János Damjanich

János Damjanich

János Damjanich [ ˈjaːnoʃ ˈdɒmjɒniʧ ] (also Johann Damjanics; * 1804 in Pančevo in the former military border district ; † October 6, 1849 in Arad ) was a Hungarian general in the war of revolution against the Habsburgs .

He was of Serbian origin and poorly educated, entered a border regiment and only became a captain at the age of 40 . In 1848 he came into contact with Lajos Kossuth and tried to win the border regiments before the war of independence began . In May, after the outbreak of unrest in the Batschka and Banat, he organized a battalion of mobilized national guards, the so-called "Rotkäppler", and distinguished himself several times at the head of the same in the battles against the Serbs. Kossuth sent him to Szeged , where he took over a Honvéd battalion and was soon promoted to colonel . He fought in the southern theater of war and achieved victories at Lagerndorf (November 9th) and Alibunar (December 17th).

On December 20, 1848, he was appointed brigadier and on January 16, 1849, he was appointed leader of the Hungarian armed forces in the Banat. On February 9, 1849 he supported General Józef Bem in the Battle of Piski , after which Transylvania could be reoccupied. After Field Marshal Windisch-Graetz's attack , he was assigned to cover the Tisza and carried out the attack on Szolnok in March , whereupon he was promoted to general. On April 4th Damjanich carried out the successful attack in the battle of Tápióbicske , proved himself with his troops on April 6th at Isaszeg and carried out the storming of Waitzen on April 10th . On April 19, he defeated the Austrian IV. Corps ( Wohlgemuth ) at Nagy-Sallo and in the battle of Komorn together with Klapka the troops of General Franz von Schlick , whereby the Komorn fortress could be held. In the battle of April 26th, which resulted in the withdrawal of the Austrians, he fought under the command of General Artúr Görgei . When entering Komorn he broke his leg, took over the command after his recovery in Arad , but had to surrender to the Russians after the defeat of Világos , was extradited to the Austrians and died in Arad with twelve other Hungarian generals on the gallows .

See also

• Martyrs of Arad

literature

• Constantin von Wurzbach : Damianich, Johann . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 3rd part. Typogr.-literar.-artist publishing house. Establishment (L. C. Zamarski, C. Dittmarsch & Comp.), Vienna 1858, p. 141 f. ( Digitized version ).
• Damjanich, Johann. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 1, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1957, p. 168.

Web links

Commons : János Damjanich  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• János Damjanich , in: A Pallas Nagy Lexikona (Hungarian)