Johann Kollowrat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kollowrat-Krakowsky, Johann Karl, Graf von (1748-1816) commanded large Austrian forces in several notable battles during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.

Kollowrat's military career began in 1766 when he joined the Austrian army. Two years later he became a captain. He fought in the War of the Bavarian Succession in 1778-1779. Promoted to colonel in 1788, he then led his troops during the Turkish War of 1788-1791. He served in the wars against revolutionary France as an artillerist and was promoted to general in 1795.

[edit] Hohenlinden and Austerlitz

At the Battle of Hohenlinden (1800), Kollowrat's 22,000-strong column fell into a French ambush. Enveloped on three sides in heavy woods, his unlucky command fell apart in confused fighting and suffered very heavy losses in captured men and cannons.

Kollowrat became proprietor (inhaber) of the Infantry Regiment No. 36 in 1801. As a three-star general, he led the 9,500 Austrians of the 4th column at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805. Advancing across the Pratzen plateau, his force found itself in the path of Napoleon's main attack. After severe fighting, Marshal Nicolas Soult's corps broke Kollowrat's Austrians and drove them off the field.

In 1809, Kollowrat led the II Corps during the Battle of Eckmuhl where it was unengaged because it operated north of the Danube. Transferring to command of the III Corps, his troops missed the Battle of Aspern-Essling.

[edit] Wagram

At the Battle of Wagram, Archduke Charles launched Kollowrat's and Klenau's corps in a dangerous assault against the French left flank. Napoleon stopped the slow-moving III Corps by hurling a cavalry division at it. The French horsemen suffered crippling losses but they bought time for the Grand Army's artillerists to assemble a 112-gun grand battery. When these cannons opened fire, they stopped the III Corps cold. Next, Napoleon sent Etienne Macdonald's corps against the junction between Kollowrat's III Corps and Johann Liechtenstein's I Reserve Corps. Despite this heavy attack, the Austrians succeeded in halting Macdonald. But by this time, the French had overwhelmed the Austrian army on the rest of the battlefield. Archduke Charles issued orders to retreat and Kollowrat was forced to pull back his command.

After 1809, Kollowrat held no further major field commands. He was promoted to Field Marshal in 1813.