Friedrich William von Hohenlohe-Kirchberg
02 December 1732 (1732-12-02) – 10 August 1796 (1796-08-11) (aged 63)
Place of birth	Kirchberg, Hohenlohe
Place of death	Prague, Bohemia
Allegiance	Habsburg Austria
Years of service	1756–1795
Rank	Colonel, Proprietor, 17th Infantry Regiment Field Marshal
Battles/wars	Seven Years War War of Bavarian Succession Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774 Austro-Turkish War of 1787 French Revolutionary Wars War of the First Coalition
Awards	1761, Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa 1789, Commander's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa 1792, Grand Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa

Friedrich William, Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Kirchberg was born in Kirchberg, Hohenlohe, (now part of Baden-Württemberg, Germany) on 2 December 1732. He was a member of an old comital and, subsequently, princely (Fürstlich) family of Hohenlohe, with extensive properties on the plateau south of the Main river, between the Imperial City of Schwabisch Hall and the old Franconian city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

He served a distinguished career in Austrian military in the Seven Years War, the War of Bavarian Succession, and the French Revolutionary Wars. An experienced, if old-fashioned general, he was chosen to mentor the young Archduke Charles, who was assigned to his forces during the 1792 campaign in France. From 1780 until his death, he was the colonel and proprietor of the 17th Infantry Regiment.

[edit] Early career

Hohenlohe-Kirchberg served as a captain of grenadiers in Austrian service during the Seven Years War, during which he was twice wounded, first at the Battle of Leuthen and later at the Battle of Landshut. He served under Gideon von Laudon in the War of Bavarian Succession, after which he was promoted to Lieutenant Field Marshal (Feldmarschal-Leutnant) and served in the Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791), again under the command of von Laudon.^[1] After the Walachia campaign, he received the Commander's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa.^[2]

[edit] French Revolutionary Wars

In 1792, he was initially placed in command of the Austrian forces in the Upper Rhine Valley. In August, his forces crossed the Rhine by Mannheim, and participated in the bombardment of Thionville, on the Moselle, in early September.^[3] In combination with the Army of Condé and Hessian forces, his force of 15,000 covered the left (southern) flank of the Prussian advance to Valmy (See Battle of Valmy). As a seasoned and experienced officer, he had been chosen as a mentor for the young Archduke Charles, and the archduke was assigned to his force; they were not at Valmy, but could hear the cannonade.^[4] The Duke of Brunswick's force was to engage the northern flank of the French army, called the Army of the Sedan, while Hohenlohe-Kirchberg's force engaged the southern flank (Army of the Metz).^[5]

In December of 1792, Hohenlohe-Kirchberg's forces defended Trier from the Army of the Moselle so well that its commander, General of Division Pierre de Ruel, marquis de Beurnonville, was removed from his command by his superiors in Paris. On 31 December, Hohenlohe-Kirchberg was awarded the Grand Cross of Military Order of Maria Theresa for his success there.^[6]

Grand Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa, awarded to Hohenlohe-Kirchberg in 1792

In May 1793, his forces played a decisive role in the victory at the Battle of Famars. He was appointed as General Quarter Master and Chief of Staff to the Coalition's main army in Flanders, succeeding General Karl Mack. As part of the Belgian Corps under Field Marshal Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld he played a decisive role in the action at Avesnes-le-Sec.^[7] (See Battle of Fleurus (1794).) Subsequently, Hohenlohe-Kirchberg commanded a corps on the upper Rhine and was responsible for the recapture of Speyer from the French on 17 September 1794. This was his final military action; he retired from service in early 1795 because of his failing health and died in 1796.^[8]

[edit] Family

Born in the family county of Hohenlohe, Friedrich Wilhelm (William) was the first son of Karl August, Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Kirchberg and his second wife, Susanne Margarete Louisa, Gräfin von Auersperg. Eight other children followed until her death 12 September 1748.^[9] In 1770, Friedrich Wilhelm married the divorced Frederike Countess of Reuss zu Greiz (Greiz 09 July 1750 – Prague 14 June 1816; they had no children. He died in Prague, Bohemia, 10 August 1796.^[10]

[edit] Sibling connections

Seven of his 12 siblings died before the age of ten.^[11]

• Christian Friedrich Karl Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Kirchberg (19 October 1729 Kirchberg – 18 August 1819 Kirchberg)
• August Ludwig Prinz zu Hohenlohe-Kirchberg (3 September 1735 Kirchberg – 19  January or June 1780 Kirchberg
• Friedrich Eberhard Prinz zu Hohenlohe-Kirchberg (21 October 1737 Kirchberg – 21 January 1804 Kirchberg) (married Albertina Renata v.Castell-Remlingen)
• Friedrich Karl Ludwig Prinz zu Hohenlohe-Kirchberg (19 March/November 1751 Kirchberg – 12 September 1791 Weikersheim)

Friedrich Karl Ludwig was an amateur artist. He had started a career in cavalry but an accident during a review caused him to abandon the military. He studied first under Valentine Tischbein and later under Oeser in Leipzig. His artistic pursuits included drawing, miniature painting (at which he was apparently quite good), and ivory carving.^[12]

• Christiane Friederike Sophie zu Hohenlohe-Kirchberg (1 April 1731  – 15 March 1787)

[edit] Sources

[edit] Citations

[edit] Bibliography

• Bryan, Michael, Dictionary of painters and engravers: biographical and critical, London, G Bell, 1915, B000879DH6 p. 666.
• (German) Ebert, Jens-Florian, "Friedrich William von Hohenlohe-Kirchberg," Die Österreichischen Generäle 1792-1815. Accessed 15 October 2009.
• Eysturlid, Lee W. The Formative Influences, Theories, and Campaigns of the Archduke Carl of Austria, Contributions in Military Studies Series, volume 202. Connecticut, Greenwood Publishing Group,2000, 9780313309960
• (German) Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels – Fürstliche Häuser, Band 3. Glücksburg, 1955.
• Kudrna, Leopold & Smith, Digby. A biographical dictionary of all Austrian Generals in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1792-1815. Napoleon Series, Robert Burnham, editor in chief. April 2008 version. Accessed 19 October 2009.
• Lefebvre, Georges, The French Revolution, New York, Columbia University Press, 1976, 9780231085984
• (German) Legl, F. Studien zur Geschichte der Grafen von Dagsburg-Egisheim. Saarbrücken, SDV, Saarbrücker Dr. und Verl., 1998.
• (German) Wember, Karl, Ahnentafel Hohenlohe Langenburg Kirchberg. October 2009 version. Accessed 27 October 2009.