Albert Gyulai
Encyclopedia
Albert Gyulai von Máros-Németh und Nádaska or Albert Gyulay, born 12 September 1766 – died 27 April 1835, a Hungarian, joined the army of Habsburg Austria and fought against Ottoman Turkey. He served against the First French Republic in the Flanders Campaign
and on the Rhine. Severely wounded in 1799, he survived a trepanning operation and briefly retired from military service. He returned to active service and commanded an army corps during the War of the Fifth Coalition
, part of the Napoleonic Wars
. He led his troops in several important battles during the Austrian invasion of Italy in 1809, including one where he was in independent command. Though appointed to command troops in 1813 and 1815, he missed combat in both campaigns. He was Proprietor (Inhaber)
of an Austrian infantry regiment from 1810 until his death. The more famous Ignaz Gyulai
, Ban of Croatia
was his older brother.
broke out that year and he fought in Transylvania
in 1788. On 26 August 1788 he won distinction in a skirmish at the Törzburger Pass at the head of a hussar squadron. Gyulai transferred into his father's regiment as a Hauptmann (captain)
of grenadiers in February 1789 and fought at the Siege of Belgrade
in autumn that year. He led his company in the Kempf grenadier battalion in Franz von Werneck
's column during the successful assault on the city, which capitulated on 8 October. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
on 21 December 1789.
in the O'Donell Freikorps
on 1 May. The following year found him serving in Heinrich, Count of Bellegarde's brigade in a number of minor actions. He defeated the French troops opposed to him in the Battle of Tournay
on 22 May 1794. That year he married Justine Wynants (d. 1824). On 19 April 1797, he fought in a successful action in the aftermath of Werneck's defeat at the Battle of Neuwied
on the Rhine. The same month he received promotion to Oberstleutnant
in his father's regiment.
On 26 April 1798, Gyulai became Oberst
of the newly-formed Infantry Regiment # 48. In the War of the Second Coalition
, his troops drove off French attacks in the Battle of Verona on 26 April 1799. At the Battle of Magnano
on 6 April, his regiment formed part of Ferdinand Minckwitz's brigade in Konrad Valentin von Kaim
's division. While leading an attacking column against Antoine Delmas' French division, he was struck in the head by a musket ball. The bullet was removed by trepanning at Verona, but the dangerous injury forced Gyulai to retire from the army the next year. He was appointed General-Major
on 24 July 1800.
found him in command of a division in the VIII Armeekorps of Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles
. When the Tyrolean Rebellion
erupted in April 1809, Archduke John of Austria sent Chasteler into the Tyrol
with about 10,000 troops and appointed Gyulai commander of the VIII Armeekorps. By coincidence, his older brother Ignaz Gyulai
led the IX Armeekorps, which was the other major maneuver unit in John's army.
On 10 April, Albert Gyulai's VIII Armeekorps advanced from Tarvisio (Tarvis)
and two days later it occupied Udine
. Near the latter city, he was joined by his brother's corps which had marched from Ljubljana (Laibach)
. French reconnaissance
was poor and the opposing army commander, Eugène de Beauharnais
remained unaware that the VIII and IX Armeekorps had joined forces. Meanwhile, Archduke John formed a third maneuver unit, an army Advance Guard and placed it under the command of Johann Maria Philipp Frimont
. The Advance Guard was created from Frimont's 2nd Division of the VIII Armeekorps. John ordered a night march on the evening of the 14th, Frimont's Advance Guard leading, followed by the VIII Armeekorps, while the IX brought up the rear. Frimont caught Eugène's own advance guard at Pordenone
on the morning of 15 April and defeated it. The French lost 500 killed and wounded, plus 2,000 prisoners, while Austrian losses were only 253.
Expecting the imminent arrival of two divisions, an overconfident Eugène engaged John's army on 16 April in the Battle of Sacile
. Eugène planned a two-division attack on the village of Porcia where Frimont and Albert Gyulai posted their troops. Delayed by the rainy weather, Ignaz Gyulai's corps camped behind the VIII Armeekorps. John anticipated Eugène's attack and planned to have Albert Gyulai and Frimont absorb the blow, while swinging Ignaz Gyulai against his enemies' left flank. The morning attack pressed hard against Frimont's troops in Porcia, so Albert Gyulai launched a counterattack which badly shook the Franco-Italians. Eugène committed a third division to the combat and it captured Porcia. Even so, Albert Gyulai and his troops resisted so fiercely that Eugène sent in a fourth division, leaving himself with only one remaining infantry division, plus cavalry. Delayed by rain, his reinforcements never made it to the battlefield. At this moment, Ignaz Gyulai's corps advanced upon the badly weakened Franco-Italian left flank.
