Carl Rudolf, Duke of Württemberg-Neuenstadt
Encyclopedia
Carl Rudolf was third and last Duke of Württemberg-Neuenstadt
, army commander in Danish service and Field Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire.
, who had founded the Württemberg-Neuenstadt branch in 1649, and his wife Clara Augusta von Braunschweig. The young Duke studied in Tübingen
and Strassburg. His Grand Tour
brought him to Geneva, the south of France, the court of Louis XIV, London and northern Germany.
in their war
against the Ottoman Empire
in Greece. Carl Rudolf personally led a company of 150 men and fought during two years in Morea
and Negroponte
, until he was shot in the chest during the siege of Negroponte. He survived, but the bullet remained in his lungs for the rest of life.
When Carl Rudolf returned to Württemberg in the beginning of 1690, the War of the Grand Alliance
had already started. Carl Rudolf entered in Danish service and went to Ireland to support the Protestant William of Orange
against the deposed Catholic King James II of England
. The commander of the Danish troops was Carl Rudolf's elder brother Ferdinand Wilhelm. Both brothers fought in the victorious Battle of the Boyne
.
In 1692 both brothers fought the French in Flanders and participated in the battles of Steenkerke and Neerwinden. When the war ended in 1697, the Danish King sent them to present-day Ukraine, where they supported the Polish-Saxon troops in the Polish–Ottoman War (1683-1699)
against the Turks. In 1700 they fought in the Great Northern War
against Sweden, but Denmark was forced to retreat from the war in the same year.
One year later the War of Spanish Succession broke out, where France was opposed by a British-Dutch-Habsburg coalition. Denmark supported the coalition and Carl Rudolf was sent at the head of an army of 12,000 men to the Netherlands. For his actions in 1702, he was awarded the highest Danish award, the Order of the Elephant
. In 1704 he led the Danish troops in the Battle of Blenheim
. In the Battle of Ramillies
(1706) and Malplaquet
(1709) he distinguished himself and played an important part in both victories.
By the end of the war, he was in command of the entire Danish Army.
In the meanwhile, Denmark had reentered the Great Northern War
and Carl Rudolf was ordered to take Stralsund
from the Swedish, which he accomplished in 1715 after a long siege.
died. He had ruled Neuenstadt since 1682. Because Frederick August had left no male successors, and the second brother Ferdinand Wilhelm had died in 1701, the Duchy passed to Carl Rudolf. After 25 years in service, he left the Danish army and returned home.
In 1734 he was recalled once more as Generalfeldmarschall
of the Holy Roman Empire
to defend the Upper Rhine
against the French in the War of Polish Succession.
In 1737, the Duke of the main line of the house of Württemberg, Karl Alexander
, died unexpectedly in Stuttgart. His son Karl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg
was only 9 years old, and Carl Rudolf was appointed Regent. Karl Alexander had left the Duchy in a disastrous financial state and was hated by the population. To prevent an uprising, Carl Rudolf accused the Jewish Finance-minister Joseph Süß Oppenheimer
and had him executed. Shortly after, Carl Rudolf passed on the Regency to Karl Friedrich of Württemberg-Oels, for health reasons.
Carl Rudolf died of Catarrh
in November 1742, and was buried in the Nikolauskirche in Neuenstadt am Kocher.
Carl Rudolf never married, but lived together with Marie Therese de La Contry. They had no children.
Württemberg-Neuenstadt
Württemberg-Neuenstadt was the name of two branch lines of the ducal House of Württemberg in the 17th and 18th century. It was named after the town of residence, Neuenstadt.- First branch line :...
, army commander in Danish service and Field Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire.
Life
Carl Rudolf was the youngest son of FrederickFrederick, Duke of Württemberg-Neuenstadt
Frederick of Württemberg-Neuenstadt was Duke of Württemberg and founder of the second branch line Duchy of Württemberg-Neuenstadt.- Life :...
, who had founded the Württemberg-Neuenstadt branch in 1649, and his wife Clara Augusta von Braunschweig. The young Duke studied in Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
and Strassburg. His Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
brought him to Geneva, the south of France, the court of Louis XIV, London and northern Germany.
Military career
Already in 1687 he raised a Württemberger Regiment, to support the Republic of VeniceRepublic 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...
in their war
Morean War
The Morean War is the better known name for the Sixth Ottoman–Venetian War. The war was fought between 1684–1699, as part of the wider conflict known as the "Great Turkish War", between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire...
against the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in Greece. Carl Rudolf personally led a company of 150 men and fought during two years in Morea
Morea
The Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
and Negroponte
Euboea
Euboea is the second largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. The narrow Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece. In general outline it is a long and narrow, seahorse-shaped island; it is about long, and varies in breadth from to...
, until he was shot in the chest during the siege of Negroponte. He survived, but the bullet remained in his lungs for the rest of life.
When Carl Rudolf returned to Württemberg in the beginning of 1690, the War of the Grand Alliance
War of the Grand Alliance
The Nine Years' War – often called the War of the Grand Alliance, the War of the Palatine Succession, or the War of the League of Augsburg – was a major war of the late 17th century fought between King Louis XIV of France, and a European-wide coalition, the Grand Alliance, led by the Anglo-Dutch...
had already started. Carl Rudolf entered in Danish service and went to Ireland to support the Protestant William of Orange
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
against the deposed Catholic King James II of England
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
. The commander of the Danish troops was Carl Rudolf's elder brother Ferdinand Wilhelm. Both brothers fought in the victorious Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
.
