Peter Quasdanovich
Encyclopedia
Peter Vitus Freiherr von Quosdanovich (12 June 1738 – 13 August 1802) was a general of the Austrian Empire
. Feldmarschall-Lieutenant and Commander of the Order of Maria Theresa
. He played a major role in several battles against the French Army of Italy
led by Napoleon Bonaparte during the French Revolutionary Wars
.
, and joined the Warasdin Grenz
Hussar
Regiment # 41 in 1752. He fought in the Seven Years War. He distinguished himself in the War of the Bavarian Succession of 1778-9. He was promoted to colonel of the Slavonian Hussar regiment and decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
. He fought during the Austro-Turkish War (1787–1791), becoming a General-Major and taking over the command of Alt Gradisca.
he commanded the second column. On 24 September 1795, while leading a division, he scored an impressive victory over two French divisions at the Battle of Handschuhsheim (now a district of Heidelberg
). In July 1796 he transferred to Italy, where he led a corps under Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser
and József Alvinczi in four attempts to break the French Siege of Mantua
. In the first, he lost the Battle of Lonato
after a complicated series of maneuvers between 29 July and 4 August 1796. During the second relief, he participated in the Battle of Bassano
on 8 September, but avoided being trapped in Mantua with Wurmser. In the third relief of Mantua he led the Friaul
Corps in the Second Battle of Bassano
and the Battle of Arcole. He led two brigades at the crucial Battle of Rivoli
. He retired from the army in 1797 and died at Vienna
on 13 August 1802.
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
. Feldmarschall-Lieutenant and Commander of the 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...
. He played a major role in several battles against the French Army of Italy
Army of Italy (France)
The Army of Italy was a Field army of the French Army stationed on the Italian border and used for operations in Italy itself. Though it existed in some form in the 16th century through to the present, it is best known for its role during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic...
led by Napoleon Bonaparte 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...
.
Early years
Petar Vid Gvozdanović was born in Žumberak (Sichelburg) in modern-day CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, and joined the Warasdin Grenz
Grenz infantry
Grenz infantry or Grenzers were light infantry troops who came from the Croatian and Transylvanian Military Frontier in Habsburg Monarchy . This borderland formed a buffer zone between Christian Europe and the Ottoman Empire, and the troops were originally raised to defend Austria against the...
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 # 41 in 1752. He fought in the Seven Years War. He distinguished himself in the War of the Bavarian Succession of 1778-9. He was promoted to colonel of the Slavonian Hussar regiment and decorated with the Knight's Cross of 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...
. He fought during the Austro-Turkish War (1787–1791), becoming a General-Major and taking over the command of Alt Gradisca.
Wars with France
During the War of the First Coalition Quosdanovich first commanded a brigade, then a division. At the crucial defeat at FleurusBattle of Fleurus (1794)
In the Battle of Fleurus on 26 June 1794, the army of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan faced the Coalition Army commanded by Prince Josias of Coburg in the most decisive battle of the Flanders Campaign in the Low Countries during the French Revolutionary Wars...
he commanded the second column. On 24 September 1795, while leading a division, he scored an impressive victory over two French divisions at the Battle of Handschuhsheim (now a district of Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
). In July 1796 he transferred to Italy, where he led a corps under Dagobert Sigmund 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...
and József Alvinczi in four attempts to break the French 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...
. In the first, he lost the Battle of Lonato
Battle 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...
after a complicated series of maneuvers between 29 July and 4 August 1796. During the second relief, he participated in 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, but avoided being trapped in Mantua with Wurmser. In the third relief of Mantua he led the Friaul
Friuli
Friuli is an area of northeastern Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, i.e. the province of Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, excluding Trieste...
Corps in the Second Battle of Bassano
Second Battle of Bassano
In the Second Battle of Bassano on 6 November 1796, an Austrian army commanded by Jozsef Alvinczi repelled the attacks of Napoleon Bonaparte's French army. The engagement, which happened two months after the more famous Battle of Bassano, marked the first tactical defeat of Bonaparte's career and...
and the Battle of Arcole. He led two brigades at the crucial Battle of Rivoli
Battle of Rivoli
The Battle of Rivoli was a key victory in the French campaign in Italy against Austria. Napoleon Bonaparte's 23,000 Frenchmen defeated an attack of 28,000 Austrians under Feldzeugmeister Jozsef Alvinczi, ending Austria's fourth and final attempt to relieve the Siege of Mantua...
. He retired from the army in 1797 and died at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
on 13 August 1802.
Books
- Boycott-Brown, Martin. The Road to Rivoli. London: Cassell & Co., 2001. ISBN 0-304-35305-1