Samuel von Schmettau
Encyclopedia
Samuel Graf von Schmettau (24 March 1684 Berlin
- 18 August 1751) was a Prussian field marshal
.
His mother, Marie de la Fontaine was born into a Huguenot family.
In 1699, he joined to the military, and served under numerous flags, during his career.
He first started in a Danish Cuirassiers, under command of his uncle William.
In 1703, he joined the Margrave of Anspach Dragoons, as a lieutenant, where another uncle, Gottlieb Schmettau, was chief.
Schmettau experienced his baptism of fire at the Battle of Blenheim
.
A little later he became captain and company commander, and was promoted to Major in 1707, and lieutenant colonel in 1708.
He was Adjutant General of the Prince of Hesse
, at the Battle of Malplaquet
.
In 1714, Schmettau went with his regiment in the Electorate of Saxony
.
On 22 October 1716, he was promoted to colonel in the artillery.
He moved on to service to the Hapsburg's on 7 April 1717. There Schmettau took part in the conquest of Belgrade.
On 22 March 1719, he was Field General, and came to Sicily as Quartermaster General
.
His achievements as an artilleryman and fortress builder impressed the Emperor and Prince Eugene of Savoy
. In 1720, during the War of the Quadruple Alliance
, he led the Capture of Messina (1719), and in 1732 with Corsica, he led the campaign against Sardinia and France.
On 27 October 1733, he was promoted to Lieutenant Field Marshal.
He commanded of the O'Gilvy Infantry Regiment (No. 46); with his regiment, he then took part in the War of the Polish Succession
.
The years 1737-1739, during Russo-Austrian-Turkish War (1735–1739), he was governor of Timisoara
.
On 18 January 1742, Schmettau was awarded the Order of the Black Eagle
.
He left the service in 1742.
.
As ambassador to Paris, he prepared for the second Silesian war.
Schmettau was a curator of the Academy of Sciences.
He continued his education as a cartographer, and created the first good map of Berlin, and in 1751 of East Friesland.
In his "Memoires Secrets", he described his experiences.
He married Marie Johanna von Ruffer, who bore him three children:
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
- 18 August 1751) was a Prussian field marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
.
Life
His father died in 1707, as Royal Prussian secretary to the ambassador in London.His mother, Marie de la Fontaine was born into a Huguenot family.
In 1699, he joined to the military, and served under numerous flags, during his career.
He first started in a Danish Cuirassiers, under command of his uncle William.
In 1703, he joined the Margrave of Anspach Dragoons, as a lieutenant, where another uncle, Gottlieb Schmettau, was chief.
Schmettau experienced his baptism of fire at the Battle of Blenheim
Battle of Blenheim
The Battle of Blenheim , fought on 13 August 1704, was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV of France sought to knock Emperor Leopold out of the war by seizing Vienna, the Habsburg capital, and gain a favourable peace settlement...
.
A little later he became captain and company commander, and was promoted to Major in 1707, and lieutenant colonel in 1708.
He was Adjutant General of the Prince of Hesse
Frederick I of Sweden
Frederick I, , was a prince consort of Sweden from 1718 to 1720, and a King of Sweden from 1720 until his death and also Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1730...
, at the Battle of Malplaquet
Battle of Malplaquet
The Battle of Malplaquet, fought on 11 September 1709, was one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession, which opposed the Bourbons of France and Spain against an alliance whose major members were the Habsburg Monarchy, Great Britain, the United Provinces and the Kingdom of...
.
In 1714, Schmettau went with his regiment in the Electorate of Saxony
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
.
On 22 October 1716, he was promoted to colonel in the artillery.
He moved on to service to the Hapsburg's on 7 April 1717. There Schmettau took part in the conquest of Belgrade.
On 22 March 1719, he was Field General, and came to Sicily as Quartermaster General
Quartermaster general
A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...
.
His achievements as an artilleryman and fortress builder impressed the Emperor and Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene of Savoy , was one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history, rising to the highest offices of state at the Imperial court in Vienna. Born in Paris to aristocratic Italian parents, Eugene grew up around the French court of King Louis XIV...
. In 1720, during the War of the Quadruple Alliance
War of the Quadruple Alliance
The War of the Quadruple Alliance was a result of the ambitions of King Philip V of Spain, his wife, Elisabeth Farnese, and his chief minister Giulio Alberoni to retake territories in Italy and to claim the French throne. It saw the defeat of Spain by an alliance of Britain, France, Austria , and...
, he led the Capture of Messina (1719), and in 1732 with Corsica, he led the campaign against Sardinia and France.
On 27 October 1733, he was promoted to Lieutenant Field Marshal.
He commanded of the O'Gilvy Infantry Regiment (No. 46); with his regiment, he then took part in the War of the Polish Succession
War of the Polish Succession
The War of the Polish Succession was a major European war for princes' possessions sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II, King of Poland that other European powers widened in pursuit of their own national interests...
.
The years 1737-1739, during Russo-Austrian-Turkish War (1735–1739), he was governor of Timisoara
History of Timisoara
This article is about the History of Timişoara, the largest and most important city in the Romanian Banat. Timişoara is also known by the following names: Hungarian: Temesvár, German: Temeswar / Temeschwar / Temeschburg, Serbo-Croatian: Temišvar / Темишвар, Turkish: Tamışvar /...
.
On 18 January 1742, Schmettau was awarded the Order of the Black Eagle
Order of the Black Eagle
The Order of the Black Eagle was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg . In his Dutch exile after WWI, deposed Emperor Wilhelm II continued to award the order to his family...
.
He left the service in 1742.
Diplomacy
In the following years, he represented Prussia under the Emperor Charles VIICharles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VII Albert a member of the Wittelsbach family, was Prince-elector of Bavaria from 1726 and Holy Roman Emperor from 24 January 1742 until his death in 1745...
.
As ambassador to Paris, he prepared for the second Silesian war.
Schmettau was a curator of the Academy of Sciences.
He continued his education as a cartographer, and created the first good map of Berlin, and in 1751 of East Friesland.
In his "Memoires Secrets", he described his experiences.
Family
He married Marie Charlotte von Boyen (died 1739); they had two children.He married Marie Johanna von Ruffer, who bore him three children:
- Carl Friedrich Wilhelm von Schmettau (1743-1806) was one of the major cartographer,
- Adelheid Amalie GallitzinAdelheid Amalie GallitzinPrincess Adelheid Amalie Gallitzin was the daughter of the Prussian Field Marshal Samuel von Schmettau and the mother of Prince Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin.-Life:She was born in Berlin and educated in the Roman Catholic faith, although she soon became...
(1748-1806), and grandson was Demetrius Augustine GallitzinDemetrius Augustine GallitzinPrince Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin was an emigre Russian aristocrat and Catholic priest known as The Apostle of the Alleghenies. Since 2005, he has been under investigation for possible canonization by the Catholic Church...
.
External links
- "Samuel von Schmettau", German wikipedia"