François Sebastien Charles Joseph de Croix, Count of Clerfayt
Encyclopedia
François Sebastien Charles Joseph de Croix, Count of Clerfayt (14 October 1733 – 21 July 1798), a Walloon
, joined the army of the Habsburg Monarchy
and soon fought in the Seven Years War. Later in his military career, he led Austrian troops in the war against Ottoman Turkey. During the French Revolutionary Wars
he saw extensive fighting and rose to the rank of Field Marshal
.
in the Austrian Netherlands, he entered the Austrian army in 1753. In the Seven Years' War
(1756–1763) he distinguished himself, earning rapid promotion, and received the Military Order of Maria Theresa
decoration. At the conclusion of the peace (Treaty of Hubertusburg
, 15 February 1763), though still under thirty, he had already become an Oberst
(colonel
).
During the revolt in the Netherlands
in 1787, Clerfayt, as a Walloon by birth, came under great pressure to abandon Emperor Joseph II
. But he resisted all overtures, and in the following year went to fight in the Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791)
with the rank of Feldmarschal-Leutnant (lieutenant field marshal). In an independent command Clerfayt achieved great success, defeating the Turks at Mehadia
and Calafat
. On 10 November 1788, the emperor appointed him to the rank of Feldzeugmeister
.
, and at Croix-sous-Bois his corps inflicted a reverse on the troops of the French Revolution
. In the Netherlands, he commanded the center at the Battle of Jemappes
on 6 November. He opened the campaign of 1793 with the victory of Aldenhoven
and the relief of Maastricht
, and on 18 March 1793 proved instrumental in causing the complete defeat of Charles Dumouriez
at the Battle of Neerwinden
. In October, however, his victorious career suffered a reverse at the Battle of Wattignies
.
He participated in the Flanders Campaign
against Charles Pichegru
in 1794. Leading a flanking column from the north, he fought at the Battle of Tourcoing on 17-18 May. A French force under Dominique Vandamme
slowed his progress until Joseph Souham
defeated the Anglo-Austrian army on the southern part of the battlefield. Souham then turned against Clerfayt and compelled him to retreat to the northeast. In the course of the campaign. Clerfayt succeeded Prince Josias of Coburg
in the supreme command, but he failed to make headway against the French, and had to recross the Rhine.
A Feldmarschall from 22 April 1795, he commanded on the middle Rhine against Jean Baptiste Jourdan, and this time the fortunes of war changed. Clerfayt beat Jourdan at Höchst
and brilliantly relieved Mainz
. But the Austrian Foreign Minister Johann Thugut did not approve Clerfayt's action in concluding an armistice with the French, so the field marshal resigned his command and became a member of the Aulic Council
in Vienna
. He died in 1798.
Walloons
Walloons are a French-speaking people who live in Belgium, principally in Wallonia. Walloons are a distinctive community within Belgium, important historical and anthropological criteria bind Walloons to the French people. More generally, the term also refers to the inhabitants of the Walloon...
, 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 soon fought in the Seven Years War. Later in his military career, he led Austrian troops in the war against Ottoman Turkey. 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...
he saw extensive fighting and rose to the rank of Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
.
Early career
Born at the Castle of Bruille in HainautCounty of Hainaut
The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries with its capital at Mons . In English sources it is often given the archaic spelling Hainault....
in the Austrian Netherlands, he entered the Austrian army in 1753. In the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
(1756–1763) he distinguished himself, earning rapid promotion, and received 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...
decoration. At the conclusion of the peace (Treaty of Hubertusburg
Treaty of Hubertusburg
thumb|right|300px|Hubertusburg, WermsdorfThe Treaty of Hubertusburg was signed on 15 February 1763 at Hubertusburg by Prussia, Austria, and Saxony. Together with the Treaty of Paris, it marked the end of the French and Indian War and of the Seven Years' War. The treaty ended the continental...
, 15 February 1763), though still under thirty, he had already become an 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...
(colonel
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...
).
During the revolt in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in 1787, Clerfayt, as a Walloon by birth, came under great pressure to abandon Emperor Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
. But he resisted all overtures, and in the following year went to fight in the Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791)
Austro-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:...
with the rank of Feldmarschal-Leutnant (lieutenant field marshal). In an independent command Clerfayt achieved great success, defeating the Turks at Mehadia
Mehadia
Mehadia is a small market town and commune in Caraş-Severin County, Romania. It lies on the European route E70, in the Cerna River valley. The town is located on the site of the ancient Roman colony Ad Mediam and was noted for its Hercules baths. It had a population of 2,492 in 1900, and of 4,474...
and Calafat
Calafat
Calafat is a city in Dolj County, Romania, on the river Danube, opposite the Bulgarian city of Vidin, to which it is linked by ferryboat. The construction of the Calafat-Vidin Bridge is planned between the two cities....