In 1692 both brothers fought the French in Flanders and participated in the battles of Steenkerke and Neerwinden. When the war ended in 1697, the Danish King sent them to present-day Ukraine, where they supported the Polish-Saxon troops in the Polish–Ottoman War (1683-1699)
Polish–Ottoman War (1683-1699)
Polish–Ottoman War , the Third Polish–Ottoman War or the War of the Holy League refers to the Polish side of the conflict otherwise known as the Great Turkish War...
against the Turks. In 1700 they fought in the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
against Sweden, but Denmark was forced to retreat from the war in the same year.
One year later the War of Spanish Succession broke out, where France was opposed by a British-Dutch-Habsburg coalition. Denmark supported the coalition and Carl Rudolf was sent at the head of an army of 12,000 men to the Netherlands. For his actions in 1702, he was awarded the highest Danish award, the Order of the Elephant
Order of the Elephant
The Order of the Elephant is the highest order of Denmark. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional monarchy in 1849, is now almost exclusively bestowed on royalty and heads of state.- History :A Danish religious...
. In 1704 he led the Danish troops in the Battle of Blenheim
Battle of Blenheim
The Battle of Blenheim , fought on 13 August 1704, was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV of France sought to knock Emperor Leopold out of the war by seizing Vienna, the Habsburg capital, and gain a favourable peace settlement...
. In the Battle of Ramillies
Battle of Ramillies
The Battle of Ramillies , fought on 23 May 1706, was a major engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession. For the Grand Alliance – Austria, England, and the Dutch Republic – the battle had followed an indecisive campaign against the Bourbon armies of King Louis XIV of France in 1705...
(1706) and Malplaquet
Battle of Malplaquet
The Battle of Malplaquet, fought on 11 September 1709, was one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession, which opposed the Bourbons of France and Spain against an alliance whose major members were the Habsburg Monarchy, Great Britain, the United Provinces and the Kingdom of...
(1709) he distinguished himself and played an important part in both victories.
By the end of the war, he was in command of the entire Danish Army.
In the meanwhile, Denmark had reentered the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
and Carl Rudolf was ordered to take Stralsund
Battle of Stralsund (1715)
The Siege of Stralsund was a battle during the Great Northern War. The Swedish Empire defended her Swedish Pomeranian port of Stralsund against a coalition of Denmark-Norway, the Electorate of Saxony and the Tsardom of Russia, which was joined by Brandenburg-Prussia during the siege.A first attempt...
from the Swedish, which he accomplished in 1715 after a long siege.
Ruler in Neuenstadt
In 1716 Carl Rudolf's eldest brother Frederick AugustFrederick Augustus, Duke of Württemberg-Neuenstadt
Frederick Augustus of Württemberg-Neuenstadt was Duke of Württemberg and second Duke of Württemberg-Neuenstadt.- Life :...
died. He had ruled Neuenstadt since 1682. Because Frederick August had left no male successors, and the second brother Ferdinand Wilhelm had died in 1701, the Duchy passed to Carl Rudolf. After 25 years in service, he left the Danish army and returned home.
In 1734 he was recalled once more as Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
to defend the Upper Rhine
Upper Rhine
The Upper Rhine is the section of the Rhine in the Upper Rhine Plain between Basel, Switzerland and Bingen, Germany. The river is marked by Rhine-kilometers 170 to 529 ....
against the French in the War of Polish Succession.
In 1737, the Duke of the main line of the house of Württemberg, Karl Alexander
Karl Alexander, Duke of Württemberg
Charles Alexander of Württemberg was a Württemberg noble from 1698 who governed the Kingdom of Serbia as regent from 1720 until 1733, when he assumed the position of Duke of Württemberg, which he had held until his death....
, died unexpectedly in Stuttgart. His son Karl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg
Karl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg
Charles Eugene , Duke of Württemberg was the eldest son of Duke Karl I Alexander and Princess Maria Augusta of Thurn and Taxis .-Life:...
was only 9 years old, and Carl Rudolf was appointed Regent. Karl Alexander had left the Duchy in a disastrous financial state and was hated by the population. To prevent an uprising, Carl Rudolf accused the Jewish Finance-minister Joseph Süß Oppenheimer
Joseph Süß Oppenheimer
Joseph Süß Oppenheimer was a Jewish banker and financial planner for Duke Karl Alexander of Württemberg in Stuttgart...
and had him executed. Shortly after, Carl Rudolf passed on the Regency to Karl Friedrich of Württemberg-Oels, for health reasons.
Carl Rudolf died of Catarrh
Catarrh
Catarrh is a disorder of inflammation of the mucous membranes in one of the airways or cavities of the body. It can result in a thick exudate of mucus and white blood cells caused by the swelling of the mucous membranes in the head in response to an infection...
in November 1742, and was buried in the Nikolauskirche in Neuenstadt am Kocher.
Carl Rudolf never married, but lived together with Marie Therese de La Contry. They had no children.