Franz Jircik
Franz Jircik also Juerczik or Jurczek or Jurczik or František Jirčik; In some sources Franz von Jircik (* 1758 in Kutná Hora ; † December 19 or December 21, 1805 in Uherské Hradiště ) was an imperial or imperial Austrian major general of Czech origin and fought in the battle of Austerlitz .
Life
Turkish War and First Coalition War
Franz Jircik joined the 12th German-Banat border regiment in 1778 as an ensign at the time of the War of the Bavarian Succession . In 1789 he moved from this to the general staff as first lieutenant .
In 1790 he took part in the Russian-Austrian Turkish War. Since he had often given evidence of bravery and cleverness, he was sent by General Fabry with a trumpeter to Gladowa , a fortified city in Serbia , in 1790 to persuade the Turkish commandant to surrender. The result of his mission led to his promotion to captain . In 1796 he was a major in the General Quartermaster's staff. He took part in the first coalition war in Italy. In January 1797 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Soon after, he excelled at Bevilaqua . During the attempt at relief from Mantua on January 16, 1797, with the corps of the Marquis of Provera , he was taken prisoner of war . After his release, Jircik fought with the Imperial Army in Bavaria.
Franz Jircik was promoted to colonel of the Slavonian Border Infantry Regiment No. 8 (Gradiskaner) in Nova Gradiška on June 1, 1801 . On September 1, 1805, he was appointed major general on March 27, 1805.
Battle of Austerlitz
In the battle of Austerlitz Jircik commanded the 3rd infantry brigade in the 4th mixed column of allies under the Austrian General Kolowrat and the Russian General Miloradowitsch .
Structure of the Jircik Brigade, with a total of 4,800 men
- Kaiser Infantry Regiment (one battalion )
- Czartoryski Infantry Regiment (one battalion)
- Reuss-Greiz Infantry Regiment (one battalion)
- Württemberg Infantry Regiment (one battalion)
- Beaulieu Infantry Regiment (one battalion)
- Kerpen Infantry Regiment (one battalion)
- Lindenau Infantry Regiment (one battalion)
- Wiener Jäger (two companies)
- Pioneers (two companies)
On the morning of the battle he and his brigade took up three lines of battle on the ridge of the Pratzen . After the attack by the French troops under General Vandamme, he rushed to General Sergei Kamensky from Langeron's column to help. Despite the surprise of the French attack, the defense of the height could be organized. The battle lasted two hours and was often relentlessly fought with the bayonet on both sides. Jircik's attack made it possible to recapture the mountain top. Here he faced the main attack of the French troops. However, at around 12:00 noon, Jircik was forced to retreat and was fatally injured. After the defeat, his troops and their injured commander fled via Hostěrádky-Rešov .
Franz von Jircik died three weeks later, as the only Austrian general, as a result of the injuries in the battle in Uherské Hradiště.
A memorial was erected for Major General Jircik and his brigade on the battlefield of Austerlitz and he is immortalized in the Hall of Fame in the Vienna Museum of Military History .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Münchner-Zeitung, most graciously privileged by the electoral prince: 1789, 9-12
- ↑ Oesterreichisches Militär-Konversations-Lexikon (Vienna 1850, 8 °.) Vol. III, p. 407.
- ↑ Dr. Schmidt-Brentano, "Habsburgs Generals. The Imperial and Imperial-Royal Generals 1618-1815", Austrian State Archives 2006
- ↑ Austerlitz, The Empire at ist Zenith , Histoire & Colectiona - Paris 2003, p. 47.
- ^ The battlefield of Austerlitz , Ave Verlag - Jaromir Hanak 2015, p. 52.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Jircik, Franz |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Jirčik, František; Jurczik, František; Jircik, Franz von |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian major general |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1758 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Kutná Hora |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 19, 1805 |
| Place of death | Uherské Hradiště |