Anton Lipthay de Kisfalud
Encyclopedia
Anton Lipthay de Kisfalud (1745 – 17 February 1800), also Anton Liptai or Anton Liptay, served in the Austria
n army, attained general officer rank, and fought in several battles against the French army of Napoleon Bonaparte during the French Revolutionary Wars
.
, Hungary
in 1745, Lipthay joined the army of the Habsburg Monarchy
and became a Major
in 1788. He also earned the Knight's Cross in the Military Order of Maria Theresa
that year. Promotion to Oberstleutnant
came in 1789 and Oberst
in 1793. He was appointed General-Major
on 1 May 1795. He held the noble title of Freiherr
.
's army in northwest Italy. Lipthay led a brigade in Eugène Argenteau
's wing during the Montenotte Campaign
. After this campaign's unsuccessful conclusion, Beaulieu pulled the Austrian army back to the north bank of the Po River
. Assigned to guard a long stretch of the river near Pavia
, Lipthay found himself confronted with Bonaparte's major flanking maneuver. At the Battle of Fombio
, his outnumbered command was beaten and driven back over the Adda River
at Pizzighettone
. Beaulieu next ordered him to seize the Venetian
fortress of Peschiera del Garda
, which he successfully carried out.
When Dagobert von Wurmser
launched the first relief of the Siege of Mantua
in late July, Lipthay commanded a brigade in Paul Davidovich
's left center column. On 3 August, while his 4,000 troops formed the army's advance guard at Castiglione delle Stiviere
, he was attacked by 11,000 French soldiers under Pierre Augereau. "Lipthay's gallant defence had won precious time for Wurmser to arrive" and soon the Austrians assembled 20,000 men near Solferino
. On 5 August at the Battle of Castiglione
, "the Austrians had the misfortune to lose Lipthay, who was severely wounded."
During the third relief of Mantua
, which ended in the Battle of Arcola on 15–17 November, Lipthay commanded a brigade in the Friaul
Corps of Jozsef Alvinczi's army. In the Second Battle of Bassano
on 6 November, his four battalions made a "heroic resistance" against André Masséna
's repeated attacks on the Austrian left wing. Though his foot was injured when his horse was shot and fell on him, he did not leave his post. During the fourth relief attempt, Lipthay led one of the assault columns at the Battle of Rivoli
. On the morning of 14 January 1797, his brigade succeeded in breaking the French left flank. Only the fortuitous arrival of French reinforcements under Masséna restored the line.
In the 1799 Italian campaign, Lipthay was wounded at Verona
on 26 March. He received promotion to Feldmarschal-Leutnant
on 2 October. However, he never recovered from his injuries and died at Padua
on 17 February 1800.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n army, attained general officer rank, and fought in several battles against the French army of Napoleon Bonaparte during the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
.
Early career
Born in NógrádNógrád
Nógrád is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary.- External links :*...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in 1745, Lipthay joined the army of the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
and became a Major
Major
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 1788. He also earned the Knight's Cross in 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...
that year. Promotion to Oberstleutnant
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
came in 1789 and Oberst
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1793. He was appointed General-Major
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
on 1 May 1795. He held the noble title of Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
.
Italian Campaigns
In the spring of 1796, Lipthay served in Johann BeaulieuJohann Peter Beaulieu
Johann Peter Beaulieu de Marconnay, also Jean Pierre Beaulieu de Marconnay, born 26 October 1725 – died 22 December 1819, was an Austrian military officer. He joined the Austrian army and fought against the Prussians during the Seven Years War. A cultured man, he later battled Belgian rebels...
's army in northwest Italy. Lipthay led a brigade in Eugène Argenteau
Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau
Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau, comte de Mercy or Eugen Gillis Wilhelm Graf Mercy d'Argenteau joined the Austrian army in 1760, became a general officer, and led large formations of soldiers in several actions during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.-Early career:Born at Huy in...
's wing during the Montenotte Campaign
Montenotte Campaign
The Montenotte Campaign began on 10 April 1796 with an action at Voltri and ended with the Armistice of Cherasco on 28 April. In his first army command, Napoleon Bonaparte's French army separated the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont under Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi from the allied...
. After this campaign's unsuccessful conclusion, Beaulieu pulled the Austrian army back to the north bank of the Po River
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
. Assigned to guard a long stretch of the river near Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
, Lipthay found himself confronted with Bonaparte's major flanking maneuver. At the Battle of Fombio
Battle of Fombio
The Battle of Fombio was fought between the French Army of Italy led by Napoleon Bonaparte and the Austrian army under Feldzeugmeister Johann Peter Beaulieu between 7 and 9 May 1796. It was the decisive strategic point of the campaign, as Bonaparte crossed the Po River at Piacenza in Beaulieu's...
