|
DUKE OF See also: Austrian soldier; first saw service in See also: Flanders, and in See also: Savoy with the Spaniards, and subsequently joined the forces of the Catholic See also: League as captain
.
On the general outbreak of hostilities in See also: Germany, Gallas, as colonel ,of an See also: infantry regiment, distinguished himself, especially at the See also: battle of Stadtlohn (1623)
.
In 163o he was serving as General-Feldwachtmeister under Collalto in See also: Italy, and was mainly instrumental in the capture of See also: Mantua
.
Made count of the See also: Empire for this service,he returned to Germany for the See also: campaign against Gustavus See also: Adolphus
.
In command of a corps of Wallenstein's army, he covered Bohemia against the Swedes in 1631–1632, and served at the Alte Veste near See also: Nuremberg, and at Liitzen
.
Further See also: good service against Bernhard of Saxe-See also: Weimar commended General Gallas to the See also: notice of the emperor, who made him See also: lieutenant-general in his own army
.
He was one of the chief conspirators against Wallenstein, and after the tragedy of Eger was appointed to the command of the army which Wallenstein had formed and led
.
At the See also: great battle of See also: Nordlingen (23rd of See also: August 1634) in which the army of Sweden was almost annihilated, Gallas commanded the victorious Imperialists
.
His next command was in See also: Lorraine, but even the Moselle valley had suffered so much from the ravages of war that his army perished of want
.
Still more was this the See also: case in See also: northern Germany, where Gallas commanded against the See also: Swedish general Baner in 1637 and 1638, At first driving the Swedes before him, in the end he made a See also: complete failure of the campaign, lost his command, and was subject to much ridicule
.
It was, however, rather the indiscipline of his men (the baneful See also: legacy of Wallenstein's methods) than his own faults which brought about his disastrous retreat across See also: North Germany, and at a moment of crisis he was recalled to endeavour to stop Torstenson's victorious advance, only to be shut up in See also: Magdeburg, whence he escaped with the barest remnant of his forces
.
Once more relieved of his command, he was again recalled to make See also: head against the Swedes in 1645 (after their victory at Jankow)
.
Before long, old and warworn, he resigned his command, and died in 1647 at Vienna . His army had earned for itself the reputation of being the most cruel and rapacious force even in theSee also: Thirty Years' War, and his Merode Brilder have survived in the word marauder
.
Like many other generals of that See also: period, he had acquired much See also: wealth and great territorial possessions (the latter mostly his share of Wallenstein's estates)
.
He was the founder of the Austrian See also: family of Clam-Gallas, which furnished many distinguished soldiers to the Imperial army
.
|
|
|
[back] GALLAS |
[next] ALBERT GALLATIN (1761-1849) |
There are no comments yet for this article.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.
Links to articles and home page are encouraged.