Alois Gonzaga of Liechtenstein

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Alois Liechtenstein after a lithograph by Josef Kriehuber , 1834

Alois Gonzaga Joseph Franz de Paula Theodor Prince of Liechtenstein (born April 1, 1780 in Vienna , † November 4, 1833 in Prague ) was an Imperial Austrian field military officer , commander of the Maria Theresa Order and Knight of the Golden Fleece .

Life

origin

Alois Gonzaga von Liechtenstein belonged to the so-called Charles Line of the House of Liechtenstein . He was the youngest son of Field Marshal Prince Karl von Liechtenstein (1730–1789) and his wife Marie Eleonore von Oettingen-Spielberg (1745–1812). Alois, like his father and his brothers, embarked on a military career.

Military career

He joined the Imperial Army in 1798 with Infantry Regiment No. 22 "Lacy" and was promoted to lieutenant there . In the War of the Second Coalition he experienced in the Battle of Ostrach (21 March 1799) as a first lieutenant , the baptism of fire . For Captain promoted, he took during the campaign in Switzerland on skirmish at Pfungen (28 May 1799) and was part of the 1800 Major appointed in Infantry Regiment. 12th

In the campaign of 1800 he was with the corps of Lieutenant Field Marshal Fürsten zu Reuss . On June 11 and 14, 1801, he and his regiment took part in both battles near Schongau am Lech . Notwithstanding an initial wound, he had led his battalion with great presence of mind until a French cannonball smashed his left thigh bone and he was taken prisoner. After the peace and after his promotion to lieutenant colonel , he returned to his old regiment in January 1801 and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Maria Theresa Order for his personal commitment near Schongau on August 18 . In the Third Coalition War he was promoted to Colonel and took command of Infantry Regiment No. 12 and fought under Field Marshal Lieutenant Mack in Swabia in 1805 . His troops fought at Haslach (October 11) and Söflingen and on October 20, 1805, with the entire imperial garrison of Ulm , they were taken prisoner by the French.

Promoted to major general in 1809 , Francis I appointed him colonel owner of his infantry regiment No. 12 for life. As a brigade commander in III. Corps of Field Marshal Lieutenant Prince von Hohenzollern-Hechingen , he took part in the 1809 campaign in Bavaria and on the Danube . The prince distinguished himself on April 19, 1809 together with his brother Moritz in the battle of Teugn-Hausen , where he was wounded several times and immediately had to be brought to Vienna for an operation. Emperor Franz personally hurried to his sickbed on May 6th and presented him with the Commander's Cross for the Order of Maria Theresa . Regardless of his numerous wounds that still had lasting effects, he took over a brigade in the Austrian auxiliary corps of Prince von Schwarzenberg in the campaign of 1812 . In addition to his participation in the Battle of Gorodechno, his personal interventions in the battles of Wyzna (August 25) and Wyczulki (October 8, 1812) should be emphasized.

In the war of liberation of 1813 he led an infantry division in the corps of Count Ignácz Gyulay as a field marshal lieutenant . In the Battle of Dresden (August 26th) he saved Schwarzenberg's left wing from complete annihilation. As part of the II. Corps under General of the Cavalry Count von Merveldt , he fought in the Battle of Leipzig . On October 16, he showed great bravery in the battle for Dölitz and, after the capture of Count von Merveldt, took command of his corps. On November 9th, his troops took part in the storming of enemy positions near Hochheim, after which he led the enclosure of Kastel (Mainz) . In the campaign of 1814 he moved to the head of his corps Basel to France one, brought the fort Joux and St. André to surrender and then began the Cernierung of Besancon . In the campaign of 1815 he was in command of the Austrian reserve corps.

Rest of life

After the war he was appointed to the emperor's immediate vicinity. In December 1826 he was appointed commanding general in Moravia and finally in July 1829 until his death in the same position in Bohemia . After he was promoted to Feldzeugmeister on October 21, 1830, Emperor Franz awarded him the Order of the Golden Fleece .

literature

personal data
SURNAME Liechtenstein, Alois Gonzaga from
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Liechtenstein, Alois Gonzaga Joseph Franz de Paula Theodor Fürst von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Imperial-Austrian Feldzeugmeister
DATE OF BIRTH April 1, 1780
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH November 4, 1833
Place of death Prague