Karl Philipp, Fürst zu Schwarzenberg (or Charles Philip, Prince of Schwarzenberg; 18/19 April 1771 – 15 October 1820) was an Austrian Generalissimo and former Field Marshal.[1] He first entered the military service in 1788 and fought against the Turks. During the French Revolutionary War, he fought on the allied side against France and in that period rose through the ranks of the Austrian Army. During the Napoleonic Wars, he fought in the Battle of Wagram (1809) but the Austrians lost decisively against Napoleon. He had to fight for Napoleon in the Battle of Gorodechno (1812) against the Russians and won. During the War of the Sixth Coalition, he was in command of the allied army that defeated Napoleon decisively in the Battle of Leipzig (1813). He joined the Battle of Paris (1814) that forced Napoleon to abdicate.

Schwarzenberg is well-remembered for his participation in the wars against Napoleon from 1803 to 1815. During the War of the Sixth Coalition to defeat Napoleon, Schwarzenberg was a pioneer of the The Trachenberg Plan which led to the success at the Battle of Leipzing and later the campaigns against Napoleon on French soil. During the later stage of the war he won many victories that garnered him fame and reputation as a military commander, particularly during his campaigns in Germany, Switzerland, and France during the war in 1814. In the years following the war, Schwarzenberg served as a diplomat for the Austrian Empire and later went on to serve as Austrian ambassador to Russia and also represented Austria at the Congress of Vienna.

Background

Family

Karl Philipp was born 18/19 April 1771 in Vienna,[2] the son of Johann Nepomuk Anton of Schwarzenberg, who was a member of the cadet branch of the Schwarzenberg princedom and Marie Eleonore Countess of Öttingen-Wallerstein, whose family ruled the region known as the County of Öttingen since the 11th Century. Their ancestor Ludovicus de Otingen who was a member of a family that is a relative of the imperial House of Hohenstaufen, who ruled the Holy Roman Empire during the Medieval Age. He was one of thirteen siblings, seven of whom did not reach adulthood.[3] His family descends from the line of the Princes of the Schwarzenberg of the illustrious and noble House of Schwarzenberg, whose lineage could be traced back to at least the 16th Century. Their roots began with the Lords (Princes) of Seinsheim in the Middle Ages and they held land and fiefdoms in Franconia and Bohemia. When the founder of the Schwarzenberg line, Erkinger of Seisheim acquired the lands and the castle of Schwarzenberg in the Holy Roman Empire, Erkinger was later made Freiherr (Baron) of the region in 1429. They were at first were made imperial counts by the Holy Roman Emperor and later became counted among the German and Austrian nobility during the 18th Century. The Schwarzenberg family originally resided in Bohemia and now in present-day Czech Republic, where to this day his branch of the Schwarzenberg family held those region for two hundred years. Later Emperor Francis of Austria granted those titles for Karl Phillip, for his active military service and contributions during Napoleonic Wars. His branch of the Schwarzenberg princedom still continues to this very day. During the early years of his life, Schwarzenberg underwent extensive military training from an early age. Due to his high birth, rank and his family's relationship with the Habsburg royal family, he was enlisted in the Austrian army as a lieutenant in 1788 and that same year, he went on to experience war for the first time in his life.

Imperial service

Early military career

1788-1792

Portrait in uniform

Karl Philipp entered the imperial cavalry in 1788, fought in 1789 under Austrian generals Franz Moritz Graf von Lacy and Ernst Gideon Freiherr von Laudon against the Turks, during the Austro-Turkish War. It was, as a result of, Russian Catherine the Great and the Russian Empire's previous wars of conquest against the Ottoman Empire, and as Austria was an ally of Russia, it was that triggered Austria's open involvement in the conflict. In the war, he distinguished himself by his bravery, and became a major in 1792 and campaigned extensively in Southeastern Europe.[2] In the French campaign of 1793 he served in the advanced guard of the army commanded by Prince Josias of Coburg, and at Le Cateau-Cambrésis in 1794 his impetuous charge at the head of his regiment, vigorously supported by twelve British squadrons, broke a whole corps of the French (of around 25,000 men), killed and wounded 3,000 men, and captured 32 of the enemy's guns. He was immediately decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa for his conduct during wars.[4]

French Revolutionary War

1792-1801

The Battle of Hohenlinden, in which Schwarzenberg participated under the Archduke John of Austria. Though the battle was a disastrous defeat, Schwarzenberg, who commanded the right wing, where able to retreat in good order, thus saving the entire Austrian army.

