Josef Philipp von Vukassovich, also Josef Vukasović or Josef Wukassovitch, (1755 - 9 August 1809) served in the Austrian army in Italy during the French Revolutionary Wars and commanded a brigade during the 1796-1797 Italian campaign against General Napoleon Bonaparte. He led a division during the Napoleonic Wars and was mortally wounded at the Battle of Wagram.

Contents 1 Early career 2 French Revolutionary Wars 3 Napoleonic Wars 4 References 4.1 Footnotes 4.2 External links

[edit] Early career

The son of a Grenz infantry officer, Vukassovich was born in a Serbian family, at Ličko Petrovo Selo (in modern-day Croatia) in 1755. He joined the Hapsburg army in 1775 and was promoted to Oberleutnant in 1780. By 1787, he had risen in rank to Hauptmann in the Liccaner Grenz Infantry Regiment # 1. During the Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791), he fought with distinction, earning the Military Order of Maria Theresa on 15 November 1788. He raised a freikorps unit during the war and served as its acting commander. He was named to the nobility as a Freiherr in December 1788.

[edit] French Revolutionary Wars

Vukassovich fought in Italy during the War of the First Coalition, being promoted to Oberst in 1794. At the Battle of Loano in November 1795, he and his troops conducted a stout defense in a monastery. In the spring of 1796, Vukassovich commanded a brigade in Johann Beaulieu's Austrian army.

On 12 April, Bonaparte defeated Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau's Austrian force at the Battle of Montenotte. The next day, Beaulieu directed Vukassovich to take his brigade to Sassello to establish contact with Argenteau's right wing, but due to a poorly written order, Vukassovich started a day late and missed the 14 November fighting in the Second Battle of Dego. The next day, he marched his 3,500-man brigade from Sassello to Dego. By good fortune, Vukassovich caught a brigade of André Masséna's troops plundering the town and routed them.^[1] By the time Bonaparte and Masséna appeared with heavy reinforcements, "Wukassovitch intelligently seized the opportunity offered by this success and promptly put the village into a state of defense."^[2] He only withdrew from the town after giving the French a tough fight.

Appointed General-Major on 2 May 1796, Vukassovich soon fought in the Battle of Lodi on 10 May and at the Battle of Borghetto on 30 May. He commanded a 2,400-man brigade during the Siege of Mantua.^[3] When the siege was lifted on 1 August, he led 2,000 men from the garrison to reinforce the main army.^[4] During the second attempt to relieve the Siege of Mantua, he joined Paul Davidovich's Tyrol Corps and fought at the Battle of Rovereto. During the third attempt to relieve Mantua, he participated in the Tyrol Corps' victory at the Battle of Calliano on 6-7 November, plus minor actions at Cembra on the 2nd and Rivoli Veronese on the 17th and 22nd of November. During the fourth attempt to relieve Mantua, Jozsef Alvinczi directed Vukassovich to lead his brigade down the east bank of the Adige River. Though his artillery supported the Austrian army's attack on the west bank of the river, he exerted little other influence on the disastrous result of the Battle of Rivoli.

Vukassovich married Johanna Pulcheria Malfatti von Kriegsfeld. She was 24 years younger and outlived him by many years, dying in 1854.

During the 1799 campaign to liberate Italy, Vukassovich trapped Jean Sérurier and 3,000 French troops at Verderio on 28 April. After a "sharp fight" Sérurier and his 2,700 surviving soldiers laid down their arms.^[5] Vukassovich then led the army's advance guard in the capture of numerous towns in northwest Italy. He became the proprietor (inhaber) of Infantry Regiment # 48 in 1798.^[6] Promoted to Feldmarschal-Leutnant in October 1799, he took part in the 1800 Italian campaign. Driven east by the sudden French offensive, Vukassovich was pursued by Guillaume Duhesme's French corps and missed the Battle of Marengo.^[7]

[edit] Napoleonic Wars

During the 1805 Italian campaign, Vukassovich led a division in the army Archduke Charles. He disobeyed the Archduke's orders and attacked Verona on 18 October, leading his soldiers into a trap dominated on three sides by French artillery. After losing 1,622 casualties and 4 cannons in the battle, he was relieved of command.^[8] On 22 April 1809, Vukassovich commanded a division in the III Corps during the Battle of Eckmuhl.^[9] He missed the Battle of Aspern-Essling. Still leading a division in III Corps,^[10] he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Wagram on 6 July. He lingered for a month and finally died of his wounds in Vienna on 9 August 1809.

[edit] References

• Arnold, James R. Marengo & Hohenlinden. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword, 2005. ISBN 1-84415-279-0
• Bowden, Scotty & Tarbox, Charlie. Armies on the Danube 1809. Arlington, Texas: Empire Games Press, 1980.
• Chandler, David. The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York: Macmillan, 1966.
• Fiebeger, G. J. The Campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte of 1796-1797. West Point, NY: US Military Academy Printing Office, 1911. Quoted in Bonaparte in Italy OSG wargame study folder.
• Pivka, Otto von. Armies of the Napoleonic Era. New York: Taplinger Publishing, 1979. ISBN 0-8008-5471-3
• Smith, Digby. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ Fiebeger, p 6
2. ^ Chandler, p 73
3. ^ Boycott-Brown, p 364
4. ^ Boycott-Brown, p 391
5. ^ Smith, p 153
6. ^ Pivka, p 84
7. ^ Arnold, p 109
8. ^ Smith, p 206
9. ^ Bowden, p 68
10. ^ Bowden, p 164

[edit] External links

• Vukassovich by Digby Smith, compiled by Leopold Kudrna