Joseph Nikolaus De Vins
Encyclopedia
Joseph Nikolaus Freiherr De Vins or Joseph De Wins (1732 – 26 September 1798), joined the army of Habsburg Austria and fought in the Seven Years War where he was decorated for bravery. By 1773 he earned promotion to general officer. From 1783 he held important posts on the Military Frontier
and led an independent corps in Croatia
during the Austro-Turkish War
. In the French Revolutionary Wars
he commanded the joint forces of Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont from 1792 until 1795. Though the French were held at bay during his tenure, his slowness and poor health prevented Piedmont's lost territories from being recovered. Throughout the period much tension existed between the two allies. Ironically, the day after De Vins resigned, the French attacked and badly defeated his replacement. He was Proprietor (Inhaber)
of an Austrian infantry regiment from 1784 until his death.
in what is now Italy
in 1732, De Vins was the son of an Austrian general who was killed at the Battle of Piacenza
in 1746. He went into the army of the Habsburg Monarchy
and fought in the Seven Years War. Wartime promotion was rapid. On 8 September 1757 De Vins became Major
, on 16 July 1760 he was named Oberstleutnant
, and on 13 October 1761 he was elevated to Oberst
(colonel). He won the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
on 4 December 1758. His promotion to General-major came through on 1 May 1773. Another elevation in rank to Feldmarschallleutnant occurred on 3 April 1783. In that month he was appointed to command the Banal-Warasdin Military Frontier
. He became Proprietor of the De Vins Infantry Regiment Nr. 37 on 7 February 1784 and held the office during his lifetime.
De Vins commanded the Banal-Warasdin-Karlstadt
Military Frontier beginning in August 1786. On 10 November 1788 he received promotion to Feldzeugmeister
. He led the Autonomous Corps in Croatia during the Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791)
. His tenure in corps command lasted from October 1787 to October 1790, though it was not continuous. He briefly led the Karlstadt-Warasdin Military Frontier from May 1790 to December 1791. De Vins received the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa on 19 December 1790. After the war he served as Inspector General
of the Military Frontier from 1791 until his death.
In the spring of 1792, the First French Republic declared war on the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont. In the fall, the French invaded the County of Nice
on the Mediterranean coast and Duchy of Savoy
in the northwest. The French seized Chambéry
in Savoy on 24 September and Nice
on 29 September. In the south, the Piedmomtese army withdrew to a powerful defensive position at Saorge (Saorgio)
, blocking access to the strategically important Col de Tende (Tenda Pass)
. The onset of winter weather spared Piedmont the loss of more territories.
Shocked at the incompetence of his high-ranking officers, King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia
begged the Austrians to send a general to supervise the combined Austrian and Piedmontese armies. Accordingly, De Vins was appointed to fill the position on 21 December 1792. The French attacked Saorgio in June 1793 and were defeated. The Allies tried to mount a counteroffensive, but this effort was crippled by the new commander's slowness. De Vins planned to recapture both Savoy and Nice. Because he suffered badly from gout, De Vins intended to supervise both operations from the capital of Turin
. The Duke of Montferrat
, named to lead the invasion of Savoy, was directed to follow strict daily instructions from De Vins. Since Turin was 45 miles (72 km) away, the arrangement was impractical. In any case, the Savoy column was turned back with heavy losses at Épierre
on 15 September 1793.
The Count of Saint-André was directed to advance on Nice from Saorgio. This effort was complicated by the dislike that Saint-André and his Austrian subordinate Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi
had for one another. Furthermore, the Piedmontese officer corps hated De Vins' chief of staff
, Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau
. At this time, areas of southern France rebelled against the revolutionary government. Large forces were diverted to contain the revolt at the Siege of Toulon
, giving the allies a chance to recover territory. De Vins and King Victor Amadeus left in August for the southern front, where operations were supposed to start on 7 September. On 18 October, six Piedmontese battalions defeated the French at Gilette
. Three days later, there was an inconclusive skirmish at Utelle
. In the end, the offensive petered out when snow began to fall in the mountains, prompting the disappointed king to return to his capital in mid-November.
