Franz Wenzel von Kaunitz-Rietberg
Count Franz Wenzel von Kaunitz-Rietberg (* July 2, 1742 in Vienna ; † December 19, 1825 ibid) was an imperial or imperial-Austrian general and the last Landkomtur of the Westphalia ballot of the German order based in the Kommende Mülheim .
Life
He was the third son of the statesman Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz-Rietberg . The mother was Maria Ernestine (nee Countess Starhemberg). He himself remained unmarried.
He joined the Austrian military and at the beginning of the Seven Years War was an ensign in the cuirassier regiment Trautmannsdorf. Under Field Marshal Leopold Joseph von Daun , he rose to become his wing adjutant. He was seriously wounded in the battle of Torgau . After the Treaty of Hubertusburg , he became a colonel in the Baden Infantry Regiment (later No. 23) in 1763 . In 1766 he became a colonel in the Emperor Joseph II infantry regiment (later No. 1). From 1773 Kaunitz-Rietberg was major general . In the same year he became the holder of Infantry Regiment No. 38 and 1785 of Infantry Regiment No. 20 . With the rank of field marshal lieutenant he was general commander in Croatia .
At the beginning of the coalition wars he was assigned to the rank of Feldzeugmeister of the army in the Austrian Netherlands under the Duke of Saxe-Coburg .
As commander of the allied forces on the Sambre , he led a number of lucky skirmishes in 1794, including on April 22, 29 and May 18 at Solre le Chateau and Colleret, at Beaumont and at Bossu. As a corps leader he proved himself on May 21st against General Charbonnier in the Charleroi area and against Jourdan on June 26th in the battle of Fleurus . He also fought as a commander of the Allied units at Merbes-le-Château , Grandreng and Erquelinnes . In 1796 he became the commanding general in Galicia and in 1805 in Moravia . In 1806 he resigned from active service.
At the intervention of his father, he entered the Teutonic Order in 1769. From 1788 he was Landkomtur for Westphalia with residence in Mülheim . However, he has neglected his duties as Commander. He only traveled to Mülheim once a year to take over the annual accounts. His last position was in 1808. A reprimand by the Teutonic Order Master about neglecting his duties in 1794 was unsuccessful. The office expired in 1809.
Kaunitz was a member of the Masonic Lodge at the rising sun in Brno and in 1785 its assigned master.
He died in the Mariahilfer Palais Kaunitz and was buried in the family grave in Austerlitz .
literature
- Constantin von Wurzbach : Kaunitz-Rietberg, Franz Wenzel Graf . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 11th part. Imperial and Royal Court and State Printing Office, Vienna 1864, p. 59 f. ( Digitized version ).
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kaunitz-Rietberg, Franz Wenzel von |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian General and Land Commander of the Teutonic Order |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 2, 1742 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Vienna |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 19, 1825 |
| Place of death | Vienna |