Peter Karl Ott von Bátorkéz
Encyclopedia
Peter Karl Ott von Bátorkéz (1738 – 10 May 1809) joined the Austrian army and fought in the wars against the Kingdom of Prussia
, Ottoman Turkey, and the First French Republic in the last half of the 18th century. During the French Revolutionary Wars
, he rose in rank to general officer and twice campaigned against the army of Napoleon Bonaparte in Italy. He played a key role in the Marengo campaign in 1800. He was Proprietor (Inhaber)
of an Austrian Hussar
regiment from 1801 to 1809.
(Gran), Hungary
in 1738, Ott joined Andlau Infantry Regiment # 57 as a Fahnrich
(cadet) in 1757. He was a veteran of the Seven Years War, having fought at the battles of Landshut and Liegnitz
, being wounded in the latter action. In the War of the Bavarian Succession he served in the Kálnoky Hussar Regiment # 2 as a Major
. While still serving with the Kálnoky Hussars as the Oberst-Leutnant
, he led his horsemen in numerous actions during the Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791)
. After directing the hussars in a successful action at Valje Muliere, he earned promotion to Oberst
(colonel
) of the regiment. He was awarded the Military Order of Maria Theresa
for an action against the Turks at Calafat
, Wallachia
in modern Romania
. In 1791, he was elevated to the noble rank of Freiherr
.
. He continued to serve in the same theater in 1794-1795.
during the Castiglione
campaign, he commanded one of the four brigades under the orders of Peter Quasdanovich
. On 29 July he defeated a French brigade near Salò
and advanced south along the banks of the Chiese
River. On 31 July he attacked and seized Lonato del Garda though he was later driven out of the latter place by superior French forces under Hyacinthe Despinoy
and Claude Dallemagne
. On 3 August, his reinforced brigade repulsed the attacks of Despinoy and Dallemagne near Paitone and Gavardo
. Unfortunately for the Austrians, the battle went badly for them at Lonato and Salò, compelling Quasdanovich to order a retreat.
After Dagobert von Wurmser
's defeat at the Battle of Bassano
on 8 September, Ott led the Austrian advance guard with great distinction during Wurmser's dash to Mantua
. At Cerea
, he held off a French intercepting column long enough for Wurmser to arrive and defeat it. The next day, Ott ambushed the 12th Light Demi-Brigade, killing its commander, Brigadier General
Charles-François Charton and capturing 400 men. During the battle under the walls of Mantua on 15 September, he commanded the left flank at La Favorita. His force was the last part of the Austrian army to retreat. He led a sortie on 23 September which suffered heavy losses at Governolo. In February 1797, he surrendered with the garrison at the unsuccessful conclusion of the Siege of Mantua
. On 1 March 1797, Emperor Francis II appointed Ott Feldmarschal-Leutnant
.
on 21 April, the Battle of Cassano
on 27 April, and the Battle of the Trebbia on 17–20 June. He led his division at the decisive Battle of Novi
on 15 August.
invested a French army in Genoa during April 1800, Ott was given command of the siege operations. Ordered to raise the Siege of Genoa
on 2 June, he disobeyed orders and remained in position. As he hoped, a few hours later, André Masséna
asked for terms and formally surrendered to Ott on 4 June. In the bitterly fought Battle of Montebello
on 9 June, a French force led by Jean Lannes
defeated Ott's corps. He had fought the battle against orders. When the Austrian chief of staff begged him to withdraw at the beginning of the action, Ott replied, "My outposts are attacked. I march to succor them."
At the Battle of Marengo on 14 June, Ott commanded the Austrian left wing. Because of congestion in the bridgehead, it took a long time for the left wing to deploy. However, once his attack at mid-day got underway, it broke the French right flank and helped convince them to retreat from Marengo. Later in the battle, when French reinforcements defeated the Austrian main body, Ott withdrew in good order and brought his command off in safety. This was his last active command.
in 1809. Ott died in Budapest
on 10 May of that year.
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
, Ottoman Turkey, and the First French Republic in the last half of the 18th century. During the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
, he rose in rank to general officer and twice campaigned against the army of Napoleon Bonaparte in Italy. He played a key role in the Marengo campaign in 1800. He was Proprietor (Inhaber)
Proprietor (Inhaber)
A Proprietor, or Inhaber, was a term used in the Habsburg military to denote special honors extended to a noble or aristocrat. The Habsburg army was organized on principles developed for the feudal armies in which regiments were raised by a wealthy noble, called the Inhaber who also acted as...
of an Austrian Hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
regiment from 1801 to 1809.
Early career
Born in EsztergomEsztergom
Esztergom , is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there....