During the outbreak of the French Revolution, Europe experienced one of the most remarkable political incidents in history, during which the House of Bourbon, the French royal family and its members were executed or fled, which also led to dissolution of the French hierarchical system and also decentralization of power invested in the Church and the Nobility. This resulted in the establishment of a France that came under a Republican domain and government led by the revolutionaries. The major powers of Europe, who opposed and feared that such revolutions might happen in their own perspective countries, declared war on France and subsequently invaded the country. Thus leading to the beginning of a conflict that lasted from 1792 to 1801.

During the mid-stages of the war, after taking part in the Austrian victories at the battles of Amberg and Würzburg in 1796 during the French Revolutionary Wars, he was raised to the rank of general-major, and, in 1799, he subsequently was promoted to Generalleutnant. At the Battle of Hohenlinden (3 December 1800), the Austrian forces under Archduke John of Austria engaged in a decisive battle with the French army under General Jean Moreau, whom the Austrians believed were "beaten". It turns out, as the Austrians were emerging from the Ebersberg forest, the French ambushed the Austrian army, while the Austrian left flank were attacked by General Antoine Richepanse's division, leading to a disastrous defeat. During the battle, he led a division in the right wing.[5] During the retreat, his promptitude and courage saved the right wing of the Austrian army from destruction, and the Archduke Charles of Austria afterwards entrusted him with the command of the rearguard.[4]

After the battle, the Austrians suffered a major setback as well as another defeat at the Battle of Marengo (14 June 1800), which led to the conclusion of the War of the Second Coalition and also led to the Treaty of Luneville in 1801. As a result of the treaty, the Austrians accepted French dominance up to the Rhine and recognized the French puppet republics in Italy. Two years prior, the French republican government under the Directory was overthrown in the Coup of 18 Brumaire in 1799, under a certain brilliant and famous French general, Napoleon Bonaparte, who declared himself First Consul and later Emperor of the newly formed French Empire in 1803. This would culminate in the beginning of the reign of Napoleon and the rise of the First French Empire. In 1804 Prince Karl Philipp was created Fürst zu Schwarzenberg in a title identical to, but separate from, that of his brother, Joseph, Prince of Schwarzenberg [de].[3]

Napoleonic Wars

1805-1812

In the war of 1805 he held command of a division under Mack, and when Napoleon surrounded Ulm in October, Schwarzenberg was one of the band of cavalry, under the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este, which cut its way through the hostile lines. Although Schwarzenberg and Archduke Fredinand were able to cut their way through the enemy lines, the unfortunate army of General Mack had to surrender to Napoleone's army, which struck a blow to Austria's military morale and led to its eventual defeat. In the same year he received the Commander's Cross of the Order of Maria Theresa and in 1809 he was awarded the Order of the Golden Fleece.[4]

In 1809, war broke out between Napoleon and Austria, due to Austria's frustration with Napoleon's territorial concessions and to avenge the humaliation suffered by Austria during previous wars of the coalitions. During the early stages of the war, Austria was successful in defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Aspern-Essling under the command of Archduke Charles of Austria and was confident in its victory. He took part in the Battle of Wagram (July 1809), which the Austrians lost and in which he lead a cavalry division in the Reserve Corps[6] and was soon afterwards promoted to general of cavalry. After the war, Shwarzenberg entered Napoleon's service and became commander-in-chief of the Austrian forces in the "Grande Armee".

Napoleon held Schwarzenberg in great esteem, and at his request the prince took command of the Austrian auxiliary corps with a new rank as Field Marshal in the Russian campaign of 1812. The Austrian field marshal won some minor victories against the Russians at Gorodetschna and Wolkowisk. Napoleon said in his memoirs, that Schwarzenberg instead of supporting Minsk retreated to Warsaw and abandoned the French army thus allowing Tschitschagow [de] to seize Minsk.[7] Afterwards, under instructions from Napoleon, he remained for some months inactive at Pultusk.[8]

