Franz Guasco

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Count Franz von Guasco (* 1711 ; † March 23, 1763 in Königsberg ) was an Austrian general.

Life

Guasco comes from an old family in Piedmont (now Italy ) and joined the Russian Imperial Army as a cadet after brief training. Guasco's military career began in the Swedish-Russian War from 1741 to 1743.

In 1752 he entered the service of the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa . In June of the same year she named Guasco major general in her army. Guasco used the year 1756 to inspect and control the Moravian - Bohemian border on the imperial order . The negotiations during the siege of Dresden on September 9, 1756 also served Guasco to honor.

It was precisely this knowledge that Guasco owed his appointment as Quartermaster General at the beginning of the Seven Years' War . In the Battle of Prague on May 6, 1757, Guasco took part as well as in the Battle of Kolin on June 18, 1757. On September 7 of the same year Guasco fought in the Battle of Moys and a few weeks later he stood on November 22 on the battlefield near Wroclaw . There he acquired the Maria Theresa Order, which was newly founded that year .

His most important achievement was the 63-day defense of Schweidnitz in 1762. Only when all means of defense were exhausted, he capitulated on October 9th, was captured and brought to Königsberg . King Friedrich II even visited him there (quote: "... Sir, you have given everyone who has places to defend a fine example ...").

Empress Maria Theresa appointed Guasco as Feldzeugmeister during his captivity and sent him the Grand Cross of the Military Maria Theresa Order to Königsberg . Just before he was about to be released from captivity, Guasco died of a stroke.

Count Franz von Guasco died in the fortress of Königsberg at the age of 52 . He found his final resting place there in the Catholic Church. His aides also provided a matching tombstone.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Guasco, Franz
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Guasco, Franz von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian Feldzeugmeister
DATE OF BIRTH 1711
DATE OF DEATH March 23, 1763
Place of death Koenigsberg