Johann Bernhard Stephan, Graf Pálffy ab Erdöd
Encyclopedia
Johann Bernhard Stephan, Graf Pálffy ab Erdöd (Vöröskő
, Hungary
(now: Červený Kameň, Slovakia), August 20 1664 – Pozsony
, Hungary
(now: Bratislava, Slovakia), March 24 1751) was a Hungarian noble, Imperial Field marshal
and Palatine of Hungary.
He participated in the Battle of Vienna
and Battle of Párkány
, where he was taken prisoner by the Turks, but he managed to escape. He distinguished himself in the Battle of Mohács (1687)
, and became Generaladjutant of Charles V, Duke of Lorraine
. At the age of 24 he had already reached the rank of Colonel and commanded his own regiment. With this regiment he participated in all the great battles of the Great Turkish War
.
In 1695 he was seriously wounded in a battle with the French under Claude de Villars near Mainz. In 1704 he became Ban of Croatia
and Cavalry General.
During the Rákóczi's War for Independence
, he was sent to Hungary as commander of the Cavalry. He participated in a number of minor battles, but played a vital role in the victory in the Battle of Trencsén. Pálffy was made Field Marshal ands received command of all troops in Upper Hungary
.
In this phase he, a Hungarian loyal to the Emperor, negotiated with Francis II Rákóczi
, which led to a truce and later the Treaty of Szatmár
, after which 12,000 men of Rákóczi's army swore allegiance to the Habsburg dynasty in the fields outside of Majtény in Szatmár.
In the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–18, he participated again in all major actions and was wounded several times.
After the war, he resumed his diplomatic activities and persuaded the Hungarian and Croat nobility to accept the Pragmatic Sanction
.
In the Austro-Turkish War, 1737-1739, he received command of an army corps of 30,000 men, but saw no action.
After the death of Emperor Charles VI
in 1740, he became protector of the young Empress Maria Theresia and her councilor, mainly in Hungarian affairs. He became Knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece
and Palatine of Hungary.
Pálffy remained for the rest of his life a confidant of the Empress, which called him affectively Vater Palffy. He died in 1751.
Cervený Kamen
Červený Kameň is a village and municipality in Ilava District in the Trenčín Region of north-western Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 361 metres and covers an area of 32.584 km². It has a population of about 757 people....
, 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...
(now: Červený Kameň, Slovakia), August 20 1664 – Pozsony
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, 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...
(now: Bratislava, Slovakia), March 24 1751) was a Hungarian noble, Imperial 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...
and Palatine of Hungary.
Life
He was the third son of Count Miklós IV Pálffy de Erdőd (1619–1679) and Maria Eleonora von Harrach zu Rohrau (1634–1693). As his father and two elder brothers, he pursued a military career and joined the Habsburg Army in 1681.He participated in the Battle of Vienna
Battle of Vienna
The Battle of Vienna took place on 11 and 12 September 1683 after Vienna had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months...
and Battle of Párkány
Battle of Párkány
The Battle of Párkány was fought in the town of Párkány , in the Ottoman Empire, and the area surrounding it as part of the Polish-Ottoman War and the Great Turkish War. The battle was fought in two stages...
, where he was taken prisoner by the Turks, but he managed to escape. He distinguished himself in the Battle of Mohács (1687)
Battle of Mohács (1687)
The Second Battle of Mohács, also known as the Battle of 'Berg Harsány', was fought between the forces of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed IV, commanded by the Grand-Vizier Sari Süleyman Paşa, and the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, commanded by Charles of Lorraine...
, and became Generaladjutant of Charles V, Duke of Lorraine
Charles V, Duke of Lorraine
Charles V , Karl V. Leopold, , son of Nicolas François, Duke of Lorraine, and Claude Françoise de Lorraine. Karl Leopold was born in Vienna and became the brother in law of Emperor Leopold and son in law of emperor Ferdinand III...
. At the age of 24 he had already reached the rank of Colonel and commanded his own regiment. With this regiment he participated in all the great battles of the Great Turkish War
Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers, then joined into a Holy League, during the second half of the 17th century.-1667–1683:...
.
In 1695 he was seriously wounded in a battle with the French under Claude de Villars near Mainz. In 1704 he became 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...
and Cavalry General.
During the Rákóczi's War for Independence
Rákóczi's War for Independence
Rákóczi's War for Independence was the first significant attempt to topple therule of Habsburg Austria over Hungary. The war was fought by a group of noblemen, wealthy and high-ranking progressives and was led by Francis II Rákóczi Rákóczi's War for Independence (1703–1711) was the first...
, he was sent to Hungary as commander of the Cavalry. He participated in a number of minor battles, but played a vital role in the victory in the Battle of Trencsén. Pálffy was made Field Marshal ands received command of all troops in Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary is the usual English translation for the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia...
.
In this phase he, a Hungarian loyal to the Emperor, negotiated with Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi Hungarian aristocrat, he was the leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-11 as the prince of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was also Prince of Transylvania, an Imperial Prince, and a member of the Order of the Golden...
, which led to a truce and later the Treaty of Szatmár
Treaty of Szatmár
The Treaty of Szatmár was signed at Szatmár on April 30, 1711 between Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, Hungarian Commander-in-Chief Sándor Károlyi and Imperial Field Marshal János Pálffy. Based on the terms of the accord, Charles promised to maintain the integrity of both Transylvanian and...
, after which 12,000 men of Rákóczi's army swore allegiance to the Habsburg dynasty in the fields outside of Majtény in Szatmár.
In the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–18, he participated again in all major actions and was wounded several times.
After the war, he resumed his diplomatic activities and persuaded the Hungarian and Croat nobility to accept the Pragmatic Sanction
Pragmatic sanction
A pragmatic sanction is a sovereign's solemn decree on a matter of primary importance and has the force of fundamental law. In the late history of the Holy Roman Empire it referred more specifically to an edict issued by the Emperor....
.
In the Austro-Turkish War, 1737-1739, he received command of an army corps of 30,000 men, but saw no action.
After the death of Emperor Charles VI
Charles VI
Charles VI may refer to:* Charles VI of France, "the Well-Beloved" and "The Mad King" * Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor and VI of Naples...
in 1740, he became protector of the young Empress Maria Theresia and her councilor, mainly in Hungarian affairs. He became Knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
and Palatine of Hungary.
Pálffy remained for the rest of his life a confidant of the Empress, which called him affectively Vater Palffy. He died in 1751.