When Eugène recalled his fourth division to save his left flank, Albert Gyulai's troops recaptured Porcia. After an all-day fight, at 5:00 PM the French commander accepted defeat and ordered a withdrawal. Ignaz Gyulai pursued the two divisions and cavalry of Eugène's left flank, while Albert Gyulai and Frimont pushed back the three divisions of the right. The VIII Armeekorps suffered the brunt of the Austrian losses, which were 2,617 killed and wounded, 532 captured and 697 missing, for a total of 3,846. The Franco-Italians lost 3,000 killed and wounded, while 19 guns and 3,500 prisoners fell into Austrian hands.
By the end of April, Eugène withdrew to Verona
, gathered reinforcements, and reorganized his army. Archduke John took a position with his left flank behind the Adige River at Legnago
and his right flank under Albert Gyulai behind the Alpone River at Soave
, near the Arcole battlefield of 1796. On 29 April, Paul Grenier
thrust at Soave, but Albert Gyulai repulsed his attack. However, an Italian attack in the hills to the north seized Castelcerino village and threatened to turn the Austrian flank. The French suffered an estimated 1,000 casualties against 400 Austrians killed and wounded, plus 300 more captured. Albert Gyulai counterattacked the next day with 6,000 infantry and recovered Castelcerino from its 5,000 Italian defenders. Austrian losses numbered 300 killed and wounded and 572 missing, while the French admitted 409 casualties. On 1 May, John withdrew to the east, pausing behind the Brenta River before crossing the Piave River and camping near Conegliano
.
It became evident that Eugène was bent on a close pursuit, so John ordered his army to take up positions to defend the Piave. When Joseph Marie, Count Dessaix
's light infantry division crossed the river early on 8 May to bring on the Battle of Piave River
, John's troops were drawn up much closer to the river than Eugène suspected, with VIII Armeekorps on the right flank and Ignaz Gyulai's IX Armeekorps on the left. At this time, Albert Gyulai's corps consisted only of the brigades of Hieronymus Karl Graf von Colloredo-Mansfeld
and Anton Gajoli. Dessaix was met with a massed cavalry charge led by Christian Wolfskeel von Reichenberg, which he repelled by forming his voltiguers in square. But the French soon came under fire from a 24-gun battery.
Eugène reinforced Dessaix's 5,000 troops and four cannons with two cavalry divisions and 20 additional guns. With the two grand batteries pounding away at each other, the French horsemen launched a charge that enveloped the ends of the Austrian gun line and crashed into the opposing cavalry. A French dragoon slew Wolfskeel, his second-in-command became a prisoner, and the Austrian cavalry was put to rout. The artillery crews managed to bring away ten guns, but the rest became prizes of their enemies.
The victorious French troopers chased the fugitives until they encountered Colloredo and Gajoli, deployed behind the Piavisella canal. Unable to make headway, the French cavalry withdrew. There was a lull in the battle as Eugène got as much infantry as possible to ford the river before the rising waters drowned the fords. John was unable to take advantage of the situation because his cavalry was beaten and demoralized. Late in the afternoon, the French commander launched his final attack, sending Grenier's corps against the Austrian left and Jacques MacDonald's corps against Albert Gyulai's Piavisella line. When Grenier dislodged his left flank brigade, John ordered a general retreat back to Conegliano. The French lost about 2,000 casualties, while the Austrian losses numbered 398 killed, 697 wounded, 1,681 captured, and 1,120 missing, for a total of 3,896 men and 15 guns lost.
As John retreated, he split up his army, sending the rump of the IX Armeekorps east to defend Carniola
(modern Slovenia
) under Ignaz Gyulai. As Ban of Croatia
, Ignaz had the authority to muster the Croatian
insurrectio or militia
. With the remainder of his army, John marched northeast toward the Austrian base at Villach
and recalled Chasteler from the Tyrol to help defend the frontier. After smashing Frimont's rear guard
at San Daniele del Friuli
on 11 May, Eugène pursued John northeast. Despite his setback, Frimont clashed with his enemies at Venzone
and successfully burned the bridges behind him.
