Franz von Weyrother

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Franz von Weyrother (* 1755 in Vienna ; † February 16, 1806 there ) was an Austrian general and military officer . He was blamed for the defeat in the Battle of Austerlitz .

biography

Weyrother was promoted to a cadet in the Austrian Infantry Regiment 22 "Lacy" in 1775 and to sub-lieutenant in 1778. In 1789 he was promoted to captain for "bravery before the enemy" during the Austro-Ottoman war. In 1794 he was adjutant general to the governor of Mainz fortress during the First Coalition War .

In September 1796 he and Field Marshal Wurmser were called to northern Italy to relieve the fortress of Mantua, which was besieged by the French . In October 1796 he became chief of staff of the new relief army, which Feldzeugmeister Alvinczy led to Italy. The attempted relief of Mantua failed in the Battle of Arcole (November 15-17, 1796) and after another defeat by Bonaparte near Rivoli in February 1797 led to the surrender of the fortress. In 1797 Weyrothers was promoted to lieutenant colonel .

During the Second Coalition War , he served in 1799 as Chief of Staff of the Italian Army under General Kray , taking part in the battles at Legnago (March 26) and Magnano (April 5). After the arrival of the Russians under Marshal Suvorov in northern Italy, Weyrother became a liaison officer to the Russian General Staff , where he had a share in the success of the Battle of Novi (August 15). He was then responsible for drawing up the route for the legendary Suvorov Alpine March.

In 1800 he was promoted to colonel and quartermaster of the main Austrian armed forces in Bavaria, where he participated in the Battle of Hohenlinden . In 1805 he was major general and chief of staff at the headquarters of the Russian general Kutuzov , and was primarily responsible for the military planning of the Battle of Austerlitz , after which he retired into private life.

evaluation

Franz von Weyrother was a soldier with a steep career who was thoroughly familiar with military planning and practice. His general plan for the Battle of Austerlitz may not have been brilliant, but it was not bad. He planned that the coalition army would march from the Pratzenberg into the valley of the Goldbach, push the French army to the north and thus cut them off from retreat. Napoleon's plan was just better and his tactics were more intelligent, plus there were simply communication difficulties between the allied Austrians and Russians.

Whether von Weyrother was actually primarily responsible for the allies' attack, which was actually premature, can no longer be accurately reconstructed today. Forbearance, it seems that von Weyrother was the pawn sacrifice intended to cover up the military incapacity of his generalissimo, Tsar Alexander I.

literature

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personal data
SURNAME Weyrother, Franz von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian general
DATE OF BIRTH 1755
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH February 16, 1806
Place of death Vienna