Eugène-Guillaume-Alexis, comte de Mercy d'Argenteau or Eugen Gillis Wilhelm Graf Mercy d'Argenteau or Eugen Gillis Alexis Argenteau (30 December 1743 – 4 May 1819) joined the
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example:
** Austria-Hungary
** Austria ...
army in 1760 and fought 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 ...
. In 1784 he became the commander of an Austrian infantry regiment. He led the unit during the
Austro-Turkish War at the
1789 Siege of Belgrade and was promoted to
general officer
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
. After the outbreak of 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 was loaned to the
Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchic state or realm ruled by a king or queen.
** A monarchic chiefdom, represented or governed by a king or queen.
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and me ...
. He fought at
Saorgio in 1794 and
Monte Settepani and
Loano in 1795. His division faced
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
and was badly defeated in the
Montenotte campaign in April 1796. During the
War of the Third Coalition
The War of the Third Coalition () was a European conflict lasting from 1805 to 1806 and was the first conflict of the Napoleonic Wars. During the war, First French Empire, France and French client republic, its client states under Napoleon I an ...
he led several divisions at
Caldiero in 1805. He retired from the army in 1808 but became
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 an Austrian infantry regiment from 1809 until his death.
Early career
Eugène-Guillaume-Alexis Mercy d'Argenteau was born on 30 December 1743 at
Huy
Huy ( ; ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. Huy lies along the river Meuse, at the mouth of the small river Hoyoux. It is in the '' sillon industriel'', the former industrial backbone of Wall ...
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 ...
, and what is now
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. In 1760, he joined the ''Mercy d'Argenteau'' Infantry Regiment Nr. 56 in 1760. The regiment's
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) was Anton Ignaz Mercy d'Argenteau, a relative. He fought at the bloody
Battle of Torgau on 3 November 1760 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 ...
. He was also present at the storming of
Schweidnitz in October 1761. Argenteau briefly transferred to the ''Königsegg'' Infantry Regiment Nr. 16 in 1773. This was followed by a promotion to
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 ...
on 1 December 1773 and transfer to ''Loudon'' Infantry Regiment Nr. 29. In 1781, he was elevated in rank to
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, ...
.
Argenteau was promoted
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) on 1 May 1784 and assumed command of the ''Loudon'' regiment from the previous commander Vincenz von Engelhardt. He led the regiment during the
Austro-Turkish War and served with distinction at the
1789 Siege of Belgrade. Argenteau received promotion to
Generalmajor
is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries.
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...
(GM) on 9 October 1789 to rank from 3 October 1789. His successor as commander of the ''Loudon'' regiment was Eugen Sabatha de Tombra.
Service in Italy
In September 1792, the
First French Republic
In the history of France, the First Republic (), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (), was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted u ...
invaded the
Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchic state or realm ruled by a king or queen.
** A monarchic chiefdom, represented or governed by a king or queen.
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and me ...
and rapidly overran the
Duchy of Savoy
The Duchy of Savoy (; ) was a territorial entity of the Savoyard state that existed from 1416 until 1847 and was a possession of the House of Savoy.
It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy f ...
and most of the
County of Nice
The County of Nice (; ; Niçard ) was a historical region of France and Italy located around the southeastern city of Nice and roughly equivalent to the modern arrondissement of Nice. It was part of the Savoyard state within the Holy Roman Emp ...
. Shocked at the ineptitude of his generals,
King Victor Amadeus III asked the Austrians to provide an overall commander. On 21 December 1792, the Austrian government selected
Feldzeugmeister
General of the Artillery () was a historical military rank in some German and Austro-Hungarian armies, specifically in artillery. It was commonly used in the 16th and 17th centuries, and survived until the beginning of the 20th century in some Euro ...
(FZM)
Joseph Nikolaus de Vins to fill the position and also sent Argenteau and GM
Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi. While serving as de Vins'
chief of staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...
, in some way Argenteau antagonized the Piedmontese officer corps, causing much discontent. De Vins determined to remotely manage the Savoy offensive of
Prince Maurizio, Duke of Montferrat while remaining at the capital in
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
. On 14 August 1793,
Montferrat's operation began and was initially successful because the French were preoccupied by the
Siege of Lyon
The siege of Lyon occurred on 9 August to 9 October 1793 when French Republican forces laid siege and captured the city of Lyon, which was the centre of a revolt against the French government during the War of the First Coalition.
Historical ...
. However, the operation ultimately failed and by 9 October the French reoccupied the
Maurienne
Maurienne (; ; ) is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.
Location
The Maurienne val ...
and
Tarentaise Valley
The Tarentaise Valley (, ; ) is a valley of the Isère (river), Isère River in the heart of the French Alps, located in the Savoy region of France. The valley is named for the ancient town of ''Darantasia'', the capital of the pre-Roman Centron ...
s.