Archduke John reorganized his Italian army into three major bodies in mid-May. Ignaz Gyulai assembled 14,880 soldiers and 26 guns into four brigades at Kranj (Krain)
. Albert Gyulai defended Tarvisio with 8,340 troops and 20 guns in the brigades of Gajoli, Franz Marziani, and Peter Lutz. Frimont's Mobile Corps lay at Villach with 13,060 men and 22 guns in four brigades. In addition, John controlled Franz Jellacic
's 10,200-strong Northern Division and Andreas Stoichevich's 8,100-man force in Dalmatia
.
In trying to break through the Alpine barrier, Eugène sent MacDonald east with 14,000 troops in three divisions, Jean-Baptiste Dominique Rusca
's division north into the upper Piave valley, and Jean Mathieu Seras' division north up the Soča (Isonzo) River
. He took 25,000 troops in the corps of Grenier and Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers
in John's wake along the Fella River valley. With so many bridges down, the French commander was compelled to send his cavalry, most of his artillery, and his wagon train on Seras' route.
Holding Tarvisio with only 6,000 troops, Albert Gyulai relied on two outlying forts to stall the Franco-Italian advance. At Malborghetto Valbruna
, a fort frowned down upon the Fella valley from a mountain spur. The Predil Pass blockhouse stood athwart Seras' road from the south. Malborghetto was defended by Captain Friedrich Hensel with 650 Grenz infantry
and 10 cannons, while Captain Johann Hermann, 250 Grenzers, and eight artillery pieces held Predil. Eugène and Seras arrived before the two forts on 15 May and initiated the Battle of Tarvis
. Baraguey d'Hilliers bypassed Malborghetto with two divisions and skirmished with Albert Gyulai's main force at Tarvisio on 16 May, while Grenier moved his two divisions into assault positions below the Malborghetto fort. Beginning at 9:30 AM on 17 May, 15,000 troops stormed the position in thirty minutes. Hensel and 350 Austrians were killed and between 50 and 300 were captured. Grenier reported 80 casualties but losses were probably much heavier.
Meanwhile, Albert Gyulai abandoned Tarvisio and pulled back behind a stream on the east side of the town. The position was buttressed with a line of fortified redoubts. But the batteries were armed with only 10 of the 24 cannons that were planned. He deployed elements of the brigades of Gajoli, Marziani, and Lutz, plus the Strassoldo Infantry Regiment # 27. After securing Malborghetto, Grenier rapidly moved his two divisions to join those of Baraguey d'Hilliers at Tarvisio in a noon attack. An Italian division overran a key redoubt on Gyulai's left and began to flank the Austrian infantry out of position. As the line began to crack, Grenier's troops advanced, forcing Gyulai to order a retreat. Under pressure of superior numbers, the Austrian troops panicked and fled, losing as many as 3,000 killed, wounded, and captured. Gyulai reported losing 217 men killed, 271 wounded, 1,301 captured, and 170 missing, a total of 1,959 and six guns.
To the south, Seras was unable to make an impression on the Predil blockhouse with his artillery. Needing to use the Predil Pass to bring up his cavalry, artillery, and trains, Eugène sent three battalions from Tarvisio to help. On the 18th, Seras attacked the Grenzers with 8,500 troops and 12 guns. After a heroic last stand
, Hermann and his garrison were killed to a man. The Franco-Italians lost 450 killed and wounded. After the defeat, Gyulai was unable to follow John's retreat to Graz
. Instead, he followed the Drava
River east and joined the archduke at Szentgotthárd
in Hungary on 2 June. Gyulai missed the Battle of Raab
on 14 June.
in 1813 and a division in the Hundred Days
campaign of 1815. Neither appointment resulted in combat. He died on 27 April 1835 in Pest. Albert and Justine had four children, Sámuel Belá Crescencius (1803–1886), Albert (b. 1805), Lajos (d. 1845), and Anna Jozefa (d. 1837).
Flanders Campaign
This feature refers to the conflict that took place during the Wars of the French Revolution 1792–1801.For the Low Countries campaigns of the War of the Grand Alliance 1688–97 see Nine Years' War...
and on the Rhine. Severely wounded in 1799, he survived a trepanning operation and briefly retired from military service. He returned to active service and commanded an army corps during the War of the Fifth Coalition
War of the Fifth Coalition
The War of the Fifth Coalition, fought in the year 1809, pitted a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's French Empire and Bavaria. Major engagements between France and Austria, the main participants, unfolded over much of Central Europe from April to July, with...
