Walter Leslie (1607–1667)

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Walter Leslie

Walter Leslie (* 1607 in Fetternear House, Aberdeenshire , Scotland ; † March 4, 1667 in Vienna ) was an Imperial Field Marshal who was appointed Count of the Empire in 1637 .

Origin and family

Walter Leslie came from an important Scottish noble family. His father William was 10th Baron of Balquhain , his mother Joan was a daughter of John Baron of Gogar . In 1647 Walter married Anna Franziska von Dietrichstein , a daughter of Prince Maximilian von Dietrichstein . Since the marriage remained childless, the title of Earl was transferred to Walter's brother Alexander Leslie, 14th Baron of Balquhain and his descendants in 1662. In 1667 Leslie raised his lordship of Neustadt in Bohemia and Pettau in Styria to family entails and appointed the male descendants of his brother Alexander, otherwise the Dietrichstein family, as heirs to the property.

Military career

In 1631 Walter Leslie joined Albrecht von Wallenstein's army and became a constable sergeant in the infantry regiment of General Adam Erdmann von Trčka , a brother-in-law of Wallenstein. Together with his compatriot John Gordon Leslie took part in the Battle of Lützen . Since Wallenstein commissioned him with the organization of the ammunition supply in the following period, he traveled a. a. to Prague, Krems, Pilsen and Vienna, where he was able to collect military information and establish connections with the imperial court. There he probably also received information about the existing tensions between the court and Wallenstein's headquarters. After Wallenstein failed in a military project near Prague, he moved towards Eger to flee. Leslie was personally present when Wallenstein in Pilsen received the imperial patent from January 24th. J. received which Wallenstein's removal ordered. During a briefing, Leslie witnessed how Wallenstein wanted his officers to establish a military connection with the enemy.

Subsequently, Leslie is said to have convinced officers John Gordon and Walter Butler of the need to kill Wallenstein. During a conversation with Wallenstein, Adam Erdmann Trčka and Christian von Ilow , Leslie appeared open to Wallenstein's plans. At the same time he was preparing the killing of Wallenstein with Butler. On the evening of February 25, the city commandant of Cheb invited Gordon to a banquet in the mayor's house on the lower market square. It was there that Eger Wallenstein, Trčka, Ilow and Wilhelm Graf Kinsky died on the so-called murder night . Leslie was wounded.

As early as April 1634, Emperor Ferdinand II rewarded Leslie for his participation in the conspiracy with the appointment of colonel of a regiment. Further court offices and dignities of chamberlain and captain of the Kuk Trabantenleibgarde followed. In addition, the emperor gave him the rule of Neustadt an der Mettau in Eastern Bohemia, which previously belonged to Trčka. Presumably out of gratitude, he converted to the Catholic faith.

In the summer of 1634 Leslie took part in the battle for Regensburg in the siege of Regensburg and on September 5, 1634 took part in the battle of Nördlingen . Since 1636 he stayed at the court, from which he was occasionally commissioned with military diplomatic missions. In the same year he obtained the Bohemian Landstandschaft and in 1637 the title of Imperial Count. In 1646 he was promoted to Feldzeugmeister and in 1650 to Field Marshal and was appointed Vice-President of the Court War Council.

After the Treaty of Eisenburg , he was made a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1665 and in 1665/66 he headed the “ Grand Message to the Sublime Porte ”. After returning to Vienna, he succumbed to quartana malaria .

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personal data
SURNAME Leslie, Walter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Leslie, Count Walter of
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Scottish nobleman, imperial count, colonel sergeant in Wallenstein's army
DATE OF BIRTH 1607
PLACE OF BIRTH Aberdeenshire Scotland
DATE OF DEATH March 4, 1667
Place of death Vienna