On 6 April 1794, Victor Amadeus appointed Colli to command the Piedmontese forces in the County of Nice. That same day, the French launched their offensive which resulted in the
Second Battle of Saorgio
The Second Battle of Saorgio was fought from 24 to 28 April 1794 between a French First Republic army commanded by Pierre Jadart Dumerbion and the armies of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont and the Habsburg monarchy led by Joseph Nikolaus D ...
. Advancing according to a plan drawn up by the
Army of Italy's artillery chief
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
, the French seized
Oneglia
Oneglia ( or ) is a former town in northern Italy on the Ligurian coast, in 1923 joined to Porto Maurizio to form the Comune of Imperia (city), Imperia. The name is still used for the suburb.Roy Palmer Domenico, ''The regions of Italy: a refere ...
on 9 April and turned north. Argenteau with 10 Piedmontese battalions tried to form a link between Colli's forces to the west and the Austrian forces which were concentrating at
Cairo Montenotte
Cairo Montenotte () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in Liguria, an Italian region located west of Genoa and northwest of Savona. Located in Val Bormida, it is a member of the Comunità Montana Alta Val Bormida. It is co ...
to the east. However, the French columns under
André Massena brushed Argenteau's forces aside and seized
Ormea
Ormea is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about southeast of Cuneo.
Ormea borders the following municipalities: Alto
The musical term alto, meaning "high" ...
and
Garessio
Garessio is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italy, Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about southeast of Cuneo. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). ...
by 19 April. The French turned back to the west and outflanked the defenses of
Saorge
Saorge (; ; ; standard ; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association. Highway E74 which runs north from Me ...
which Colli abandoned on 28 April. Subsequently, the French captured the
Col de Tende
Col de Tende (; elevation 1870 m) is a high mountain pass in the Alps, close to the border between France and Italy, although the highest section of the pass is wholly within France.
Pass
It separates the Maritime Alps from the Ligurian Alps. I ...
on the crest of the
Ligurian Alps
The Ligurian Alps are a mountain range in northwestern Italy. A small part is located in France. They form the south-western extremity of the Alps, separated from the Apennine Mountains, Apennines by the Colle di Cadibona. The Col de Tende and the ...
. On 30 April, Argenteau wrote a letter to Colli complaining that the Austrian commander at Cairo refused to send him any reinforcements.
On 24–26 June 1795 during the
Battle of Monte Settepani, Argenteau and 4,000 troops captured
Monte Settepani. This and other actions obliged the French to abandon
Savona
Savona (; ) is a seaport and (municipality) in the west part of the northern Italian region of Liguria, and the capital of the Province of Savona. Facing the Ligurian Sea, Savona is the main center of the Riviera di Ponente (the western se ...
and retreat to
Borghetto Santo Spirito
Borghetto Santo Spirito is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about southwest of Savona.
Borghetto Santo Spirito borders the following municipalities: Boiss ...
. De Vins became ill and handed over command of the army to FZM
Olivier, Count of Wallis
Oliver Remigius, Count von Wallis, Baron von Carrighmain, (1 October 174219 July 1799) the scion of the distinguished Irish Walsh family in Habsburg military service, served in Austria's wars with the Ottoman Empire (1787–1791), and in the Fre ...
on 22 November 1795. By coincidence, the French army led by
Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer
Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer (18 December 1747 – 19 August 1804), born in Delle, near Belfort, became a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars and on three occasions led armies in battle.
Early career
Schérer served in the ...
attacked the next day to open the
Battle of Loano
The Battle of Loano (23–24 November 1795) saw the French Army of Italy led by General of Division (GD) Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer attack the Allied armies of Habsburg Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont led by Feldzeugmei ...
. Wallis' Austrians defended the left flank at
Loano on the coast, Argenteau's Austrians held the center in the mountains, and Colli's Piedmontese defended the right flank in the
Tanaro
The Tanaro (; ; ; ) is a long river in northwestern Italy. The river begins in the Ligurian Alps, near the border with France, and is the most significant right-side tributary to the Po in terms of length, size of drainage basin (partly Alpi ...
River valley. While pinning attacks kept Colli's troops in place, the major French effort was in the center.
Rocca Barbena and
Bardineto were overrun and Argenteau's troops were routed. Wallis was also driven back, and when he heard his center was broken, he retreated to
Acqui
Acqui Terme (; ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Alessandria, Piedmont, northern Italy. It is about south-southwest of Alessandria. It is one of the principal winemaking communes of the Italian DOCG wine Brachetto d'Acqui.
The c ...
, reaching there on 29 November. The Austrians suffered losses of 3,500 killed and wounded, with 4,000 men and 48 guns captured. Argenteau was blamed for the defeat. Nevertheless, Argenteau was promoted to
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 ...