, part of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. He led his troops in several important battles during the Austrian invasion of Italy in 1809, including one where he was in independent command. Though appointed to command troops in 1813 and 1815, he missed combat in both campaigns. He was Proprietor (Inhaber)
Proprietor (Inhaber)
A Proprietor, or Inhaber, was a term used in the Habsburg military to denote special honors extended to a noble or aristocrat. The Habsburg army was organized on principles developed for the feudal armies in which regiments were raised by a wealthy noble, called the Inhaber who also acted as...
of an Austrian infantry regiment from 1810 until his death. The more famous Ignaz Gyulai
Ignaz Gyulai
Ignaz Gyulai von Máros-Nemeth und Nádaska, Ignácz Gyulay, Ignác Gyulay, or Ignjat Đulaj born 11 September 1763 – died 11 November 1831, joined the army of Habsburg Austria, fought against Ottoman Turkey, and became a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars. From 1806 he held the...
, Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...
was his older brother.
Early career
Born into a noble Hungarian family on 12 September 1766, Albert Gyulai became a junior Leutnant in the Kaiser Hussar Regiment # 1 on 1 May 1784. Previous to his appointment, he received military training as a cadet at the Theresienstatt Academy. His father, Samuel Gyulai was a general officer and Inhaber of Infantry Regiment # 32 from 1773 until his death in 1802. His mother was Anna Bornemisza de Kászon. In October 1787 he briefly transferred into the Alvinczi Infantry Regiment # 19 before entering the Szekler Hussar Regiment # 44 in December. The Austro-Turkish WarAustro-Turkish War (1787-1791)
The Austro-Turkish War of 1787 was an inconclusive struggle between the Austrian and Ottoman Empires. It took place concomitantly with the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792.-History:...
broke out that year and he fought in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
in 1788. On 26 August 1788 he won distinction in a skirmish at the Törzburger Pass at the head of a hussar squadron. Gyulai transferred into his father's regiment as a Hauptmann (captain)
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
of grenadiers in February 1789 and fought at the Siege of Belgrade
Siege of Belgrade (1789)
In the Siege of Belgrade from 15 September to 8 October 1789, an army of Habsburg Austria led by Feldmarschall Ernst Gideon Freiherr von Laudon besieged an Ottoman Turkish force in the fortress of Belgrade. After a three week leaguer, the Austrians stormed and captured the fortress...
in autumn that year. He led his company in the Kempf grenadier battalion in Franz von Werneck
Franz von Werneck
Franz Freiherr von Werneck, born 13 October 1748 – died 17 January 1806, enlisted in the army of Habsburg Austria and fought in the Austro-Turkish War, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. He enjoyed a distinguished career until 1797, when he lost a battle and was dismissed...
's column during the successful assault on the city, which capitulated on 8 October. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
Military Order of Maria Theresa
The Military Order of Maria Theresa was an Order of the Austro-Hungarian Empire founded on June 18, 1757, the day of the Battle of Kolin, by the Empress...
on 21 December 1789.
French Revolution
In 1793 during the War of the First Coalition, Gyulai fought in several actions and was promoted to MajorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the O'Donell Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
on 1 May. The following year found him serving in Heinrich, Count of Bellegarde's brigade in a number of minor actions. He defeated the French troops opposed to him in the Battle of Tournay
Battle of Tournay
The Battle of Tournay or Tournai was fought on 22 May 1794 as part of the Flanders Campaign in the Belgian province of Hainaut on the Schelde River between French forces under General Pichegru and Coalition forces under Prince Josias of Coburg, in which the Coalition forces were victorious.In the...
on 22 May 1794. That year he married Justine Wynants (d. 1824). On 19 April 1797, he fought in a successful action in the aftermath of Werneck's defeat at the Battle of Neuwied
Battle of Neuwied (1797)
The Battle of Neuwied was fought on April 18, 1797. It resulted in the victory of French under General Louis Lazare Hoche against Austrians under General Franz von Werneck...
on the Rhine. The same month he received promotion to Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
in his father's regiment.
On 26 April 1798, Gyulai became Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
of the newly-formed Infantry Regiment # 48. In the War of the Second Coalition
War of the Second Coalition
The "Second Coalition" was the second attempt by European monarchs, led by the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria and the Russian Empire, to contain or eliminate Revolutionary France. They formed a new alliance and attempted to roll back France's previous military conquests...
, his troops drove off French attacks in the Battle of Verona on 26 April 1799. At the Battle of Magnano
Battle of Magnano
In the Battle of Magnano on 5 April 1799, an Austrian army commanded by Pál Kray defeated a French army led by Barthélemy Schérer. In subsequent battles, the Austrians and their Russian allies drove the French out of nearly all of Italy...
on 6 April, his regiment formed part of Ferdinand Minckwitz's brigade in Konrad Valentin von Kaim
Konrad Valentin von Kaim
Johann Konrad Valentin Ritter von Kaim was a French soldier and Austrian infantry commander during the French Revolutionary Wars. He was born in Gengenbach and died in Udine.-Footnotes:...
