| Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn | |
|---|---|
Portrait by George Dawe, 1823/25 |
|
| Born | 6 February 1769 Vienna |
| Died | 22 March 1862 Vienna |
| Allegiance | Hanover, Prussia, Austria, Russia |
| Service/branch | Light infantry |
| Years of service | Bef. 1790 - 1848 |
| Rank | Befehlshaber |
| Battles/wars | Napoleonic Wars (Wagram, Russia, Göhrde), Neapolitan War |
Ludwig Georg Thedel, Graf von Wallmoden (6 February 1769, Vienna - 22 March 1862, Vienna) was an Austrian "General of the Cavalry", best known for his training of light infantry and the refinement of the Tirailleur system.
Wallmoden was the son of Johann Ludwig Reichsgraf von Wallmoden-Gimborn (1736–1811), an illegitimate son of George II. At the time of Ludwig's birth, Johann was British ambassador in Austria. Ludwig first entered the Hanoverian army, then in 1790 the Prussian Army and finally in 1795 the Austrian army. In the Austrian army he distinguished himself in the expeditions of 1796 to 1801 and was also sent on several diplomatic missions.
In 1809 he completed the negotiations in London as to the "Subsidienvertrag" between Austria and Great Britain. On his return to Vienna, he distinguished himself at the Battle of Wagram. After the Treaty of Vienna, he was promoted to Feldmarschallleutnant and then sent as a Divisionär to Bohemia.
In 1813 Wallmoden transferred to the Imperial Russian Army, becoming commander of the Russian-German Legion, which he merged into the Allied "army of the north". During the Battle of the Göhrde, he and his corps held out against not only General Davout's force but also the French division under Pécheux, later penetrating into Schleswig and forcing the Danes to make peace.
After the second Treaty of Paris, in 1817 he returned to the Austrian army and was Oberbefehlshaber (supreme commander) of the Austrian troops sent to the kingdom of Naples for the Neapolitan War. In 1821 he left the majority of the Austrian force in Naples and in June occupied Sicily, where he remained until 1823. He later functioned as Befehlshaber of 1. Armeekorps in Upper Italy and as Militärkommandant of Milan until his retirement in 1848. He died in 1862 without issue. He was 93 years old.