Niklaus Franz von Bachmann
Encyclopedia
Niklaus Leodegar Franz Ignaz von Bachmann (Näfels
, 27 March 1740 - Näfels, 11 February 1831), was a Swiss general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars
.
He was the younger son of Marechal de Camp Freiherr Karl Leonhard von Bachmann and Maria Dorothea Muller, daughter of a Colonel. His older brother was Major and Marechal de Camp Karl Josef von Bachmann
, commanding officer of the Swiss Guard on the 10th of August 1792.
His sister Maria Dorothea married Freiherr Franz Josef Muller von Friedberg, Prime Minister of the Prince-Abbot of St. Gallen, and was the mother of Karl Muller von Friedberg, Swiss politician, founder and first Landamman of the Canton of St.Gallen.
He studied at the Jesuits' College in Feldkirch and at the Nazaren Institute in Rom before joining the Swiss regiments in the French Army in 1756.
in 1778.
He was in charge of the training of the French troops sent to fight in North America against Great Britain in the American War of Independence and introduced the Prussian drill in the French Army.
In 1779 he was promoted to Colonel and in 1789 was appointed to the Supreme War Council.
The French Revolution brought with it the destruction of the Swiss Guard Regiment and the end of the Capitulations between the French Monarchy and the Swiss Confederation.
Bachmann's brother, Karl Josef, was sentenced to death for his part in the defense of King Louis XVI on the 10th of August 1792 and was guillotined in September of the same year.
Bitter enemy of the revolutionaries (whom he called "the Regicides") he fought successfully in the area of the Valley of Aosta and was promoted to Lt. General in 1794, made a Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
and a Count of the Kingdom of Sardinia
(title he never used as he preferred the ancient title of Freiherr of the Bachmann family).
After the defeat of Sardinia at the hands of Napoleon he was forced to return to Switzerland. But as soon as the Second Coalition arose against revolutionary France he entered austro-British service and commanded the Swiss troops fighting for the Coalition.
In 1800 he first re-introduced to his troops the old Swiss symbol of the white cross on a red field
, which had not been used anymore since the Middle Ages.
.
In a brief campaign he completely defeated the Helvetic Army
and was about to cause the collapse of the Helvetic Republic when Napoleon intervened.
General Rapp sent by Napoleon to "pacify" Switzerland was angrily told by General Bachmann that had he arrived only 24 hours later he would have found Switzerland fully pacified.
Mistrusted by Napoleon, without any sympathy for the new governments of either Switzerland or France Bachmann went into retirement at the age of 63.
He commanded the Swiss Army that invaded France in 1815. Again his troops used the white cross on a red field as symbol.
After the War he received the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Louis (France), of the Order of Leopold
(Austria) and of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Sardinia). The Swiss Diet, which did not have any Orders, gave him a ceremonial sabre with a golden hilt.
Louis XVIII offered him the position of Inspector General of all the Swiss regiments in France, but he declined the offer due to his age.
In 1819 he attended, as a guest of honour, the inauguration in Lucerne of the "Lion Monument" by Bertel Thorvaldsen
commemorating the sacrifice of the Swiss Guard. His brother's name is engraved there on the second place in the list of the fallen.
He died due to old age in 1831 in his house at the remarkable age of almost 91 years.
Näfels
Näfels is a former municipality in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Effective from 1 January 2011, Näfels is part of the municipality of Glarus Nord.-History:Näfels is first mentioned in 1240 as Nevels....
, 27 March 1740 - Näfels, 11 February 1831), was a Swiss general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
Family and early life
He was born in an aristocratic Swiss family of long-standing military traditions. Among his ancestors were Kaspar von Gallati (1535–1619) and Kaspar Freuler (1595–1651), first and fourth Colonels of the Regiment of Swiss Guards of the King of France.He was the younger son of Marechal de Camp Freiherr Karl Leonhard von Bachmann and Maria Dorothea Muller, daughter of a Colonel. His older brother was Major and Marechal de Camp Karl Josef von Bachmann
Karl Josef von Bachmann
Karl Joseph Anton Leodegar Freiherr von Bachmann was a Swiss aristocrat and soldier.- Family and Early life :...
, commanding officer of the Swiss Guard on the 10th of August 1792.
His sister Maria Dorothea married Freiherr Franz Josef Muller von Friedberg, Prime Minister of the Prince-Abbot of St. Gallen, and was the mother of Karl Muller von Friedberg, Swiss politician, founder and first Landamman of the Canton of St.Gallen.