(Gran), Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in 1738, Ott joined Andlau Infantry Regiment # 57 as a Fahnrich
Fähnrich
Fähnrich is a German and Austrian military rank in armed forces which translates as "Ensign" in English. The rank also exists in a few other European military organizations, often with historical ties to the German system. Examples are Sweden, Norway and Finland . The French Army has a similar...
(cadet) in 1757. He was a veteran of the Seven Years War, having fought at the battles of Landshut and Liegnitz
Battle of Liegnitz (1760)
The Battle of Liegnitz on August 15, 1760 saw Frederick the Great's Prussian Army defeat the Austrian army under Ernst von Laudon.The armies collided around the Prussian Silesian city of Liegnitz . Frederick split his army in 2, one part commanded by Field Marshal Zieten. Frederick heard the sound...
, being wounded in the latter action. In the War of the Bavarian Succession he served in the Kálnoky Hussar Regiment # 2 as a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. While still serving with the Kálnoky Hussars as the Oberst-Leutnant
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
, he led his horsemen in numerous actions during the Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791)
Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791)
The Austro-Turkish War of 1787 was an inconclusive struggle between the Austrian and Ottoman Empires. It took place concomitantly with the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792.-History:...
. After directing the hussars in a successful action at Valje Muliere, he earned promotion to Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
(colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
) of the regiment. He was awarded the Military Order of Maria Theresa
Military Order of Maria Theresa
The Military Order of Maria Theresa was an Order of the Austro-Hungarian Empire founded on June 18, 1757, the day of the Battle of Kolin, by the Empress...
for an action against the Turks at Calafat
Calafat
Calafat is a city in Dolj County, Romania, on the river Danube, opposite the Bulgarian city of Vidin, to which it is linked by ferryboat. The construction of the Calafat-Vidin Bridge is planned between the two cities....
, Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
in modern Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. In 1791, he was elevated to the noble rank of Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
.
Rhine 1793-1795
In 1793 Ott served on the upper Rhine in actions at Offenbach, Schaid and Brumath. On 1 January 1794, he received promotion to General-MajorMajor General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
. He continued to serve in the same theater in 1794-1795.
Italy 1796-1797
Ott transferred to the Italian campaign against Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796. In the operations that resulted in the Battle of LonatoBattle of Lonato
The Battle of Lonato was fought on 3 and 4 August 1796 between the French Army of Italy under General Napoleon Bonaparte and a corps-sized Austrian column led by Feldmarschallleutnant Peter Quasdanovich. A week of hard-fought actions that began on 29 July and ended on 4 August resulted in the...
during the Castiglione
Battle of Castiglione
The Battle of Castiglione saw the French Army of Italy under General Napoleon Bonaparte attack an army of Habsburg Austria led by Feldmarschall Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser on 5 August 1796. The outnumbered Austrians were defeated and driven back along a line of hills to the river crossing at...
campaign, he commanded one of the four brigades under the orders of Peter Quasdanovich
Peter Quasdanovich
Peter Vitus Freiherr von Quosdanovich was a general of the Austrian Empire. Feldmarschall-Lieutenant and Commander of the Order of Maria Theresa...
. On 29 July he defeated a French brigade near Salò
Salò
Salò is a town and commune in the Province of Brescia in the region of Lombardy on the banks of Lake Garda. The city was the capital of Italian Social Republic from 1943 to 1945, with the ISR often being called the "Republic of Salò" .-History:Salò was founded in the Roman period as Pagus...
and advanced south along the banks of the Chiese
Chiese
The Chiese, also known in the Province of Brescia as the Clisi, is a 160 km Italian river which is the principal immisary and sole emissary of the sub-alpine lake Lago d’Idro, and is a left tributary of the Oglio....
River. On 31 July he attacked and seized Lonato del Garda though he was later driven out of the latter place by superior French forces under Hyacinthe Despinoy
Hyacinthe Francois Joseph Despinoy
Hyacinthe François Joseph Despinoy or Despinois became a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars, but Napoleon Bonaparte removed him from command. Afterward he held minor positions.-Early career:...
and Claude Dallemagne
Claude Dallemagne
Claude Dallemagne started his career in the French army under the Bourbons, fought in the American Revolutionary War, rose in rank to become a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars, took part in the 1796 Italian campaign under Napoleon Bonaparte, and held military posts during the...
. On 3 August, his reinforced brigade repulsed the attacks of Despinoy and Dallemagne near Paitone and Gavardo
Gavardo
Gavardo is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy.As of 2007 Gavardo had an estimated population of 11,337....
. Unfortunately for the Austrians, the battle went badly for them at Lonato and Salò, compelling Quasdanovich to order a retreat.
After Dagobert von Wurmser
Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser
Dagobert Sigismund, Count Wurmser was an Austrian field marshal during the French Revolutionary Wars. Although he fought in the Seven Years War, the War of the Bavarian Succession, and mounted several successful campaigns in the Rhineland in the initial years of the French Revolutionary Wars, he...
