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Guillaume III de Lamboy de Dessener, 1590 to 1659, 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 ...
in the Imperial Army, who served in the 1618 to 1648
Thirty Years War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine, or disease, whil ...
, and the 1635 to 1659 Franco-Spanish War. Born in Kortessem, then in the
Spanish Netherlands The Spanish Netherlands (; ; ; ) (historically in Spanish: , the name "Flanders" was used as a '' pars pro toto'') was the Habsburg Netherlands ruled by the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs from 1556 to 1714. They were a collection of States of t ...
, now Limburg, Belgium, Lamboy was a member of the Catholic, French-speaking, Walloon nobility. During the
Dutch Revolt The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Reformation, centralisation, exc ...
, they remained loyal to the Habsburg rulers of
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
. Lamboy himself joined the Imperial army that suppressed the
Bohemian Revolt The Bohemian Revolt (; ; 1618–1620) was an uprising of the Kingdom of Bohemia, Bohemian Estates of the realm, estates against the rule of the Habsburg dynasty that began the Thirty Years' War. It was caused by both religious and power dispu ...
. Despite being a close follower of Wallenstein, he supported the plot to eliminate him in 1634. In 1636, he commanded Imperial troops during a nine-month siege of
Hanau Hanau () is a city in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is 25 km east of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main and part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Its railway Hanau Hauptbahnhof, station is a ma ...
, before being forced to retreat, an event still commemorated each June in the Lamboyfest. He achieved a great victory at La Marfée in 1641 but was captured by French troops shortly after in a painful defeat at Kempen. Only released from captivity after two years, he returned into the military and campaigned with mixed success as supreme commander of the forces of Elector Ferdinand of Cologne. He retired from active service after the 1648
Treaty of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (, ) is the collective name for two Peace treaty, peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought peace to the Holy R ...
, and settled in
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
.


Life

De Lamboy was born in Kortessem, or Corteshem, then part of the
Spanish Netherlands The Spanish Netherlands (; ; ; ) (historically in Spanish: , the name "Flanders" was used as a '' pars pro toto'') was the Habsburg Netherlands ruled by the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs from 1556 to 1714. They were a collection of States of t ...
, now Limburg, Belgium. His parents were Guillaume II de Lamboy, whose family settled near
Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...
during the 14th century, and Marghareth de Méan. His father belonged to the Catholic, French-speaking Walloon nobility loyal to the Habsburg rulers of
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, and the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
. Lamboy's sister, Anne Catherine (1609-1675), was Abbess of Herkenrode Abbey, from 1653 until her death. He married Sybilla von Boyneburg, (died 1687), daughter of Johann von Bemmelburg zu Boyneburgk, governor of
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
. They had four daughters and a son, Johann de Lamboy (died 1669). Together with Cardinal Harrach, Archbishop of Prague, Sybilla helped establish an Ursuline convent in
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
. Its church, the Church of St. Ursula, was completed in 1672, and is considered an important example of
Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the late 16th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means to ...
.


