty-four volumes at Vienna during the last years of his life (''Mélanges militaires, littéraires, sentimentaires''), and he bequeathed his manuscripts to the emperor's Trabant Guard, of which he was captain (''Œuvres posthumes'', Dresden and Vienna, 1817). Selections were published in French, German and English: * ''Œuvres choisies de M. le prince de Ligne'' (Paris, 1809) * ''Lettres et pensées du Maréchal Prince de Ligne'', ed. by Madame de Staël-Holstein (1809) * ' (Brussels, 1859) * ''Des Prinzen Karl von Ligne militärische Werke'', ed. Count Pappenheim (Sulzbach, 1814) * ''Memoir of Charles-Joseph, Prince de Ligne,'' ed. Katharine Prescott Wormeley (Boston, 1902) The most important of his numerous works on all military subjects is the ''Fantaisies et préjuge's militaires'', which originally appeared in 1780. A modern edition is that published by J Dumaine (Paris, 1879). A German version (''Miltarische Vorurtheile und Phantasien, etc.'') appeared as early as 1783. This work, though it deals lightly and cavalierly with the most important subjects (the prince even proposes to found an international academy of the art of war, wherein the reputation of generals could be impartially weighed), is a military classic, and indispensable to the students of the post-Frederician period. On the whole, it may be said that the prince adhered to the school of Guibert, and a full discussion will be found in Max Jahns' ''Gesch. d. Kriegswissenschaften''. Another very celebrated work by the prince is the mock autobiography of Prince Eugène of Savoy (1809). Other works of his include: * ''Lettres à Eugénie sur les spectacles'' (1774) * ''Céphalide, ou les Autres mariages samnites'', comédie en musique (1777) * ''Préjugés'' et ''Fantaisies militaires'' (1780) * ''Colette et Lucas'', comédie en musique (1781) * ''Coup d'œil sur Belœil'' (1781) * ''Fantaisies militaires'' (1783) * ''L'Amant ridicule'', proverbe en prose (1787) * ''Mélanges militaires, littéraires et sentimentaires'' (1795–1811) * ''Mémoires sur les Juifs'' (1795–1811) * ''Les Embarras'', pièce en un acte (manuscrit) * ''Contes immoraux''


Marriage and issue

On 6 August 1755, in
Valtice Valtice (; ) is a town in Břeclav District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,600 inhabitants. It is known as part of Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic town centre is ...
or
Feldsberg Valtice (; ) is a town in Břeclav District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,600 inhabitants. It is known as part of Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic town centre is ...
, Charles-Joseph married Princess ''Franziska'' Xaveria Maria of
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...
(Vienna, 27 November 1739 – Vienna, 17 May 1821), sister of Franz Joseph I, Prince of Liechtenstein. The couple had seven children. * Princess Marie Christine Leopoldine (25 May 1757 Brussels – 13 September 1830
Teplice Teplice (, until 1948 Teplice-Šanov; , ''Teplitz-Schönau'') is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 51,000 inhabitants. It is the most populous Czech spa town, followed by Karlovy Vary. The historic city cen ...
) * Prince Charles Antoine Joseph Emanuel (25 September 1759 Brussels – 14 September 1792) * Prince Francois Leopold (3 November 1764 – 6 January 1771) * Prince Louis Eugene Marie Lamoral (7 May 1766 Brussels – 10 May 1813 Brussels) * Prince Adalbert Xavier (26 August 1767 – 23 May 1771) * Princess Euphemie Christine Philippine (18 July 1773 Brussels – 30 March 1834 Vienna) * Princess Flore Adelaide Caroline (8 November 1775 Brussels – 9 December 1851 Vienna) He also had two illegitimate daughters: "Adèle" (1809–1810) by Adelaide Fleury; and another one (?) (1770–1770) by Angélique d'Hannetaire (1749–1822). Charles-Joseph legitimated in 1810 the illegitimate beloved daughter of his son Charles, called "Fanny-Christine" (4 January 1788 – 19 May 1867). She is called "Titine" in the diaries and letters of the family; she married Maurice O'Donnell von Tyrconnell (1780–1843). His grandson, Eugène, 8th Prince de Ligne (1804–1880), was a distinguished Belgian statesman, and another grandson, Count Maximilian O'Donnell von Tyrconnell (1812–1895), helped save the life of Emperor
Franz Josef I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death in 1916. In the early part of his reig ...
in Vienna in 1853.


Notes


Ancestry


See also

*
Prince of Ligne Prince of Ligne is a title of Belgian nobility that belongs to the House of Ligne, which goes back to the eleventh century. It owes its name to the village in which it originated, between Ath and Tournai. The lords of Ligne belonged to the en ...
*
Château de Belœil A château (, ; plural: châteaux) is a manor house, or palace, or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaki ...
* Edelstetten Abbey


Notes

See ''Revue de Bruxelles'' (October 1839); Reiffenberg, "''Le Feld. maréchal Prince Charles Joseph de Ligne''," ''Mémoires de l'académie de Bruxelles'', vol. xix.; Peetermans, ''Le Prince de Ligne, ou un écrivain grand seigneur'' (Liege, 1857), ''Etudes et notices historique concernant l'histoire des Pays Bas'', vol. iii. (Brussels, 1890)


References

* * *


Further reading

* de Ligne, Prince Charles-Joseph, ''Mon Journal de la guerre de Sept Ans''. Textes inédits introduits, établis et annotés par Jeroom Vercruysse et Bruno Colson (Paris, Editions Honoré Champion, 2008) (L'Âge des Lumières, 44). * Mansel, Philip. '' The Prince of Europe: The Life of Charles-Joseph De Ligne, 1735–1814''. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003 (hardcover, ); 2004 (hardcover, ); London: Phoenix House, 2005 (paperback, ). * ''Les Lettres de Catherine II au Prince de Ligne (1780–1796).'' Edited by La Princesse Charles de Ligne. ruxelles, 1924


External links


Poésies sur la Russie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ligne, Charles Joseph, Prince De 1735 births 1814 deaths Military writers Military personnel from Brussels #07 #07 Field marshals of Austria Walloon people Nobility of the Austrian Netherlands Generals of the Holy Roman Empire Commanders Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa Military personnel of the Austrian Netherlands People of the War of the First Coalition