Johann Philipp d'Arco, Count of

Arco ARCO ( ) is a brand of gasoline stations currently owned by Marathon Petroleum after BP sold its rights. BP commercializes the brand in Northern California, Oregon and Washington, while Marathon has rights for the rest of the United States an ...

(11 May 1652 – 18 February 1704) was a soldier who served the Habsburg monarchy for 30 years. Because he surrendered the fortress of

Breisach Breisach (formerly Altbreisach; Low Alemannic: ''Alt-Brisach'') is a town with approximately 16,500 inhabitants, situated along the Rhine in the Rhine Valley, in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about halfway b ...

after only 13 days, he was sentenced to death and executed. A different general named Arco, Jean Baptist, Comte d'Arco was employed by the

Electorate of Bavaria The Electorate of Bavaria (german: Kurfürstentum Bayern) was an independent hereditary electorate of the Holy Roman Empire from 1623 to 1806, when it was succeeded by the Kingdom of Bavaria. The Wittelsbach dynasty which ruled the Duchy ...

, Austria's enemy in the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phili ...

Career

D'Arco was born in

Arco, Trentino Arco is a ''comune'' in Trentino-Alto Adige in northern Italy. The town is faced on one side by sheer limestone cliffs jutting up like a wall protecting it and its ancient hilltop castle. King Francis II of the Two Sicilies died here in 1894. ...

, and already had 30 years distinguished service when he was ordered by

Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden (german: links=no, Ludwig Wilhelm von Baden-Baden; 8 April 1655 – 4 January 1707) was the ruling Margrave of Baden-Baden in Germany and chief commander of the Imperial army. He was also known as ''Türken ...

in 1703 to defend

to the last man against a French attack under

Claude Louis Hector de Villars Claude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince de Martigues, Marquis then Duc de Villars, Vicomte de Melun (, 8 May 1653 – 17 June 1734) was a French military commander and an illustrious general of Louis XIV of France. He was one of only six Marshals ...

. The city was well defended and d'Arco disposed of sufficient soldiers to hold the city for a considerable time; but he capitulated on 6 September 1703 after only 13 days of siege. The "key" to southern Germany fell into enemy hands together with many supplies, guns and ammunition. D'Arco was charged with treason and beheaded on 18 February 1704, at

Bregenz Bregenz (; gsw, label= Vorarlbergian, Breagaz ) is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost state of Austria. The city lies on the east and southeast shores of Lake Constance, the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, between Swit ...

. His second in command

Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (or Marsigli, Lat. ''Marsilius''; 10 July 1658 – 1 November 1730) was an Italian scholar and eminent natural scientist, who also served as an emissary and soldier. Biography Born in Bologna, he was a member ...

was stripped of all honours and his sword was broken over him.

References

* Alessandro Cont
''Biblioteca comunale di Trento. Collezione Segala (Archivio della famiglia dei conti d'Arco). Schedatura del fondo (1388–1886)''
Trento, Provincia autonoma di Trento. Soprintendenza per i Beni librari archivistici e archeologici, 2010.

Sources

Wikisource; Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arco, Johann Philipp 1652 births 1704 deaths Austrian army commanders in the War of the Spanish Succession Johann Philipp Executed Austrian people People from Trentino Generals of the Holy Roman Empire