's division. While leading an attacking column against Antoine Delmas' French division, he was struck in the head by a musket ball. The bullet was removed by trepanning at Verona, but the dangerous injury forced Gyulai to retire from the army the next year. He was appointed General-Major
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
on 24 July 1800.
1809 campaign
Gyulai returned to active service in 1803 and was elevated in rank to Feldmarschall-Leutnant on 14 August 1808. The outbreak of the War of the Fifth CoalitionWar of the Fifth Coalition
The War of the Fifth Coalition, fought in the year 1809, pitted a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's French Empire and Bavaria. Major engagements between France and Austria, the main participants, unfolded over much of Central Europe from April to July, with...
found him in command of a division in the VIII Armeekorps of Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles
Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles
Johann Gabriel, Marquis du Chasteler de Courcelles was a Walloon, entered the military service of Habsburg Austria at an early age and trained as an engineer. He won a coveted award in action against the Ottoman Turks. He fought against the First French Republic and was promoted to general officer...
. When the Tyrolean Rebellion
Tyrolean Rebellion 1809
The Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809 was a rebellion of peasants in the County of Tyrol led by Andreas Hofer against the occupation of their homeland by the French and Bavarian troops within the context of the War of the Fifth Coalition against Napoleon I.- Historical background: Bavarian occupation of...
erupted in April 1809, Archduke John of Austria sent Chasteler into the Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
with about 10,000 troops and appointed Gyulai commander of the VIII Armeekorps. By coincidence, his older brother Ignaz Gyulai
Ignaz Gyulai
Ignaz Gyulai von Máros-Nemeth und Nádaska, Ignácz Gyulay, Ignác Gyulay, or Ignjat Đulaj born 11 September 1763 – died 11 November 1831, joined the army of Habsburg Austria, fought against Ottoman Turkey, and became a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars. From 1806 he held the...
led the IX Armeekorps, which was the other major maneuver unit in John's army.
On 10 April, Albert Gyulai's VIII Armeekorps advanced from Tarvisio (Tarvis)
Tarvisio
Tarvisio is a town in the Province of Udine, in the northeastern part of the autonomous Friuli–Venezia Giulia region in Italy...
and two days later it occupied Udine
Udine
Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical...
. Near the latter city, he was joined by his brother's corps which had marched from Ljubljana (Laibach)
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
. French reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
was poor and the opposing army commander, Eugène de Beauharnais
Eugène de Beauharnais
Eugène Rose de Beauharnais, Prince Français, Prince of Venice, Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy, Hereditary Grand Duke of Frankfurt, 1st Duke of Leuchtenberg and 1st Prince of Eichstätt ad personam was the first child and only son of Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais and Joséphine Tascher de la...
remained unaware that the VIII and IX Armeekorps had joined forces. Meanwhile, Archduke John formed a third maneuver unit, an army Advance Guard and placed it under the command of Johann Maria Philipp Frimont
Johann Maria Philipp Frimont
Johann Maria Philipp Frimont, Count of Palota, Prince of Antrodoco was an Austrian general.Frimont was born at Fénétrange, in what is now French Lorraine...
. The Advance Guard was created from Frimont's 2nd Division of the VIII Armeekorps. John ordered a night march on the evening of the 14th, Frimont's Advance Guard leading, followed by the VIII Armeekorps, while the IX brought up the rear. Frimont caught Eugène's own advance guard at Pordenone
Pordenone
Pordenone is a comune of Pordenone province of northeast Italy in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.The name comes from the Latin "Portus Naonis" meaning the port on the river Noncello - History :...
on the morning of 15 April and defeated it. The French lost 500 killed and wounded, plus 2,000 prisoners, while Austrian losses were only 253.
Expecting the imminent arrival of two divisions, an overconfident Eugène engaged John's army on 16 April in the Battle of Sacile
Battle of Sacile
The Battle of Sacile on 16 April 1809 and its companion Clash at Pordenone on 15 April saw an Austrian army commanded by Archduke John of Austria defeat a Franco-Italian army led by Eugène de Beauharnais and force it to retreat. Sacile proved to be the most notable victory of John's career...