1813-1815

In 1813, after Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia failed, the allied nations, Russia, Prussia, Sweden, Britain joined the war effort and formed the Sixth Coalition against Napoleon. At first, Austria did not join the Coalition, and ultimately tried to negotiate and sign a peace treaty with Napoleon, with Klemens von Metternich the Austrian Foreign Minister being sent to personally meet him and bring results concerning a fruitful treaty. Under the condition, set by Austria, it demands that the French puppet states, such as the Confederation of the Rhine and the sister republics in Italy be dissolved and the parts of the province of Illyria be returned, Poland be re-partitioned, as well as all the French occupied territories be given back to Austria, lost during the war. Napoleon refused the deal, considering it a "humiliation" rather than a peace treaty. When Austria, after many hesitations, then took the side of the allies against Napoleon, Schwarzenberg, recently promoted to Generalissimo, was appointed commander-in-chief of the allied Grand Army of Bohemia, numbering around 230,000 men. This is the first, Schwarzenberg ever held senior command of a large and major army in his career, and now he can, lead this army in ways that he deem necessary, take more cautious decisions and decide strategy for the allies.

Declaration of Victory After the Battle of Leipzig by Johann Peter Krafft. This painting depicts the aftermath of the Battle of Leipzig, in which Prince Schwarzenberg (on horseback) reports to Alexander I of Russia (right), Francis II of Austria (middle) and Frederick William III of Prussia (left) of the allied victory.

As such, he was the senior of the allied generals who conducted the campaign of 1813–1814.[9] The allies faced many odds, such as superior man-power and Napoleon's bold tactics, so the allies were in a dilemma, either to face Napoleon in battle or retreat. The allied commanders, then came up with an idea to defeat him in battle and Schwarzenberg was a major pioneer of this plan, which is now known as the The Trachenberg Plan. The plan was that rather than facing Napoleon directly, they would split their perspective armies and attack when Napoleon is distracted or when he did not expected an attack from the allies. The plan proved a success and led to some allied victories. Under his command, Schwarzenberg disobeyed the plan not to engage Napoleon directly in battle and the allied army of Bohemia was mauled by Napoleon at the Battle of Dresden on 26–27 August and driven back into Bohemia. However, his army defeated pursuing French forces at the Second Battle of Kulm (17 September 1813). Returning to the fray, he led the Allied army north again and played a major role in Napoleon's decisive defeat at the Battle of Leipzig, also known as the "Battle of the Nations" on 16–18 October. At the battle, together with the monarchs Emperor Alexander I of Russia, Emperor Francis of Austria, and Fredrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, directed the battle and because of this cooperation of the allies against Napoleon at Leipzing, that was able turn the tide of the war in the allies' favour.

After the battle at Leipzing, during the invasion of France in 1814 he attacked through Switzerland and beat a French force at the Battle of Bar-sur-Aube on 27 February 1814. It marked the first in nearly 20 years that a foreign army had ever invaded the French homeland and also led to the end of French military prowess and success under Napoleon, ever since he became emperor. He repelled an attack by Napoleon in the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube on 20–21 March and overcame the last barrier before Paris by winning the Battle of Fère-Champenoise on 30 March. Schwarzenberg's army of Austria, together with Marhsal Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher's army of Prussia and General Barclay de Tolly's army of Russia besieged the city of Paris on 26 March. After a day of fighting, then the French Marshals, Auguste de Marmont and Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey, realized that all hope is lost and sensing that Paris cannot survive a siege by a superior army, surrendered the city to the allied army. His capture of the French capital on 31 March after the Battle of Paris resulted in the overthrow of Napoleon and subsequently his abdication at the Treaty of Fontainebleau signed on 11 April.[10] This eventually led to Napoleon's brief exile in the island of Elba in 1814. Thus successfully ending Napoleon's rule and domination of Europe, as the Great Powers then began the rebuilding of Europe's political and geographic structure at the first Congress of Vienna.

