Guido Starhemberg

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Guido Wald Rüdiger, count of Starhemberg; (Graz, 1657- Vienna, March 7 1737) was an Austrian military officer.

He was the son of Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg (1638-1701), the famous commander of Vienna during the Turkish siege of 1683. Guido was also present in Vienna at the time as ADC to his father, and followed him and later Prince Eugene of Savoy in battles against the Turks.

In the War of the Spanish Succession Starhemberg fought in Italy and Spain. In 1708 he was appointed Supreme commander of the Austrians in Spain.

Together with James Stanhope he succeeded in conquering Madrid in 1710, after the victories of Almenara and Saragossa.

But in december he was forced to leave the city by the lack of support by the people of Madrid for the Habsburg pretendant. After the defeats at the battle of Brihuega and the battle of Villaviciosa (1710), he had to pull back to Catalonia, where he was made viceroy, when Archduke Charles returned to Austria.

After the Peace of Utrecht (1713), archduke Charles, now Emperor Charles VI, ordered him to abandon Catalonia. He pulled back with his troops to Genua on English ships.

When he died in 1737, he was Governor of Slavonia.