. Eugène planned a two-division attack on the village of Porcia where Frimont and Albert Gyulai posted their troops. Delayed by the rainy weather, Ignaz Gyulai's corps camped behind the VIII Armeekorps. John anticipated Eugène's attack and planned to have Albert Gyulai and Frimont absorb the blow, while swinging Ignaz Gyulai against his enemies' left flank. The morning attack pressed hard against Frimont's troops in Porcia, so Albert Gyulai launched a counterattack which badly shook the Franco-Italians. Eugène committed a third division to the combat and it captured Porcia. Even so, Albert Gyulai and his troops resisted so fiercely that Eugène sent in a fourth division, leaving himself with only one remaining infantry division, plus cavalry. Delayed by rain, his reinforcements never made it to the battlefield. At this moment, Ignaz Gyulai's corps advanced upon the badly weakened Franco-Italian left flank.
When Eugène recalled his fourth division to save his left flank, Albert Gyulai's troops recaptured Porcia. After an all-day fight, at 5:00 PM the French commander accepted defeat and ordered a withdrawal. Ignaz Gyulai pursued the two divisions and cavalry of Eugène's left flank, while Albert Gyulai and Frimont pushed back the three divisions of the right. The VIII Armeekorps suffered the brunt of the Austrian losses, which were 2,617 killed and wounded, 532 captured and 697 missing, for a total of 3,846. The Franco-Italians lost 3,000 killed and wounded, while 19 guns and 3,500 prisoners fell into Austrian hands.
By the end of April, Eugène withdrew to Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
, gathered reinforcements, and reorganized his army. Archduke John took a position with his left flank behind the Adige River at Legnago
Legnago
Legnago is a town and comune in the Province of Verona, Veneto, northern Italy. It is located on the Adige river, c. 43 km from Verona.Its fertile land produces crops of rice, other cereals, sugar, and tobacco.-History:...
and his right flank under Albert Gyulai behind the Alpone River at Soave
Soave
Soave is a small comune of the Veneto region in the Province of Verona, Italy with a population of roughly 6,800 people.-Geography:Soave is located approximately 23 kilometers east of Verona and is reachable by use of the A4 motorway exit Soave-San Bonifacio.-History:Soave was a Roman center on the...
, near the Arcole battlefield of 1796. On 29 April, Paul Grenier
Paul Grenier
Paul Grenier joined the French royal army and rapidly rose to general officer rank during the French Revolutionary Wars. He led a division in the 1796-1797 campaign in southern Germany. During the 1800 campaign in the Electorate of Bavaria he was a wing commander...
thrust at Soave, but Albert Gyulai repulsed his attack. However, an Italian attack in the hills to the north seized Castelcerino village and threatened to turn the Austrian flank. The French suffered an estimated 1,000 casualties against 400 Austrians killed and wounded, plus 300 more captured. Albert Gyulai counterattacked the next day with 6,000 infantry and recovered Castelcerino from its 5,000 Italian defenders. Austrian losses numbered 300 killed and wounded and 572 missing, while the French admitted 409 casualties. On 1 May, John withdrew to the east, pausing behind the Brenta River before crossing the Piave River and camping near Conegliano
Conegliano
Conegliano is a town and comune of the Veneto region, Italy, in the province of Treviso, about north by rail from the town of Treviso. The population of the city is of around 36,000 people. The remains of a castle that was built in the 10th century remain on a nearby hill...
.
It became evident that Eugène was bent on a close pursuit, so John ordered his army to take up positions to defend the Piave. When Joseph Marie, Count Dessaix
Joseph Marie, Count Dessaix
Joseph Marie, Count Dessaix was a French general.He was born at Thonon in Savoy...
's light infantry division crossed the river early on 8 May to bring on the Battle of Piave River
Battle of Piave River (1809)
The Battle of Piave River was fought on 8 May 1809 between the Franco-Italian army under the command of Eugène de Beauharnais and an Austrian army led by Archduke John of Austria. The Austrian commander made a stand behind the Piave River but he suffered a defeat at the hands of his numerically...
, John's troops were drawn up much closer to the river than Eugène suspected, with VIII Armeekorps on the right flank and Ignaz Gyulai's IX Armeekorps on the left. At this time, Albert Gyulai's corps consisted only of the brigades of Hieronymus Karl Graf von Colloredo-Mansfeld
Hieronymus Karl Graf von Colloredo-Mansfeld
Hieronymus Karl Graf von Colloredo-Mansfeld was an Austrian corps commander during the Napoleonic Wars.-References and notes:...
and Anton Gajoli. Dessaix was met with a massed cavalry charge led by Christian Wolfskeel von Reichenberg, which he repelled by forming his voltiguers in square. But the French soon came under fire from a 24-gun battery.
