Franz Wenzel, Graf von Kaunitz-Rietberg (2 July 1742 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. ...

– 19 December 1825 in Vienna) was an Austrian general who saw service 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 ...

and Wars of the French Revolution.

Life

Kaunitz was the third son of the statesman Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz-Rietberg and his wife, Mary Ernestine (''née'' Countess Starhemberg). He remained unmarried. ;Military career Kaunitz was given a military education and volunteered to join the Austrian army at the beginning of the

as an ensign in the Trautmannsdorf Cuirassiers. He transferred to the Daun Infantry Regiment in 1759, and under

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 ...

Leopold Joseph von Daun rose to the position of Wing Adjutant, distinguishing himself at the Battle of Torgau, where he was severely wounded. After the peace of Hubertusburg in 1763, he was promoted to Colonel of the Baden Infantry Regiment (IR; later IR.23), and then in 1766 of the Emperor Joseph II Infantry Regiment (later IR.1). In 1773, he was promoted to General-Major. In the same year, he was appointed as ''

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 IR.38, followed in 1785 by IR.20. Promoted to ''Feldmarschall-Leutnant'' (FML) in 1783, he served as military commander in Croatia. At the beginning of the Wars of the French Revolution, he was made ''Feldzeugmeister'' (FZM) 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 ...

under Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and served in the Flanders Campaign. Commanding Coburg's 27,000 man left wing, Kaunitz distinguished himself defending the line of the River Sambre in 1794, beating off Jacques Desjardin and Louis Charbonnier at the Battle of Grandreng on 13 May before completely routing the French at the Battle of Erquelinnes on 24 May. However, he resigned on 30 May after the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by the stadtholders of, and then the heirs apparent of ...

was appointed over his head for political reasons. Kaunitz commanded a column at the Battle of Fleurus on 26 June. In 1796, he was made commanding general in Galicia and in 1805 in

Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...

. The following year, he resigned from active service. ;Death and legacy As the last of the family line of Kaunitz-Rietberg, he died in Palais Kaunitz, Mariahilfer, and was buried in the family grave in Austerlitz. Kaunitz was a member of the

Masonic Lodge A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new l ...

in Brno.

References

1742 births 1825 deaths Nobility from Vienna Counts of Austria Austrian generals Military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars Austrian Empire commanders of the Napoleonic Wars Austrian military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars Military personnel from Vienna {{s-end