Ludwig (Lajos) August von Benedek (1804-1881) - Austrian military commander, Field Marshal (1859).
| Ludwig August von Benedek | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
him Ludwig August Ritter von Benedek | |||||||
 Ludwig von Benedek, 1849 Lithograph by August Prinzhofer . | |||||||
| Date of Birth | July 14, 1804 | ||||||
| Place of Birth | Sopron in Hungary | ||||||
| Date of death | April 27, 1881 (76 years) | ||||||
| Place of death | Graz | ||||||
| Affiliation |  Austrian Empire | ||||||
| Type of army | |||||||
| Years of service | 1822–1866 | ||||||
| Rank | feldtseyhmeister | ||||||
| Battles / Wars | Krakow Uprising (1846) Austro-Italian War The suppression of the Hungarian uprising (1848-1849) Austro-Italian-French War Austro-Prussian-Italian War | ||||||
| Awards and prizes |
| ||||||
Content
Biography
The son of a doctor, graduated from the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt and in 1822 entered the rank of Fenrich in Austrian military service. In 1833 he was numbered to the General Staff, in 1835 he received the rank of captain, from 1840 - major and adjutant to the commander-in-chief in Galicia, from 1843 - lieutenant colonel, from 1846 - colonel.
In 1846 he took part in the suppression of the uprising in the Polish possessions of the Austrian Empire, deserved the Knight's Cross of the Order of Leopold . In 1847 he was appointed commander of the infantry regiment of Ferenc Gyulai in Italy.
Wars in Italy
With the beginning of the uprising in Italy in 1848, he joined with his regiment to the main army of Field Marshal Radetsky . Then he received a brigade, with which he participated in the campaign of 1848 with distinction. He deserved the Knight's Cross of the Order of Maria Theresa .
In the campaign of 1849, he distinguished himself during the capture of Mortara (March 21) and at the Battle of Novara (March 23). Received from his division commander, Archduke Albrecht , the sword of his father, Generalissimo, Archduke Charles . April 3 received the rank of Major General and was appointed chief of staff of the 2nd Italian Army.
At the same 1849 took part in the suppression of the Hungarian uprising , was wounded and returned to Italy. In 1852 he received the rank of Field Marshal Lieutenant . In February 1857, the II Corps took over, in March the IV Corps, in April the VIII Corps, with which it participated in the war against France and Sardinia of 1859 He fought with distinction at Solferino , drove the enemy to San Martino , but in general the battle was unsuccessful for the Austrians. Despite losing the war, he deserved the Commander cross of the Order of Maria Theresa . On November 27, 1859, he was promoted to feldzeichmeister . Many cities, including Vienna , made him their honorary citizen.
At the end of the war, on January 30, 1860, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Austrian Empire, on April 19 - a civil governor and commander in chief in Hungary , and on October 20 - a commander in Italy and the Alpine dominions . In 1861 he became a member of the House of Lords in the Reichsrat , in 1862 received the Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold .
War of 1866 with Prussia
Due to his reputation at the beginning of the war with Prussia, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Army in Bohemia . He considered the Austrian army unprepared for war with such a serious adversary, did not know any troops or theater of military operations. After the unsuccessful clashes at Skalica and Trautenau , on July 1, 1866, he asked the dispatches of Emperor Franz Joseph I to make peace with Prussia.
On July 3, 1866, he was utterly defeated at Sadovaya (Königgretz) , after which by a skillful maneuver he saved the remnants of the army from final defeat. After the defeat, Archduke Albrecht was replaced as Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Army. Together with some other generals, he was put on trial, but the investigation that was begun was terminated by a decree of the emperor. The main requirement for the termination of the prosecution was silence about the circumstances of the defeat. Retired to Graz , where he died in 1881.
Awards
- Military Order of Maria Theresa , Commander Cross (1859)
- Military Order of Maria Theresa, Knight's Cross (1848)
- Austrian Order of Leopold , a large cross (1862)
- Austrian Order of Leopold, Commander Cross (1848)
- Austrian Order of Leopold, Knight's Cross (1846)
- Cross "For Military Merit" (1849)
- Military medal
- Order of Our Lady of Guadalupe ( Mexican Empire )
Sources
- Oscar Criste. Benedek, Ludwig von // Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). - Bd. 46. - Lpz. : Duncker & Humblot, 1902. - S. 351–354. (him)
Literature
- Benedek, Ludwig // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : 86 t. (82 t. And 4 extra.). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
- Benedek, Ludwig // B (Blanc) gunpowder - Bomb. - SPb. ; [ M. ]: Type. t-va I. D. Sytin , 1911. - p. 469-470. - ( Military Encyclopedia : [in 18 t.] / Under the editorship of V. F. Novitsky [and others ]; 1911–1915, Vol. 4).