Eugène reinforced Dessaix's 5,000 troops and four cannons with two cavalry divisions and 20 additional guns. With the two grand batteries pounding away at each other, the French horsemen launched a charge that enveloped the ends of the Austrian gun line and crashed into the opposing cavalry. A French dragoon slew Wolfskeel, his second-in-command became a prisoner, and the Austrian cavalry was put to rout. The artillery crews managed to bring away ten guns, but the rest became prizes of their enemies.
The victorious French troopers chased the fugitives until they encountered Colloredo and Gajoli, deployed behind the Piavisella canal. Unable to make headway, the French cavalry withdrew. There was a lull in the battle as Eugène got as much infantry as possible to ford the river before the rising waters drowned the fords. John was unable to take advantage of the situation because his cavalry was beaten and demoralized. Late in the afternoon, the French commander launched his final attack, sending Grenier's corps against the Austrian left and Jacques MacDonald's corps against Albert Gyulai's Piavisella line. When Grenier dislodged his left flank brigade, John ordered a general retreat back to Conegliano. The French lost about 2,000 casualties, while the Austrian losses numbered 398 killed, 697 wounded, 1,681 captured, and 1,120 missing, for a total of 3,896 men and 15 guns lost.
As John retreated, he split up his army, sending the rump of the IX Armeekorps east to defend Carniola
Carniola
Carniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
(modern Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
) under Ignaz Gyulai. As Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...
, Ignaz had the authority to muster the Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
insurrectio or militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
. With the remainder of his army, John marched northeast toward the Austrian base at Villach
Villach
Villach is the second largest city in the Carinthia state in the southern Austria, at the Drava River and represents an important traffic junction for Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the population is 58,480.-History:...
and recalled Chasteler from the Tyrol to help defend the frontier. After smashing Frimont's rear guard
Rear guard
A rear guard or rearguard is that part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal...
at San Daniele del Friuli
San Daniele del Friuli
San Daniele del Friuli is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 80 km northwest of Trieste and about 20 km northwest of Udine....
on 11 May, Eugène pursued John northeast. Despite his setback, Frimont clashed with his enemies at Venzone
Venzone
thumb|250px|The Communal Palace.Venzone is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 90 km northwest of Trieste and about 30 km north of Udine.-History:...
and successfully burned the bridges behind him.
Archduke John reorganized his Italian army into three major bodies in mid-May. Ignaz Gyulai assembled 14,880 soldiers and 26 guns into four brigades at Kranj (Krain)
Kranj
' is the third largest municipality and fourth largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 54,500 . It is located approximately 20 km north-west of Ljubljana...
. Albert Gyulai defended Tarvisio with 8,340 troops and 20 guns in the brigades of Gajoli, Franz Marziani, and Peter Lutz. Frimont's Mobile Corps lay at Villach with 13,060 men and 22 guns in four brigades. In addition, John controlled Franz Jellacic
Franz Jellacic
Baron Franjo Jelačić Bužimski , born 14 April 1746 – died 4 February 1810, was a Croatian nobleman, a member of the House of Jelačić...
's 10,200-strong Northern Division and Andreas Stoichevich's 8,100-man force in Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
.
In trying to break through the Alpine barrier, Eugène sent MacDonald east with 14,000 troops in three divisions, Jean-Baptiste Dominique Rusca
Jean-Baptiste Dominique Rusca
Jean-Baptiste Dominique Rusca was born in the County of Nice, part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. By profession a medical doctor, he advocated the cause of the French Revolution and was expelled by the Sardinian authorities. In 1793, he treated the French sick and wounded during the Siege of Toulon...
's division north into the upper Piave valley, and Jean Mathieu Seras' division north up the Soča (Isonzo) River
Soca
The Soča or Isonzo is a 140 km long river that flows through western Slovenia and northeastern Italy. An Alpine river in character, its source lies in the Trenta Valley in the Julian Alps in Slovenia, at an elevation of around 1,100 metres...
. He took 25,000 troops in the corps of Grenier and Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers
Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers
thumbLouis Baraguey d'Hilliers was a French Army general who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was the father of Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers, a Marshal of France.-French Revolution:...
in John's wake along the Fella River valley. With so many bridges down, the French commander was compelled to send his cavalry, most of his artillery, and his wagon train on Seras' route.