The next year, during the Hundred Days when Napoleon escaped from Elba and regained the French throne, in the hostilities that followed Schwarzenberg commanded the Army of the Upper Rhine (an Austrian-allied army of about a quarter of a million men). However, as the allies amassed their forces, the Austrians did not have to fight a single battle, because the Anglo-Allied Army, under the Duke of Wellington and the Prussians under Field Marshal Blucher, jointly defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815. Thus ending a period of instability and conflict in Europe, while it also led to the second Congress of Vienna, shortly after the battle was fought. The agreements and conditions of the congress, led to the redrawing of the map of Europe and keeping a balance power between the Great Powers of the continent, to prevent further major conflicts in Europe. This turns out, to be successful and this led to a period of relative calm and peace between the European nations for nearly a century, well into the early 20th Century, before the start of the First World War in 1914. [11]

Later career

Diplomatic service

In 1806–1809 Schwarzenberg served as the Austrian ambassador to Russia. He also served as the ambassador to France from 1809 to 1814.[2]

During the aftermath of the War of the Fifth Coalition in 1809, when Austria suffered a crushing defeat and forced give up lands in Illyria, Salzburg, the territories of Bohemia, West Galicia and East Galicia as recompense, this ultimately led to the signing of Treaty of Schönbrunn (14 October 1809). In 1810, he was sent to Paris as ambassador to negotiate the 1810 marriage between Napoleon and the Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria.[4] The prince gave a ball in honour of the bride on 1 July 1810, which ended in a fire that killed many of the guests, including his own sister-in-law, wife of his older brother, Joseph.[12]

Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg by an unknown artist.

In 1812, Schwarzenberg signed the Treaty of Paris, making Austria an ally of France. The Austrians were forced by Napoleon to send Schwarzenberg to command an Austrian corps of around 30,000 men, to the Grande Armée. He had to show enough commitment to please Napoleon without angering Russia. In the end he just failed to protect the Grande Armé from a flank attack at the Berezina. His troops fought bravely and with courage, and he too led his armies to victory in several battles during the invasion of Russia in 1812. But in late November his soldiers withdrew into winter quarters at Byalistok under a verbal agreement with the Russians. 7,000 of his soldiers were killed in battle and 4,000 died of disease and exposure of some 30,000 who had entered Russia,[13] in a disastrous campaign where Napoleon lost 500.000 of 600.000 men.

He won against Napoleon although the three monarchs of the Coalition powers were present at the Battle of Leipzig (1813), with Emperor Alexander I of Russia at the head of the three alongside King Frederick William III of Prussia and Emperor Francis I of Austria, and a substantial staff supported the Coalition commanders. Alexander was also the supreme commander of the Coalition forces in the eastern front of the war, while Prince Karl von Schwarzenberg of Austria was the commander-in-chief of all Coalition forces in the German theatre.[14]

Illness

After the war has ended, Schwarzenberg's health steadily declined. But shortly afterwards, in 1816, having lost his sister Caroline, to whom he was deeply attached, he fell ill. A stroke disabled him in 1817, and in 1820, when revisiting Leipzig, the scene of the "Battle of the Nations" that he had directed seven years before, he suffered a second stroke. He died there on 15 October.[9] At his demise, the Austrian Empire held three days of mourning for the great general and Victor of Leipzig. Even Emperor Alexander of Russia went on to say that:

"Europe has lost a hero and I a friend, one that I would miss as long as I live."

Marriage and descendants

Main article: House of Schwarzenberg

The Prince married the Countess Maria Anna von Hohenfeld (20 May 1767–1848), who was the widow of Prince Anton Esterhazy von Galantha. They had three sons:[3]

Of Schwarzenberg's nephews, Felix Schwarzenberg, the statesman, was also notable, and Friedrich Johann Josef Coelestin (1809–1885) was a cardinal and a prominent figure in papal and Austrian history. The modern Schwarzenberg family, stems from his branch, where to this day the family still holds the lands and the castle of Schwarzenberg in Bohemia, present day Czech Republic, where they continued to play a role in the country's politics and military. [9]

Honours

By Country

Gallery

Coat of Arms and portraits

  • Coat of arms of the Schwarzenberg princes

    Coat of arms of the Schwarzenberg princes

  • Schwarzenberg Monument at Schwarzenbergplatz, Vienna, by Ernst Julius Hähnel

    Schwarzenberg Monument at Schwarzenbergplatz, Vienna, by Ernst Julius Hähnel

  • Engraving from "Zweihundert deutsche Männer in Bildnissen und Lebensbeschreibungen", by Ludwig Bechstein, 1854

    Engraving from "Zweihundert deutsche Männer in Bildnissen und Lebensbeschreibungen", by Ludwig Bechstein, 1854

  • Engraving by J. Egger of an oil painting by J. Merz.

    Engraving by J. Egger of an oil painting by J. Merz.

