Richard Debaufre Guyon
Encyclopedia
Richard Debaufre Guyon British
soldier, general in the Hungarian
revolutionary army and Turkish pasha
(Kurshid Pasha), was born at Walcot
, near Bath, Somerset.
After receiving a military education in England, Guyon fought against Dom Miguel in Portugal. In 1832 Guyon entered the Austrian service joining the Hungarian Hussars; and on being attached as aide-de-camp to Baron Splényi, married the daughter of that general in 1838.
From that time till the outbreak of the revolution, Guyon led the life of a country gentleman on his estates near Komárom
, but was one among the first to offer his services to the national government as an officer of the Hungarian Honvéd (Home Army), and played a prominent part in the struggle for independence during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
.
During the retreat of Görgei's
army, Guyon carried the mountain-pass of Branyiszko, and by that daring feat of his re-established the communication with the government at Debrecen
, as also with the several other Hungarian army corps.
He won great distinction in the Battle of Pákozd
(29 September 1848) and the Battle of Schwechat
(30 October) and after the Battle of Kapolna
(26 and 27 February 1849) was made a general.
When, in April 1849, the garrison of the besieged Castle of Komárom was to be apprised of the victorious approach of the national army, Guyon, with a detachment of hussars, cut his way through the enemy's lines, and announced the approaching relief.
The bloody Battle of Szőreg
(5 August 1849) allowed General Henryk Dembiński
, protected by the self-sacrificing ten battalions of Guyon, to retire to Temesvár, where the Battle of Temesvár
, the last in the campaign, was fought and lost on 9 August. Guyon escaped to Turkey
.
In 1852 Guyon entered the service of the Sultan
without being required to change his faith.
Under the name of Kourshid Pasha, he, as a general of division, was Governor of Damascus, and at the beginning of the Crimean war, did much to organise the army of Kars
. he died of cholera
at Scutari
in 1856. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography he was "the first Christian to obtain the rank of pasha and a Turkish military command without being obliged to change his religion".
The 1863 Chambers Encyclopaedia states "Indomitable courage, and an incessant care for the comfort of the troops under his command, were the chief features in Guyon's character".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier, general in the Hungarian
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...
revolutionary army and Turkish pasha
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
(Kurshid Pasha), was born at Walcot
Walcot
Walcot may refer to:* Walcot, Shropshire, a small village in the county of Shropshire, England* Walcot, Bath, a suburb of the city of Bath, England* Walcot, North Kesteven in Lincolnshire* Walcot, Lydbury North in Shropshire...
, near Bath, Somerset.
After receiving a military education in England, Guyon fought against Dom Miguel in Portugal. In 1832 Guyon entered the Austrian service joining the Hungarian Hussars; and on being attached as aide-de-camp to Baron Splényi, married the daughter of that general in 1838.
From that time till the outbreak of the revolution, Guyon led the life of a country gentleman on his estates near Komárom
Komárom
Komárom is a city in Hungary on the right bank of the Danube in Komárom-Esztergom county.The city of Komárom was formerly a separate suburban village called...
, but was one among the first to offer his services to the national government as an officer of the Hungarian Honvéd (Home Army), and played a prominent part in the struggle for independence during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
.
During the retreat of Görgei's
Artúr Görgey
----Artúr Görgey de Görgő et Toporcz was a Hungarian military leader.He was born at Toporz in Upper Hungary of a Hungarian noble family of originally Zipser German descent who immigrated to Upper Hungary during the reign of king Géza II . During the reformation they were converted to Protestantism...
army, Guyon carried the mountain-pass of Branyiszko, and by that daring feat of his re-established the communication with the government at Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
, as also with the several other Hungarian army corps.
He won great distinction in the Battle of Pákozd
Battle of Pákozd
The Battle of Pákozd was a battle in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, fought on 29 September 1848. It was one of the important battles of the Revolution...
(29 September 1848) and the Battle of Schwechat
Battle of Schwechat
The Battle of Schwechat was a battle in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, fought on 30 October 1848 between the Revolutionary Hungarian Army against the army of the Austrian Empire, in Schwechat, near Vienna. This was the last battle of 1848 in the Trandanubian campaign...
(30 October) and after the Battle of Kapolna
Battle of Kápolna
The Battle of Kápolna was a battle in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, fought on 26 and 27 February 1849. The battle ended with Austrian victory and influenced the politics of central Europe: Franz Joseph I announced the Constitution of Omnütz on 4 March 1849.- Dembiński, the Polish supreme...
(26 and 27 February 1849) was made a general.
When, in April 1849, the garrison of the besieged Castle of Komárom was to be apprised of the victorious approach of the national army, Guyon, with a detachment of hussars, cut his way through the enemy's lines, and announced the approaching relief.
The bloody Battle of Szőreg
Battle of Szőreg
The Battle of Szőreg was a battle in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, fought on 5 August 1849 at Szőreg, Hungary. The Hungarian troops, led by Henryk Dembiński, lost the battle against the Emperor’s troops, led by Haynau...
(5 August 1849) allowed General Henryk Dembiński
Henryk Dembinski
Henryk Dembiński was a Polish engineer, traveler and general.Dembiński was born in Strzałków, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. In 1809 he entered the Polish army of the Duchy of Warsaw and took part in most of the Napoleonic campaigns in the East. Among others, he took part in the Battle of Leipzig in...
, protected by the self-sacrificing ten battalions of Guyon, to retire to Temesvár, where the Battle of Temesvár
Battle of Temesvár
The Battle of Temesvár was a battle in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, fought on 9 August 1849 between the Austrian Empire and Hungarian Revolutionary Army supplemented by Polish volunteers. The Austrians were led by Julius Jacob von Haynau, while the Hungarians were led by Józef Bem who...
, the last in the campaign, was fought and lost on 9 August. Guyon escaped to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
In 1852 Guyon entered the service of the Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
without being required to change his faith.
Under the name of Kourshid Pasha, he, as a general of division, was Governor of Damascus, and at the beginning of the Crimean war, did much to organise the army of Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
. he died of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
at Scutari
Üsküdar
Üsküdar is a large and densely populated municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, on the Anatolian shore of the Bosphorus. It is bordered on the north by Beykoz, on the east by Ümraniye, on the southeast by Ataşehir, on the south by Kadıköy, and on the west by the Bosphorus, with the areas of Beşiktaş,...
in 1856. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography he was "the first Christian to obtain the rank of pasha and a Turkish military command without being obliged to change his religion".
The 1863 Chambers Encyclopaedia states "Indomitable courage, and an incessant care for the comfort of the troops under his command, were the chief features in Guyon's character".
Further reading
- AW KinglakeAlexander William KinglakeAlexander William Kinglake was an English travel writer and historian.He was born near Taunton, Somerset and educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge...
, The Patriot and the Hero General Guyon (1856).