The following year, Sardinian General Dellera wanted to occupy Briga Alta
northeast of Saorgio, but De Vins overruled him. However, Dellera convinced the army commander to position an Austrian force at Dego
to the east. On 6 April 1794, French General Pierre Jadart Dumerbion
launched an offensive which seized the port of Oneglia
on the 9th. Argenteau attempted to organize a defense at Ormea
but the French captured that town on 18 April and Garessio
the next day. With Saorgio outflanked on the east, De Vins advised Colli to hold the position but to send back other forces not needed for immediate defense. Meanwhile, the Austrian force at Dego failed to send any help. Relations between the Allies were so poor at this time that some Piedmontese officers believed that De Vins had betrayed their nation. The Battle of Saorgio
took place on 24 April and also included clashes at the Col Ardente on the 24th and Briga on the 27th. The French seized Saorgio on 28 April after Colli withdrew. By early May he abandoned the Col de Tende and fell back nearly to the fortress of Cuneo
. On the coast, the French advanced to seize Albenga
and Loano
.
From August 1794 until March 1795, De Vins went on leave from the army. In his absence, Olivier, Count of Wallis
suffered a defeat at the First Battle of Dego
on 21 September 1794. The French failed to exploit the success and instead withdrew to Vado Ligure
. After De Vins returned, he launched an attack along the Italian Riviera
on 29 June 1795. French general François Christophe de Kellermann
was defeated and driven back west, losing Vado. Kellermann was replaced by Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer
and the new general counterattacked in the fall, recapturing some lost territory. However, a winter gale struck on 18 November, apparently halting operations. De Vins, suffering from scurvy
according to Colli's chief of staff, named Wallis as his replacement and left the army on 22 November. Schérer mounted a major assault the next day in the Battle of Loano
. For casualties of 3,000, the French inflicted 2,500 killed and wounded on the Allies, while capturing 4,000 soldiers, 48 guns, and five colors. Fortunately for the allies, Schérer declined to follow up his victory.
De Vins died on 26 September 1798 at Vienna
.
Military Frontier
The Military Frontier was a borderland of Habsburg Austria and later the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which acted as the cordon sanitaire against incursions from the Ottoman Empire...
and led an independent corps in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
during the Austro-Turkish War
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:...
. In 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 commanded the joint forces of Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont from 1792 until 1795. Though the French were held at bay during his tenure, his slowness and poor health prevented Piedmont's lost territories from being recovered. Throughout the period much tension existed between the two allies. Ironically, the day after De Vins resigned, the French attacked and badly defeated his replacement. 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 1784 until his death.
Early career
Born at MantuaMantua
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...
in what is now Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1732, De Vins was the son of an Austrian general who was killed at the Battle of Piacenza
Battle of Piacenza
The Battle of Piacenza was a pitched battle between a Franco-Spanish army and Austrian army near Piacenza on June 16, 1746. It formed part of later operations in the War of the Austrian Succession...
in 1746. He went into 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 fought in the Seven Years War. Wartime promotion was rapid. On 8 September 1757 De Vins became 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. ...
, on 16 July 1760 he was named 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...
, and on 13 October 1761 he was elevated to 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). He won 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 4 December 1758. His promotion to General-major came through on 1 May 1773. Another elevation in rank to Feldmarschallleutnant occurred on 3 April 1783. In that month he was appointed to command the Banal-Warasdin Military Frontier
Military Frontier
The Military Frontier was a borderland of Habsburg Austria and later the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which acted as the cordon sanitaire against incursions from the Ottoman Empire...
. He became Proprietor of the De Vins Infantry Regiment Nr. 37 on 7 February 1784 and held the office during his lifetime.
De Vins commanded the Banal-Warasdin-Karlstadt
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
Military Frontier beginning in August 1786. On 10 November 1788 he received promotion to 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...
. He led the Autonomous Corps in Croatia during 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:...
. His tenure in corps command lasted from October 1787 to October 1790, though it was not continuous. He briefly led the Karlstadt-Warasdin Military Frontier from May 1790 to December 1791. De Vins received the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa on 19 December 1790. After the war he served as Inspector General
Inspector General
An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
of the Military Frontier from 1791 until his death.