, his outnumbered command was beaten and driven back over the Adda River
Adda River
The Adda is a river in North Italy, a tributary of the Po. It rises in the Alps near the border with Switzerland and flows through Lake Como. The Adda joins the Po a few kilometres upstream of Cremona. It is 313 kilometres long...
at Pizzighettone
Pizzighettone
Pizzighettone is a comune of the Province of Cremona in the Italian region Lombardy. The main population centre is located on the river Adda and is divided into two parts: Pizzighettone on the east bank and Gera on the west....
. Beaulieu next ordered him to seize the Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
fortress of Peschiera del Garda
Peschiera del Garda
Peschiera del Garda , is a town and comune in the province of Verona, in Veneto, Italy. When Lombardy-Venetia was under Austrian rule, Peschiera was the northwest anchor of the four fortified towns constituting the so-called Quadrilatero...
, which he successfully carried out.
When Dagobert von Wurmser
Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser
Dagobert Sigismund, Count Wurmser was an Austrian field marshal during the French Revolutionary Wars. Although he fought in the Seven Years War, the War of the Bavarian Succession, and mounted several successful campaigns in the Rhineland in the initial years of the French Revolutionary Wars, he...
launched the first relief of the Siege of Mantua
Siege of Mantua (1796-1797)
In the Siege of Mantua, which lasted from 4 July 1796 to 2 February 1797 with a short break, French forces under the overall command of Napoleon Bonaparte besieged and blockaded a large Austrian garrison for many months until it surrendered...
in late July, Lipthay commanded a brigade in Paul Davidovich
Paul Davidovich
Baron Paul Davidovich or Pavle Davidović became a general of the Austrian Empire and a Knight of the Military Order of Maria Theresa. He played a major role in the 1796 Italian campaign during the French Revolutionary Wars, leading corps-sized commands in the fighting against the French army led...
's left center column. On 3 August, while his 4,000 troops formed the army's advance guard at Castiglione delle Stiviere
Castiglione delle Stiviere
Castiglione delle Stiviere is a town and comune in the province of Mantua, in Lombardy, Italy, 30 km northwest of Mantua by road.-History:During the War of the Spanish Succession, the French under the duc de Vendôme occupied it....
, he was attacked by 11,000 French soldiers under Pierre Augereau. "Lipthay's gallant defence had won precious time for Wurmser to arrive" and soon the Austrians assembled 20,000 men near Solferino
Solferino
Solferino is a small town and comune in the province of Mantua, Lombardy, northern Italy, approximately 10 kilometres south of Lake Garda....
. On 5 August at the Battle of Castiglione
Battle of Castiglione
The Battle of Castiglione saw the French Army of Italy under General Napoleon Bonaparte attack an army of Habsburg Austria led by Feldmarschall Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser on 5 August 1796. The outnumbered Austrians were defeated and driven back along a line of hills to the river crossing at...
, "the Austrians had the misfortune to lose Lipthay, who was severely wounded."
During the third relief of Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
, which ended in the Battle of Arcola on 15–17 November, Lipthay commanded a brigade in the Friaul
Friuli
Friuli is an area of northeastern Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, i.e. the province of Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, excluding Trieste...
Corps of Jozsef Alvinczi's army. In the Second Battle of Bassano
Second Battle of Bassano
In the Second Battle of Bassano on 6 November 1796, an Austrian army commanded by Jozsef Alvinczi repelled the attacks of Napoleon Bonaparte's French army. The engagement, which happened two months after the more famous Battle of Bassano, marked the first tactical defeat of Bonaparte's career and...
on 6 November, his four battalions made a "heroic resistance" against André Masséna
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
's repeated attacks on the Austrian left wing. Though his foot was injured when his horse was shot and fell on him, he did not leave his post. During the fourth relief attempt, Lipthay led one of the assault columns at the Battle of Rivoli
Battle of Rivoli
The Battle of Rivoli was a key victory in the French campaign in Italy against Austria. Napoleon Bonaparte's 23,000 Frenchmen defeated an attack of 28,000 Austrians under Feldzeugmeister Jozsef Alvinczi, ending Austria's fourth and final attempt to relieve the Siege of Mantua...
. On the morning of 14 January 1797, his brigade succeeded in breaking the French left flank. Only the fortuitous arrival of French reinforcements under Masséna restored the line.
In the 1799 Italian campaign, Lipthay was wounded at 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...
on 26 March. He received promotion to Feldmarschal-Leutnant
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
on 2 October. However, he never recovered from his injuries and died at Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
on 17 February 1800.