. On 10 November 1788, the emperor appointed him to the rank of Feldzeugmeister
Feldzeugmeister
Feldzeugmeister was a military rank in various European armies , especially in the artillery. It was commonly used in the 16th or 17th century, but could even be found in the beginning of the 20th century in some European countries...
.
French Revolutionary Wars
In 1792, as one of the most distinguished of the emperor's generals, he received the command of the Austrian contingent in army of the duke of BrunswickCharles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick
Charles William Ferdinand , Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, was a sovereign prince of the Holy Roman Empire, and a professional soldier who served as a Generalfeldmarschall of the Kingdom of Prussia...
, and at Croix-sous-Bois his corps inflicted a reverse on the troops of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. In the Netherlands, he commanded the center at the Battle of Jemappes
Battle of Jemappes
The Battle of Jemappes took place near the town of Jemappes in Hainaut, Belgium, near Mons. General Charles François Dumouriez, in command of the French Revolutionary Army, defeated the greatly outnumbered Austrian army of Field Marshal Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen and his second-in-command...
on 6 November. He opened the campaign of 1793 with the victory of Aldenhoven
Battle of Aldenhoven (1794)
The Battle of Aldenhoven, a French victory, was fought on 2 October 1794. The French general, Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, opposed an Austrian army under General Clairfayt. The battle took place near the town of Aldenhoven, twenty kilometres northeast of Aachen, in present-day Germany.-References:...
and the relief of Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, and on 18 March 1793 proved instrumental in causing the complete defeat of Charles Dumouriez
Charles François Dumouriez
Charles-François du Périer Dumouriez was a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars. He shared the victory at Valmy with General François Christophe Kellermann, but later deserted the Revolutionary Army and became a royalist intriguer during the reign of Napoleon.-Early life:Dumouriez...
at the Battle of Neerwinden
Battle of Neerwinden (1793)
The Battle of Neerwinden took place on near the village of Neerwinden in present-day Belgium between the Austrians under Prince Josias of Coburg and the French under General Dumouriez...
. In October, however, his victorious career suffered a reverse at the Battle of Wattignies
Battle of Wattignies (1793)
The Battle of Wattignies was fought at the village of Wattignies-la-Victoire, France, on 15 and 16 October 1793 during the French Revolutionary Wars. The French army commanded by Jean-Baptiste Jourdan and Lazare Carnot defeated the army of Habsburg Austria led by Prince Josias of Coburg...
.
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...
against Charles Pichegru
Charles Pichegru
Jean-Charles Pichegru was a French general and political figure of the French Revolution and Revolutionary Wars.-Early life and career:...
in 1794. Leading a flanking column from the north, he fought at the Battle of Tourcoing on 17-18 May. A French force under Dominique Vandamme
Dominique Vandamme
General Dominique-Joseph René Vandamme, Count of Unseburg was a French military officer, who fought in the Napoleonic Wars....
slowed his progress until Joseph Souham
Joseph Souham
Joseph Souham was a French general who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was born at Lubersac and died at Versailles.-French revolutionary years:...
defeated the Anglo-Austrian army on the southern part of the battlefield. Souham then turned against Clerfayt and compelled him to retreat to the northeast. In the course of the campaign. Clerfayt succeeded Prince Josias of Coburg
Prince Josias of Coburg
Prince Frederick Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was a general in the Austrian service.-Biography:...
in the supreme command, but he failed to make headway against the French, and had to recross the Rhine.
A Feldmarschall from 22 April 1795, he commanded on the middle Rhine against Jean Baptiste Jourdan, and this time the fortunes of war changed. Clerfayt beat Jourdan at Höchst
Höchst (Frankfurt am Main)
Höchst is a district of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is part of the Ortsbezirk West, and is subdivided into 4 Stadtbezirke.Höchst am Main became part of Frankfurt am Main in 1928 together with its boroughs Sindlingen, Unterliederbach and Zeilsheim. It is situated 10 km west of downtown...
and brilliantly relieved Mainz
Battle of Mainz
The Battle of Mainz was fought on 29 October 1795 during the French Revolutionary Wars, between France and Austria. The battle was fought near the city of Mainz now in western Germany and ended in an Austrian victory.-People involved:...
. But the Austrian Foreign Minister Johann Thugut did not approve Clerfayt's action in concluding an armistice with the French, so the field marshal resigned his command and became a member of the Aulic Council
Aulic Council
The Aulic Council was originally an executive-judicial council for the Holy Roman Empire....
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. He died in 1798.