Career

Lamboy's military career began in 1619, when he served under Bucquoy (1571-1621), commander of the Imperial army sent to suppress the
Bohemian Revolt The Bohemian Revolt (; ; 1618–1620) was an uprising of the Kingdom of Bohemia, Bohemian Estates of the realm, estates against the rule of the Habsburg dynasty that began the Thirty Years' War. It was caused by both religious and power dispu ...
. Lamboy became Colonel during the 1620s. His first notable presence was at the Battle of Lützen where he went into a brief Swedish captivity after valorous fighting. Over the next year, he fought in Saxony and Thuringia under Holk and Gallas. In 1634, Lamboy signed both of the ''Pilsener Revers'' that assured the Imperial supreme commander Wallenstein of the loyalty of his officers. Only four days later, Lamboy published the Imperial Mandate in Prague that banished Wallenstein. Emperor Ferdinand II rewarded Lamboy by promoting him to the rank of Generalwachtmeister and elevating him to the status of
Freiherr (; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , ) and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and in ...
of the Empire. Furthermore, he received Walleinstein's former estate of Arnau (Hostinné). In 1635, he commanded Imperial troops at the siege of Hanau, which was relieved after nine months in June 1636, an event commemorated for. Afterwards, he participated in the Imperial campaign into Burgundy under Matthias Gallas. The Imperial vanguard under Lamboy and the Lorrain army under Duke
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...
relieved the Siege of Dole and chased the French besiegers until
Dijon Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...
. Lamboy captured the border fortress
Verdun-sur-le-Doubs Verdun-sur-le-Doubs (, literally ''Verdun on the Doubs'') is a former commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France.Bernard of Saxe-Weimar Bernard of Saxe-Weimar (; 16 August 160418 July 1639) was a German prince and general in the Thirty Years' War. Biography Born in Weimar in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, Bernard was the eleventh son of Johann, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and Dorothea ...
, Lamboy and Lorraine joined forces with Gallas' main army and took part in a futile offensive in late autumn 1636. After a costly retreat across the Rhine, Lamboy served the next years in the
Spanish Netherlands The Spanish Netherlands (; ; ; ) (historically in Spanish: , the name "Flanders" was used as a '' pars pro toto'') was the Habsburg Netherlands ruled by the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs from 1556 to 1714. They were a collection of States of t ...
. Lamboy supported the rebellion of the French nobles Louis, Count of Soissons and Frédéric Maurice, Duc de Bouillon in 1641. Together, they defeated a French army under the Marshal of Châtillon at La Marfée. Nonetheless, the rebellion failed because of Soissons' death in the battle. For his victory, Lamboy was made Imperial Feldzeugmeister. Back in his winter quarters, he was attacked by French and Hessian soldiers at Kempen on 17 January 1642. Overconfident to wait for reinforcements under Hatzfeldt, he was overrun and captured along most of his army. After two years of captivity in the
Château de Vincennes The Château de Vincennes () is a former fortress and royal residence next to the town of Vincennes, on the eastern edge of Paris, alongside the Bois de Vincennes. It was largely built between 1361 and 1369, and was a preferred residence, after ...
, Lamboy returned as Field Marshal into Imperial service in 1645. He was tasked with recruiting soldiers to support the Spanish
Army of Flanders The Army of Flanders (; ) was a field army of the Spanish Army based in the Spanish Netherlands between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was one of the longest-serving field armies of the early modern era, being founded in 1567 and disbanded in 170 ...
until 1647 when he followed
Peter Melander, Graf von Holzappel Peter Melander, Count of Holzappel (8 February 1589 – 17 May 1648) was a German general who was a Protestant military leader in the Thirty Years' War until 1640 when he switched sides and even became Chief of the imperial army from 1647 unt ...
as supreme commander of the Westphalian circle army, the military force of the
Elector of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne governs the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne in western North Rhine-Westphalia. Historically, the archbishop was ''ex officio'' one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire and ruled the Electorate of Colog ...
and the
Westphalian Circle Westphalian may refer to: * The culture or people of the Westphalia region of Germany * Westphalian language, one of the major dialect groups of West Low German * Westphalian sovereignty The Westphalian system, also known as Westphalian soverei ...
. In this function, Lamboy launched an offensive into
East Frisia East Frisia () or East Friesland (; ; ; ) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisia (peninsula), East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West Frisia and to the ...
, the main military base of the
Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel (), spelled Hesse-Cassel during its entire existence, also known as the Hessian Palatinate (), was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. The state was created in 1567 when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided upon t ...
. He made no permanent gains and retreated in front of the Swedish and Hessian army under Königsmarck. The Swedes trapped Lamboy's army for two months at
Rheine Rheine () is a city in the district of Steinfurt (district), Steinfurt in Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city in the district and the location of Rheine Air Base. Geography Rheine is on the river Ems (river), Ems, about north of Münster ...
until it could escape. During 1648, Lamboy attacked the Hessian army at their fortress
Geseke Geseke () is a town in the administrative district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Geseke is situated approximately 12 km south-east of Lippstadt and 20 km south-west of Paderborn. The city is located at the H ...
in March and at Wevelinghoven in June, both times repulsed with heavy losses. Although he could not prevent the Hessians from taking
Düren Düren (; Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: Düre) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, between Aachen and Cologne, on the river Rur (river), Rur. History Roman era The area of Düren was part of Gallia Belgica, more specifically the ter ...
in September, he outmaneuvered them in October and relieved the Siege of
Paderborn Paderborn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn (district), Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pade ...
one week before the
Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought peace to the Holy Roman Empire ...
. After the war, he settled in Bohemia where he resolutely enforced the Catholic faith in his estates. In 1651, the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
established a mission station at Arnau. Because Lamboy was unwilling to grant them more than an initial foundation, they left after a short time and were replaced by
Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...
. Lamboy died at his castle in Dymokury on 12 December 1659 and was inherited by his infant son.


Residence

He rebuilt Dessener Castle, the family estate in 1640. He is buried inside the church of Wintershofen next to his parents.


References


Sources

* * * * * * * *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lamboy, Guillaume de Generals of the Holy Roman Empire Field marshals Nobility of the Holy Roman Empire Imperial Army personnel of the Thirty Years' War Military personnel of the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659) 1659 deaths 1590 births