Rudolf von Otto

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rudolf Ritter von Otto (born May 28, 1735 in Weißenfels , † August 7, 1811 in Hradec Králové (Königgrätz)) was a Saxon officer in Austrian service, most recently as a field marshal lieutenant .

Life

He came from the Saxon noble family von Otto and was the son of the official commissioner and district judge Karl Christian von Otto and his wife Auguste. After attending grammar school and riding school in Weissenfels, he joined the Saxon-Polish army as a flagjunker of the Chevauxlégers regiment "Prince Karl", as the family's assets were insufficient for a higher education.

He took part in a number of battles and skirmishes during the Seven Years' War. His brother Wilhelm Ludwig von Otto was a colonel in the Austrian service and built up a hunter and volunteer corps. He successfully challenged Rudolf von Otto to also enter Austrian service. As a result, he commanded 100 mounted fighters and distinguished himself in raid-like actions or took over the vanguard in cavalry attacks. In 1761 he was appointed first lieutenant. A short time later he set up a Chevauxlégers squadron himself and captured 80 Prussian cuirassiers in 1762 .

After the Peace of Hubertusburg he wanted to return to the Electoral Saxon service, but since he was not guaranteed a position as a captain, he remained in Austrian service and served in the Dragoon Regiment No. 19 "Ludwig Landgraf von Hessen-Darmstadt" without any prospect of one To have promotion. He used the time to study war science and wrote reform proposals, but also writings on his experiences during the Seven Years' War. He then served General Josef Carl Graf d'Ayasassa in his attempt to reform the cavalry and was appointed captain in 1769. He himself developed written principles for the outpost service. From 1777 he was major in the hussar regiment No. 34 "von Graeven." In 1783 he rose to lieutenant colonel and regiment commander and in 1784 to colonel.

In the war with the Ottomans from 1787 to 1792, the regiment was distinguished, among other things, by the fact that it climbed the highest mountains in the Banat and unexpectedly attacked the Ottomans. During the campaign of 1788, von Otto had all the outpost commands of the Austrian army under his command and covered the rear of the main army. In the same year he was appointed major general. In the following campaign he built a bridge to the siege of Belgrade across the Danube and again took over the outpost commands. He captured Fort Semendria and forced Abdi Pasha to retreat. After the armistice he organized the border defense in Galicia as brigadier general .

As part of the first coalition war, von Otto served in the Netherlands from 1793. He commanded half the avant-garde under the command of Archduke Karl . He subsequently took part in numerous sieges, battles and skirmishes. In particular, he was involved in the Battle of Famars and the capture of Camp Caesar, for which he drafted the plan of attack. As a result, he secured the Valenciennes area for eight months against superior French troops. He also contributed to the victory at Avesnes-le-Sec (September 12, 1793).

In the spring of 1794 he was appointed Lieutenant Field Marshal . He was given command of the Austrian corps, which was subordinate to the British-Hanoverian army of the Duke of York . He left a large part of the planning of his army to Otto. He subsequently distinguished himself at the siege of Landrecies and Villers-en-Cauchies . He was primarily responsible for the victory in the Battle of Le-Cateau on April 26, 1794, which brought heavy losses to the French Ardennes army. He played an important role on the Allied side in the lost Battle of Tourcoing . His troops were among those most exposed to the French attacks, while at the same time he covered the withdrawal of the Duke of York's troops. Franz II then awarded him the Commander's Cross of the Maria Theresa Order for his achievements . As a result, he commanded the avant-garde of the imperial main army under Friedrich Josias von Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld .

As a result of his health and age, he left active service in 1795. He was reactivated in 1796 to defend Bohemia and was supposed to command a corps in Italy in 1797. He did not take this command for health reasons. In 1798 he was a member of a military court commission and had been a member of the court war council from 1801 . In 1803 he was appointed general of the cavalry. In total he took part in 14 campaigns, 7 sieges, 12 battles and numerous smaller skirmishes. In 1810 he bought a manor near Königgrätz , where he also died.

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Otto, Rudolf von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian general
DATE OF BIRTH May 28, 1735
PLACE OF BIRTH Weissenfels
DATE OF DEATH August 7, 1811
Place of death Hradec Králové