He studied at the Jesuits' College in Feldkirch and at the Nazaren Institute in Rom before joining the Swiss regiments in the French Army in 1756.
Military career in France
Ensign in 1758, Captain in 1759 in the Regiment Widmer, Major in 1768 in the Regiment Boccard, he became a Lieutenant Colonel in 1773 and was made a Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint LouisOrder of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
in 1778.
He was in charge of the training of the French troops sent to fight in North America against Great Britain in the American War of Independence and introduced the Prussian drill in the French Army.
In 1779 he was promoted to Colonel and in 1789 was appointed to the Supreme War Council.
The French Revolution brought with it the destruction of the Swiss Guard Regiment and the end of the Capitulations between the French Monarchy and the Swiss Confederation.
Bachmann's brother, Karl Josef, was sentenced to death for his part in the defense of King Louis XVI on the 10th of August 1792 and was guillotined in September of the same year.
Military career in Sardinia and Austria
Bachmann, outraged by the fall of the Monarchy and the deaths of the King and his brother left France and moved back to Switzerland. Here he recruited his own Regiment and in 1793 entered the service of Victor Amadeus III, King of Sardinia, who was bolstering his army in fear of a French attack.Bitter enemy of the revolutionaries (whom he called "the Regicides") he fought successfully in the area of the Valley of Aosta and was promoted to Lt. General in 1794, made a Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is an order of chivalry awarded by the House of Savoy, the heads of which were formerly Kings of Italy...
and a Count of the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
(title he never used as he preferred the ancient title of Freiherr of the Bachmann family).
After the defeat of Sardinia at the hands of Napoleon he was forced to return to Switzerland. But as soon as the Second Coalition arose against revolutionary France he entered austro-British service and commanded the Swiss troops fighting for the Coalition.
In 1800 he first re-introduced to his troops the old Swiss symbol of the white cross on a red field
Flag of Switzerland
The flag of Switzerland consists of a red flag with a white cross in the centre. It is one of only two square sovereign-state flags, the other being the flag of the Vatican City...
, which had not been used anymore since the Middle Ages.
Stecklikrieg, Triumph and retirement
In 1802 the Swiss Diet in Schwyz made him Commander in Chief of the Swiss federal army which opposed the Army of the Helvetic RepublicHelvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
.
In a brief campaign he completely defeated the Helvetic Army
Stecklikrieg
The Stecklikrieg of 1802 resulted in the collapse of the Helvetic Republic, the renewed French occupation of Switzerland and ultimately the Act of Mediation dictated by Napoleon on 10 March 1803....
and was about to cause the collapse of the Helvetic Republic when Napoleon intervened.
General Rapp sent by Napoleon to "pacify" Switzerland was angrily told by General Bachmann that had he arrived only 24 hours later he would have found Switzerland fully pacified.
Mistrusted by Napoleon, without any sympathy for the new governments of either Switzerland or France Bachmann went into retirement at the age of 63.
War of the Seventh Coalition
In 1815, after the return of Napoleon from Elba the Swiss federal Diet called him back in service and made him again Commander in Chief of the Swiss Army.He commanded the Swiss Army that invaded France in 1815. Again his troops used the white cross on a red field as symbol.
After the War he received the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Louis (France), of the Order of Leopold
Order of Leopold (Austria)
The Imperial Austrian Order of Leopold was founded by Franz I of Austria on 8 January 1808. The order's statutes stipulated only three grades: Grand Cross, Commander and Knight. During the war, in common with the other Austro-Hungarian decorations Crossed Swords were instituted to reward bravery in...
(Austria) and of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Sardinia). The Swiss Diet, which did not have any Orders, gave him a ceremonial sabre with a golden hilt.
Louis XVIII offered him the position of Inspector General of all the Swiss regiments in France, but he declined the offer due to his age.
In 1819 he attended, as a guest of honour, the inauguration in Lucerne of the "Lion Monument" by Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish-Icelandic sculptor of international fame, who spent most of his life in Italy . Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen into a Danish/Icelandic family of humble means, and was accepted to the Royal Academy of Arts when he was eleven years old...
commemorating the sacrifice of the Swiss Guard. His brother's name is engraved there on the second place in the list of the fallen.
He died due to old age in 1831 in his house at the remarkable age of almost 91 years.