The Cavaliers of Fortune; Or, British Heroes in Foreign WarsGrant, James
History
The Cavaliers of Fortune; Or, British Heroes in Foreign Wars
Grant, James
British -- Foreign countries; Great Britain -- History, Military
This was the last military service of importance performed by Marshal
Count Lacy at that time; for soon after, the war came to a close, by
the treaty of peace, signed in February, 1763, by which it was agreed
that a mutual restitution of conquests and oblivion of injuries should
take place; and that Prussia and Austria should be put in the same
position as when the hostilities began; and thus happily ended this
truly atrocious strife, in which nearly NINE HUNDRED THOUSAND SOLDIERS
PERISHED. Prussia fought ten pitched battles, and lost 180,000 men;
Russia, four great battles, and lost 120,000 men; Austria, ten battles,
with the loss of 140,000 men; France lost 200,000; Britain, 165,000;
Sweden, 25,000; and the Circles 28,000; while Austria found herself
encumbered by one hundred millions of crowns of debt!
For fourteen years Lacy led a life of peace, devoting himself to the
development of discipline in the Austrian army, till the death of the
Bavarian Elector, on the 30th December, 1777, opened up a new prospect
of aggrandizement to the Imperial Government, and again lighted the
torch of war in Germany. The Elector Palatine, the Elector of Saxony
and Duke of Mechlenburg-Schwerin laid claim to the vacant Electoral
hat; but their voices were lost when the formidable and covetous House
of Hapsburg also put forth a demand, and the Emperor Joseph and Marshal
Lacy appeared with 100,000 men, and an immense train of artillery, at
the celebrated position of Konigsgratz, above the confluence of the
Adler and the Rhine.
The Prussians and Saxons broke into Bohemia, and compelled Loudon
to retreat, and a year of the old manoeuvring war and devastation
followed, till the Congress of Teschen, by which Charles Theodore,
Elector Palatine of the House of Neuberg, obtained the Bavarian hat,
on the 13th May, 1779. The Emperor was compelled to relinquish his
unjust claims, and tranquillity was restored to Germany, enabling Count
Lacy, then in his sixty-first year, once more to sheath the sword; and
this command which he held in the Bavarian dispute was the last act of
importance performed by him in the service of Austria.
He had now the rank of Field-Marshal, which at the age of thirty-six
he had declined, on the plea that his achievements were unworthy of it.
He had the Grand Cross of Maria Theresa; he was a member of the Aulic
Council, Chief of the Staff, and General of the Ordnance.
During his command-in-chief of the Austrian army, the following
romantic incident occurred.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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