(FML) on 4 March 1796, to rank from 6 May 1795.

On 1 April 1796, Argenteau commanded a division under a new army commander, FZM
Johann Peter Beaulieu
Johann Peter de Beaulieu, also Jean Pierre de Beaulieu (26 October 1725, in Lathuy, Brabant, Belgium – 22 December 1819), was a Walloon military officer. He joined the Habsburg army and fought against the Prussians during the Seven Years' War. ...
. According to G. J. Fiebeger, he was assigned four brigades under Oberst Karl von Salisch, and GMs
Anton Lipthay,
Mathias Rukavina, and
Philipp Pittoni. Argenteau notified Beaulieu that he suspected the French would attack his position. Nevertheless, Beaulieu decided to attack across the
Bocchetta Pass toward
Genoa
Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
and began shifting his strength toward the east. On 10 April, Beaulieu attacked the French in the
Battle of Voltri
The Battle of Voltri was an engagement occurring on 10 April 1796 during the French Revolutionary Wars and taking place in Voltri, a suburb of Genoa, Italy.
The battle saw two Austrian monarchy, Habsburg Austrian columns under the overall di ...
with 7,000 men in two columns under FML
Karl Philipp Sebottendorf and Pittoni (detached). On that day, Argenteau had 9,000 infantry and 340 cavalry available; these 11 battalions and 2 squadrons were scattered between Acqui,
Dego, and
Sassello
Sassello (; locally ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about west of Genoa and about north of Savona in the northern side of the Ligurian Apennines. It is the birthplace of Blessed ...
.
Learning that Argenteau was not prepared to attack on 10 April, Beaulieu sent a sharp message ordering him to move at once. So, on the morning of 11 April, Argenteau assembled 3,700 men in 5½ battalions and attacked the French position on Monte Negino. The Austrians were repulsed with loss, including Rukavina who was wounded. On 12 April,
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
's offensive routed Argenteau's 6,000 outnumbered soldiers in the
Battle of Montenotte
The Battle of Montenotte was fought on 12 April 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars, between the French army under General Napoleon Bonaparte and an Austrian corps under Count Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau. The French won the battle, whi ...
. The next day Argenteau reported to Beaulieu that he could rally only 700 soldiers and must retreat. In this action, the Austrians suffered 2,500 casualties. In the
Second Battle of Dego
The Second Battle of Dego was fought on 14 and 15 April 1796 during the French Revolutionary Wars between French forces and Austro-Sardinian forces. The battle was fought near Dego, a hamlet in northwestern Italy, and ended in a French vict ...
on 14 April, the French crushed the remainder of Argenteau's division, inflicting 3,000 casualties (mostly captured) on a force numbering 5,700 men. Argenteau was not on the scene in the morning, but he arrived with reinforcements and was unable to retrieve the situation.
After these defeats, Beaulieu's army remained largely paralyzed at Acqui while Bonaparte forced the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont to sue for peace. Despite these events, Argenteau received the Knight's Cross of the
Military Order of Maria Theresa
The Military Order of Maria Theresa (; ; ; ; ; ) was the highest military honour of the Habsburg monarchy, Austrian Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire.
History
Founded on 18 June 1757, the day of the Battle of KolÃn, by the Empress Mari ...
on 11 May 1796.
Napoleonic Wars
In 1802, Argenteau was appointed Adlatus (Deputy) of the commanding general in Moravia and Silesia, and held this position until 1809. In addition, he was city commandant of
Brno
Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...
in 1804–1808. In 1804 he became Second Colonel-Proprietor of Infantry Regiment Nr. 35. In 1805, Argenteau was assigned to the army of
Archduke Charles in northern Italy. At the
Battle of Caldiero on 29–31 October, he led five divisions of the center of the army. Under his command were divisions led by GM
Armand von Nordmann and FMLs Prince Joseph of Vaudémont,
Anton Ferdinand Mittrowsky,
Heinrich XV, Prince Reuss of Greiz, and
Ludwig von Vogelsang. At his retirement from military service on 6 September 1808, Argenteau was appointed Feldzeugmeister, full general. From 1809 until his death, he was inhaber of the ''Argenteau'' Infantry Regiment Nr. 35. The previous inhaber was Archduke Johann Nepomuk who died at age 3 and the next inhaber was August von Herzogenberg. Argenteau died on 4 May 1819 in either Brno or
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. ...
.
Notes
References
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Further reading
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:de:Eugène Guillaume Alexis von Mercy-Argenteau ''German Wikipedia''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Argenteau, Eugene Guillaume
1741 births
1819 deaths
People from Huy
Generals of the Austrian Empire
People from the Austrian Netherlands
Austrian Empire commanders of the Napoleonic Wars
Austrian military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars
Military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars
People of the War of the First Coalition