French Revolution
County of Nice
The County of Nice or Niçard Country is a historical region of France, located in the south-eastern part, around the city of Nice.-History:Its territory lies between the Mediterranean Sea , Var River and the southernmost crest of the...
on the Mediterranean coast and Duchy of Savoy
Duchy of Savoy
From 1416 to 1847, the House of Savoy ruled the eponymous Duchy of Savoy . The Duchy was a state in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula, with some territories that are now in France. It was a continuation of the County of Savoy...
in the northwest. The French seized Chambéry
Chambéry
Chambéry is a city in the department of Savoie, located in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It is the capital of the department and has been the historical capital of the Savoy region since the 13th century, when Amadeus V of Savoy made the city his seat of power.-Geography:Chambéry...
in Savoy on 24 September and Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
on 29 September. In the south, the Piedmomtese army withdrew to a powerful defensive position at Saorge (Saorgio)
Saorge
Saorge is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Highway E74 which runs north from Menton, passes through Saorge on its way to the Col de Tende where it crosses into Italy....
, blocking access to the strategically important Col de Tende (Tenda Pass)
Col de Tende
Col de Tende is a high mountain pass in the Alps, on the border of France and Italy.It separates the Maritime Alps from the Ligurian Alps. It connects Nice and Tende in Alpes-Maritimes with Cuneo in Piedmont....
. The onset of winter weather spared Piedmont the loss of more territories.
Shocked at the incompetence of his high-ranking officers, King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia
Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia
Victor Amadeus III was King of Sardinia from 1773 until his death. Although he was politically conservative, he carried out numerous administrative reforms until declaring war on revolutionary France in 1792...
begged the Austrians to send a general to supervise the combined Austrian and Piedmontese armies. Accordingly, De Vins was appointed to fill the position on 21 December 1792. The French attacked Saorgio in June 1793 and were defeated. The Allies tried to mount a counteroffensive, but this effort was crippled by the new commander's slowness. De Vins planned to recapture both Savoy and Nice. Because he suffered badly from gout, De Vins intended to supervise both operations from the capital of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. The Duke of Montferrat
Montferrat
Montferrat is part of the region of Piedmont in Northern Italy. It comprises roughly the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine districts of Italy...
, named to lead the invasion of Savoy, was directed to follow strict daily instructions from De Vins. Since Turin was 45 miles (72 km) away, the arrangement was impractical. In any case, the Savoy column was turned back with heavy losses at Épierre
Épierre
Épierre is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-External links:*...
on 15 September 1793.
The Count of Saint-André was directed to advance on Nice from Saorgio. This effort was complicated by the dislike that Saint-André and his Austrian subordinate Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi
Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi
Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi, or Michele Angelo Alessandro Colli-Marchei or Michael Colli, joined the Austrian army, became a general officer, and led the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont for three years, including its unsuccessful campaign against Napoleon Bonaparte in...
had for one another. Furthermore, the Piedmontese officer corps hated De Vins' chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
, Eugène-Guillaume 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...
. At this time, areas of southern France rebelled against the revolutionary government. Large forces were diverted to contain the revolt at the Siege of Toulon
Siege of Toulon
The Siege of Toulon was an early Republican victory over a Royalist rebellion in the Southern French city of Toulon. It is also often known as the Fall of Toulon.-Context:...
, giving the allies a chance to recover territory. De Vins and King Victor Amadeus left in August for the southern front, where operations were supposed to start on 7 September. On 18 October, six Piedmontese battalions defeated the French at Gilette
Gilette
Gilette is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-Population:The inhabitants are called Gilettois.-References:*...
. Three days later, there was an inconclusive skirmish at Utelle
Utelle
Utelle is a commune about northeast of Nice in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-Geography:It is perched on a hill along the Vesubie Gorge not far from the Mercantour National Park.-Sights:...
. In the end, the offensive petered out when snow began to fall in the mountains, prompting the disappointed king to return to his capital in mid-November.