Ancestry

Notes

Bibliography

  1. ^ Regarding personal names: Fürst is a title, translated as Prince, not a first or middle name. The feminine form is Fürstin.
  2. ^ a b c Tucker 2014, p. 673.
  3. ^ a b c d Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich, Band: 33 (1877), ab Seite: 82.
  4. ^ a b c d Chisholm 1911, p. 390.
  5. ^ Arnold 2005, p. 249.
  6. ^ Bowden & Tarbox 1980, p. 167.
  7. ^ Kircheisen 2010, p. 200.
  8. ^ Chisholm 1911, pp. 390–391.
  9. ^ a b c Chisholm 1911, p. 391.
  10. ^ Digby Smith. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 978-1853672767 pp. 443–445, 455, 461–465, 512–514, 516–517.
  11. ^ Siborne 1895, p. 767.
  12. ^ Sir Walter Scott, The Edinburgh Annual Register, John Ballantyne and Company, 1812, Volume 1; Volume 3, Part 1, pp. 333–334. The party included some 1200 guests, which was larger than the assembly room could hold, so a temporary building was formed of planks, which were hidden by gauze, muslin and other draperies. The draperies caught fire, and the whole room was enveloped. Princess Pauline Schwarzenburg, although she had initially escaped, ran back into the ball room in search of one of her daughters. Her body was only recognized by the diamonds she wore.
  13. ^ Herold 2021.
  14. ^ Chandler 1966, p. 924.
  15. ^ "Ritter-Orden: Militärischer Maria-Theresien-Orden", Hof- und Staats-Schematismus der Röm. Kais. auch Kais. Königlich- und Erzherzoglichen Haupt-und-Residenzstadt Wien, 1798, p. 398, retrieved 10 December 2020
  16. ^ "Ritter-Orden: Militärischer Maria-Theresien-Orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Kaiserthumes Österreich, 1808, p. 10, retrieved 16 October 2020
  17. ^ a b "Ritter-Orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Kaiserthumes Österreich, 1819, pp. 7, 9, retrieved 16 October 2020
  18. ^ "A Szent István Rend tagjai" Archived 22 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Almanach impérial. Testu. 1811. p. 65.
  20. ^ Teulet, Alexandre (1863). "Liste chronologique des chevaliers de l'ordre du Saint-Esprit depuis son origine jusqu'à son extinction (1578-1830)" [Chronological List of Knights of the Order of the Holy Spirit from its origin to its extinction (1578-1830)]. Annuaire-bulletin de la Société de l'histoire de France (in French) (2): 114. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  21. ^ a b c Almanach de la cour: pour l'année ... 1817. l'Académie Imp. des Sciences. 1817. pp. 66, 86, 89.
  22. ^ Court Calendar for the Year 1815, p. 141
  23. ^ Ruith, Max (1882). Der K. Bayerische Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden. Ingolstadt: Ganghofer'sche Buchdruckerei. p. 85 – via hathitrust.org.
  24. ^ Bayern (1819). Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Bayern: 1819. Landesamt. p. 9.
  25. ^ Luigi Cibrario (1869). Notizia storica del nobilissimo ordine supremo della santissima Annunziata. Sunto degli statuti, catalogo dei cavalieri. Eredi Botta. p. 99.
  26. ^ J ..... -H ..... -Fr ..... Berlien (1846). Der Elephanten-Orden und seine Ritter. Berling. pp. 144–145.
  27. ^ Shaw, Wm. A. (1906) The Knights of England, I, London, p. 183
  28. ^ (in Dutch) Military William Order: Schwarzenberg, Karl Phillip Fürst zu. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  29. ^ Hannoverscher und Churfürstlich-Braunschweigisch-Lüneburgischer Staatskalender: 1819. 1819. p. 12.

References

External links

Attribution

  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Schwarzenberg, Karl Philipp, Prince zu". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 390–391. Endnotes:
    • Anton von Prokesch-Osten: Denkwürdigkeiten aus dem Leben des Feldmarschalls Fürsten Carl zu Schwarzenberg. Vienna, 1823
    • Adolph Berger: Das Fürstenhaus Schwarzenberg. Vienna, 1866
    • and a memoir by Adolph Berger in Streffleur's Österreichische Militärische Zeitschrift Jhg. 1863.