Ladislas Ignace de Bercheny

'Ladislas Ignace de Bercheny (Hungarian: Bercsényi Lászó) was born in Hungary as son of the noble Bercsényi Miklós.

The founder of the modern French cavalry, according to today's French tradition, was Laszlo Count Bercsenyi (Bercheny in French spelling), the son of the famous general of Rakoczi. Bercsenyi was promoted to the rank of general for his heroism in the War of Polish Succession. During the War of Austrian Succession (1741 1748) the hussar regiment of Bercsenyi covered the retreat of the French Army from Bohemia. For his services in this campaign he was appointed by Louis XV (1723-1774) to Inspector General of the French cavalry. In 1756 Bercsenyi, already 67 years old, was promoted to the highest rank of the French Army: Marshal of France. After receiving amnesty from Empress Maria Theresa, he went back to Hungary for awhile, but, disillusioned, returned to France where he died in 1778 at the age of 89.