Josip Kazimir Drašković (1716–1765) was a Croatian general who played an important role 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 ...

(1756–1763). He was

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

of the noble

House of Drašković A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

(Draskovich). From 1736 to 1739, Drašković took part in the war against the Ottomans, fighting in

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and

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...

. In 1745, he became a lieutenant colonel in the 32nd Line Infantry Regiment of Forgách, with whom he successfully fought in Italy during the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...

(1740-1748). He was promoted to colonel in 1749 and became general a year later. In the Seven Years' War he distinguished himself at the Battle of Lobositz on 1 October 1756 by successfully commanding the frontiersmen who held back the Prussians, and inflicted heavy losses on them. He took part in the Battle of Prague on 6 May 1757. At the end of that year, on 5 December 1757, General Draskovic took part in the

Battle of Leuthen The Battle of Leuthen was fought on 5 December 1757 between Frederick II of Prussia, Frederick the Great's Prussian Army and an Austrian army commanded by Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, Prince Charles of Lorraine and Count Leopold ...

. On 25 July 1760, during the capture of the Glatz Fortress, General Laudon's Austrian forces repelled the Prussians under General Fouqué towards Breslau, captured

Landshut Landshut (; ) is a town in Bavaria, Germany, on the banks of the Isar, River Isar. Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free state (government), Free State of Bavaria, and the seat of the surrou ...

, and surrounded the fort. On 3 November that year Drašković fought in the battle of Torgau, and in 1761 he led his own corps in

Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( ; ; ; ; Silesian German: ; ) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, located today mostly in Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic. The area is predominantly known for its heav ...

with the task of protecting

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 ...

. In 1761, Drašković distinguished himself in capturing Schweidnitz. He was promoted to the rank of artillery general on 26 February 1763, and was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Maria Theresa for his services throughout the war. He is also noted for his love and marriage to a noblewoman of lower descent (Suzana Malatinski) which hurt his brilliant military career and made it impossible for him to advance socially, politically or militarily. The couple had a chapel built on

Trakošćan Castle Trakošćan Castle (pronounced , or ''Dvorac Trakošćan'') is a castle located in northern Croatia (in Varaždin County) that dates back to the 13th century (although the first written mention of the toponym "Trakošćan" is dated to 1334). Tr ...

grounds in 1754 which still stands that is consecrated to the Holy Cross. Trakoscan Castle is the ancestral home of the Draskovich family and was built in the Baroque Classicism style. The Holy Mass was once celebrated four times a year, while today, apart from regular Sunday mass, the chapel also hosts traditional castle weddings. Drašković died in the Klenovnik castle near Ivanec on 9 November 1765.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Draskovic, Josip Kazimir 1716 births 1765 deaths Croatian soldiers Croatian nobility Croatian Roman Catholics Josip Kazimir Military commanders of Croatian kingdoms Counts of Croatia Habsburg Croats Commanders Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa 18th-century Croatian military personnel 18th-century Croatian nobility Military personnel of the Habsburg monarchy