's defeat at the Battle of Bassano
Battle of Bassano
The Battle of Bassano was fought on 8 September 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars, in the territory of the Republic of Venice, between a French army under Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces led by Count Dagobert von Wurmser. The battle ended in a French victory...
on 8 September, Ott led the Austrian advance guard with great distinction during Wurmser's dash to Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
. At Cerea
Cerea
Cerea is a town and comune in the province of Verona, Veneto, northern Italy.-History:From 923 AD until 1223 Cerea was a castrum . On 1223 Cerea it became a "comune" but, a year after, it was plundered because of the war between Mantua and Verona. A period of decadence followed, also because of the...
, he held off a French intercepting column long enough for Wurmser to arrive and defeat it. The next day, Ott ambushed the 12th Light Demi-Brigade, killing its commander, Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Charles-François Charton and capturing 400 men. During the battle under the walls of Mantua on 15 September, he commanded the left flank at La Favorita. His force was the last part of the Austrian army to retreat. He led a sortie on 23 September which suffered heavy losses at Governolo. In February 1797, he surrendered with the garrison at the unsuccessful conclusion of the Siege of Mantua
Siege of Mantua (1796-1797)
In the Siege of Mantua, which lasted from 4 July 1796 to 2 February 1797 with a short break, French forces under the overall command of Napoleon Bonaparte besieged and blockaded a large Austrian garrison for many months until it surrendered...
. On 1 March 1797, Emperor Francis II appointed Ott Feldmarschal-Leutnant
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
.
Italy 1799
Ott served under Pál Kray and the Russian Alexander Suvarov during the 1799 liberation of Italy from the French. During this period, he commanded a division at the capture of BresciaBrescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
on 21 April, the Battle of Cassano
Battle of Cassano (1799)
The Battle of Cassano d'Adda was fought on 27 April 1799 near Cassano d'Adda, about 28 km ENE of Milan. It resulted in a victory for the Austrians and Russians under Alexander Suvorov over Jean Moreau's French army...
on 27 April, and the Battle of the Trebbia on 17–20 June. He led his division at the decisive Battle of Novi
Battle of Novi (1799)
The Battle of Novi was a battle near Novi Ligure, Italy. It was fought on August 15, 1799 in the French Revolutionary Wars. The Austrians and Russians under Fieldmarshal Alexander Suvorov defeated the French under General Barthelemy Catherine Joubert....
on 15 August.
Italy 1800
After the Austrian army of Michael von MelasMichael von Melas
Michael Friedrich Benedikt Baron von Melas was a Transylvanian-born field marshal of Greek descent for the Austrian Empire during the Napoleonic Wars....
invested a French army in Genoa during April 1800, Ott was given command of the siege operations. Ordered to raise the Siege of Genoa
Siege of Genoa (1800)
In the Siege of Genoa the Austrians besieged and captured Genoa but the smaller French force under André Masséna had diverted enough Austrian troops so that Napoleon could win the Battle of Marengo.-Background:...
on 2 June, he disobeyed orders and remained in position. As he hoped, a few hours later, André Masséna
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
asked for terms and formally surrendered to Ott on 4 June. In the bitterly fought Battle of Montebello
Battle of Montebello (1800)
The Battle of Montebello was fought on 9 June 1800 near Montebello in Lombardy. During the lead-up to the Battle of Marengo, the vanguard of the French army in Italy engaged and defeated an Austrian force in a "glorious victory".-Background:...
on 9 June, a French force led by Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes, 1st Duc de Montebello, was a Marshal of France. He was one of Napoleon's most daring and talented generals. Napoleon once commented on Lannes: "I found him a pygmy and left him a giant"...
defeated Ott's corps. He had fought the battle against orders. When the Austrian chief of staff begged him to withdraw at the beginning of the action, Ott replied, "My outposts are attacked. I march to succor them."
At the Battle of Marengo on 14 June, Ott commanded the Austrian left wing. Because of congestion in the bridgehead, it took a long time for the left wing to deploy. However, once his attack at mid-day got underway, it broke the French right flank and helped convince them to retreat from Marengo. Later in the battle, when French reinforcements defeated the Austrian main body, Ott withdrew in good order and brought his command off in safety. This was his last active command.
Retirement
In 1801, he became the proprietor of the Ott Hussar Regiment # 5. He retired from the army in 1805. The Ott Hussars served in Italy and Hungary during the War of the Fifth CoalitionWar of the Fifth Coalition
The War of the Fifth Coalition, fought in the year 1809, pitted a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's French Empire and Bavaria. Major engagements between France and Austria, the main participants, unfolded over much of Central Europe from April to July, with...
in 1809. Ott died in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
on 10 May of that year.