The following year, Sardinian General Dellera wanted to occupy Briga Alta
Briga Alta
Briga Alta is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 80 km south of Turin and about 13 km southeast of Cuneo, on the border with France...
northeast of Saorgio, but De Vins overruled him. However, Dellera convinced the army commander to position an Austrian force at Dego
Dego
Dego is a comune in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about 50 km west of Genoa and about 20 km northwest of Savona....
to the east. On 6 April 1794, French General Pierre Jadart Dumerbion
Pierre Jadart Dumerbion
Pierre Jadart Dumerbion or Pierre Jadart du Merbion joined the French army as a junior officer in 1754 and fought in the Seven Years War. As an experienced officer, he was promoted to colonel in 1792 at the start of the French Revolutionary Wars. He soon became a general officer and found himself...
launched an offensive which seized the port of Oneglia
Oneglia
Oneglia was a town in northern Italy on the Ligurian coast that was joined to Porto Maurizio to form the Comune of Imperia in 1923....
on the 9th. Argenteau attempted to organize a defense at Ormea
Ormea
Ormea is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km south of Turin and about 40 km southeast of Cuneo...
but the French captured that town on 18 April and Garessio
Garessio
Garessio is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km south of Turin and about 40 km southeast of Cuneo.The Reggia di Valcasotto is located in the communal territory.- Notable people:...
the next day. With Saorgio outflanked on the east, De Vins advised Colli to hold the position but to send back other forces not needed for immediate defense. Meanwhile, the Austrian force at Dego failed to send any help. Relations between the Allies were so poor at this time that some Piedmontese officers believed that De Vins had betrayed their nation. The Battle of Saorgio
Battle of Saorgio
The Battle of Saorgio was fought from 24 to 28 April 1794 between a First French Republic army commanded by Pierre Jadart Dumerbion and the armies of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont and the Habsburg Monarchy led by Joseph Nikolaus De Vins...
took place on 24 April and also included clashes at the Col Ardente on the 24th and Briga on the 27th. The French seized Saorgio on 28 April after Colli withdrew. By early May he abandoned the Col de Tende and fell back nearly to the fortress of Cuneo
Cuneo
Cuneo is a city and comune in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the third largest of Italy’s provinces by area...
. On the coast, the French advanced to seize Albenga
Albenga
Albenga is a city and comune situated on the Gulf of Genoa on the Italian Riviera in the Province of Savona in Liguria, northern Italy.left|thumb|220px|Towers of Albenga.The economy is mostly based on tourism, local commerce and agriculture-History:...
and Loano
Loano
Loano is a comune in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about 60 km southwest of Genoa and about 30 km southwest of Savona...
.
From August 1794 until March 1795, De Vins went on leave from the army. In his absence, Olivier, Count of Wallis
Olivier, Count of Wallis
Oliver Remigius, Count von Wallis Baron von Carrighmain, the scion of a distinguished Irish family in Austrian military service, served in Austria's wars with the Ottoman Empire , and in the French Revolutionary Wars...
suffered a defeat at the First Battle of Dego
First Battle of Dego
The Battle of Dego took place during the War of the First Coalition between French and Austrian armies on 21 September 1794. It resulted in a French victory. The battle is described in Napoleon's correspondence.- References :...
on 21 September 1794. The French failed to exploit the success and instead withdrew to Vado Ligure
Vado Ligure
Vado Ligure, in antiquity Vado Sabatia, is a town and comune in the province of Savona, Liguria, in northern Italy.- Economy :Vado has a large industrial and commercial port....
. After De Vins returned, he launched an attack along the Italian Riviera
Italian Riviera
The Italian Riviera, or Ligurian Riviera is the narrow coastal strip which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines...
on 29 June 1795. French general François Christophe de Kellermann
François Christophe de Kellermann
François Christophe Kellermann or de Kellermann, 1st Duc de Valmy was a French military commander, later the Général d'Armée, and a Marshal of France...
was defeated and driven back west, losing Vado. Kellermann was replaced by Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer
Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer
Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer , born in Delle, near Belfort, became a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars and on three occasions led armies in combat.-Early career:...
and the new general counterattacked in the fall, recapturing some lost territory. However, a winter gale struck on 18 November, apparently halting operations. De Vins, suffering from scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
according to Colli's chief of staff, named Wallis as his replacement and left the army on 22 November. Schérer mounted a major assault the next day in the Battle of Loano
Battle of Loano
The Battle of Loano occurred on 23-24 November 1795 during the War of the First Coalition. The French Army of Italy led by Barthélemy Schérer defeated the combined Austrian and Sardinian forces under Olivier, Count of Wallis. -Context:...
. For casualties of 3,000, the French inflicted 2,500 killed and wounded on the Allies, while capturing 4,000 soldiers, 48 guns, and five colors. Fortunately for the allies, Schérer declined to follow up his victory.
De Vins died on 26 September 1798 at 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...
.