Holding Tarvisio with only 6,000 troops, Albert Gyulai relied on two outlying forts to stall the Franco-Italian advance. At Malborghetto Valbruna
Malborghetto Valbruna
Malborghetto Valbruna is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 100 km northwest of Trieste and about 50 km northeast of Udine, on the border with Austria. , it had a population of 1,025 and an area of 120.5 km²...
, a fort frowned down upon the Fella valley from a mountain spur. The Predil Pass blockhouse stood athwart Seras' road from the south. Malborghetto was defended by Captain Friedrich Hensel with 650 Grenz infantry
Grenz infantry
Grenz infantry or Grenzers were light infantry troops who came from the Croatian and Transylvanian Military Frontier in Habsburg Monarchy . This borderland formed a buffer zone between Christian Europe and the Ottoman Empire, and the troops were originally raised to defend Austria against the...
and 10 cannons, while Captain Johann Hermann, 250 Grenzers, and eight artillery pieces held Predil. Eugène and Seras arrived before the two forts on 15 May and initiated the Battle of Tarvis
Battle of Tarvis (1809)
The Battle of Tarvis from 16 to 17 May 1809, the Storming of the Malborghetto Blockhouse from 15 to 17 May 1809, and the Storming of the Predil Blockhouse from 15 to 18 May saw the Franco-Italian army of Eugène de Beauharnais attacking Austrian Empire forces under Albert Gyulai...
. Baraguey d'Hilliers bypassed Malborghetto with two divisions and skirmished with Albert Gyulai's main force at Tarvisio on 16 May, while Grenier moved his two divisions into assault positions below the Malborghetto fort. Beginning at 9:30 AM on 17 May, 15,000 troops stormed the position in thirty minutes. Hensel and 350 Austrians were killed and between 50 and 300 were captured. Grenier reported 80 casualties but losses were probably much heavier.
Meanwhile, Albert Gyulai abandoned Tarvisio and pulled back behind a stream on the east side of the town. The position was buttressed with a line of fortified redoubts. But the batteries were armed with only 10 of the 24 cannons that were planned. He deployed elements of the brigades of Gajoli, Marziani, and Lutz, plus the Strassoldo Infantry Regiment # 27. After securing Malborghetto, Grenier rapidly moved his two divisions to join those of Baraguey d'Hilliers at Tarvisio in a noon attack. An Italian division overran a key redoubt on Gyulai's left and began to flank the Austrian infantry out of position. As the line began to crack, Grenier's troops advanced, forcing Gyulai to order a retreat. Under pressure of superior numbers, the Austrian troops panicked and fled, losing as many as 3,000 killed, wounded, and captured. Gyulai reported losing 217 men killed, 271 wounded, 1,301 captured, and 170 missing, a total of 1,959 and six guns.
To the south, Seras was unable to make an impression on the Predil blockhouse with his artillery. Needing to use the Predil Pass to bring up his cavalry, artillery, and trains, Eugène sent three battalions from Tarvisio to help. On the 18th, Seras attacked the Grenzers with 8,500 troops and 12 guns. After a heroic last stand
Last stand
Last stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. The defensive force usually takes very heavy casualties or is completely destroyed, as happened in "Custer's Last Stand" at the Battle of Little Big HornBryan Perrett...
, Hermann and his garrison were killed to a man. The Franco-Italians lost 450 killed and wounded. After the defeat, Gyulai was unable to follow John's retreat to Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
. Instead, he followed the Drava
Drava
Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...
River east and joined the archduke at Szentgotthárd
Szentgotthárd
Szentgotthárd is the westernmost town of Hungary. It is situated on the Rába River near the Austrian border, and is home to much of Hungary's small Slovene ethnic minority....
in Hungary on 2 June. Gyulai missed the Battle of Raab
Battle of Raab
The Battle of Raab was fought on 14 June 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars, between Franco-Italian forces and Austrian-Hungarian forces. The battle was fought near Győr in Hungary and ended in a Franco-Italian victory...
on 14 June.
Later career
Emperor Francis I of Austria appointed him Inhaber of the Albert Gyulai Infantry Regiment # 21 on 7 February 1810, a position he held for the remainder of his life. He was named to command the Reserve Armeekorps on the DanubeDanube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
in 1813 and a division in the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
campaign of 1815. Neither appointment resulted in combat. He died on 27 April 1835 in Pest. Albert and Justine had four children, Sámuel Belá Crescencius (1803–1886), Albert (b. 1805), Lajos (d. 1845), and Anna Jozefa (d. 1837).