Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz

Alfred Candidus Ferdinand
Prince Windisch-Graetz in an 1852 lithograph
Born	(1787-05-11)11 May 1787 Brussels
Died	21 March 1862(1862-03-21) (aged 74) Vienna
Allegiance	Austrian Empire
Battles/wars	Battle of Leipzig (1813) Battle of Pákozd (1848) Battle of Schwechat (1848) Battle of Komárom(1849) Battle of Segesvár (1849)

Alfred Candidus Ferdinand, Prince of Windisch-Grätz (German: Alfred Candidus Ferdinand Fürst zu Windisch-Grätz) (11 May 1787, Brussels – 21 March 1862, Vienna) was from a Bohemian noble family originally from Styria and started service in the Habsburg imperial army in 1804. As an Austrian army officer he distinguished himself throughout the wars fought by the Habsburg Monarchy in the 19th century.

Napoleon

Windisch-Grätz participated in all the wars against Napoleon and fought with distinction at the Battle of Leipzig and in the campaign of 1814. In 1833, he was named Field Marshal (German: Feldmarschall).

Bohemia

In the following years of peace Windisch-Grätz held successive commands in Prague, being appointed head of the army in Bohemia in 1840. Having gained a reputation as a champion of energetic measures against revolution, during the Revolutions of 1848 in Habsburg areas he was called upon to suppress the insurrection of March 1848 in Vienna, but finding himself ill-supported by the ministers he speedily threw up his post.

Having returned to Prague, his wife was killed by a stray bullet during the popular uprising. He then showed firmness in quelling an armed outbreak of the Czech separatists (June 1848), declaring martial law throughout Bohemia. Upon the recrudescence of revolt in Vienna he was summoned at the head of a large army and reduced the city by a formal siege (October 1848).

Hungary

Appointed to the chief command against the Hungarian revolutionaries under Lajos Kossuth, he gained some early successes and reoccupied Buda and Pest (January 1849), but by his slowness in pursuit he allowed the enemy to rally in superior numbers and to prevent an effective concentration of the Austrian forces.

In April 1849 he was relieved of his command and thenceforth rarely appeared again in public life.

Quotes

(In reference to rebellious constitutionalists) "They do not want to hear about the Grace of God? They will hear the grace of the cannon."

Ancestry

Bibliography

• Fürst Windischgrätz. Eine Lebensskizze. Aus den Papieren eines Zeitgenossen der Sturm-Jahre 1848 und 1849 (2nd ed., Leipzig, 1898)

References

•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Windischgrätz, Prince Alfred". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

v t e Hungarian Revolution of 1848 Belligerents Austrian Empire Hungarian Revolutionary Army Kingdom of Hungary Russian Empire Pretext April laws Major battles Pákozd Schwechat Mór Kápolna Komárom Segesvár Szőreg Temesvár Other battles Buda Isaszeg Vienna Uprising Influence Hungarian Declaration of Independence Surrender at Világos Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 Leaders for Austria Ferdinand I of Austria Franz Joseph I of Austria Eduard Clam-Gallas Julius Jacob von Haynau Josip Jelačić Prince Franz de Paula of Liechtenstein Alexander von Lüders Fjodor Szergejevics Panutyin Franz Schlik Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz Leaders for Hungary Lajos Batthyány Józef Bem János Damjanich Henryk Dembiński Arisztid Dessewffy Artúr Görgey Richard Guyon György Klapka György Kmety Lajos Kossuth Vilmos Lázár János Móga Alessandro Monti Ferenc Ottinger Mór Perczel István Széchenyi Bertalan Szemere Images