Friday, July 8, 2022

Count Wilhelm Ludwig August von Hochberg, Prince of Baden

Count Wilhelm Ludwig August von Hochberg, Prince of Baden



In 1808 at the age of 16, Wilhelm was made a colonel of a 2nd Baden Graf Hochberg Infantry regiment. When the fifth coalition war began in 1809 the French allied confederation armies marched against Austria's uprising. Wilhelm joined the French Marshal André Masséna staff as a ADC. Wilhelm was present at Abensberg, Eggmühl, Aspern and Wagram.

Baden as part of the Rhine Confederation to provided troops for the campaign against Russia in 1812, the 20 year-old Count Wilhelm von Hochberg to command the approx. 8,000-strong Baden infantry brigade. The troop formation became part of the army corps of Marshal Claude-Victor Perrin gen. Victor and the division of General Herman Willem Daendels .

When the Grande Armée retreated , the Baden troops covered the crossing over the Beresina and distinguished themselves in the Battle of the Beresina on November 28, 1812 . However, on December 7, 1812, the Baden Brigade disbanded near Wilna . Wilhelm was able to withdraw to Marienwerder , where only 145 men from the original formation arrived.

On November 20, 1813 the Grand Duchy of Baden left the confederation and joined Prussia, Austria and Russia in the wars of liberation. The Baden Landwehr and Landsturm were organised on the Prussian structure, and the introduction of general conscription in December 1813 enabled a total of 16,000 men to enlist be summoned. Reinforced by troops from the principalities of Liechtenstein and Hohenzollern, they formed the VIII Army Corps under the command of Wilhelm Graf von Hochberg. The corps besieged the French fortresses of Kehl , Strasbourg, Landau in der Pfalz and Pfalzburg and returned to Baden in June 1814. During the summer campaign of 1815, another field division had to be raised, but it did not take part in any combat operations.


cheers
Matt

1 comment:

  1. I am a big fan of all thinks Baden. Looks like you may have had an incomplete paste here, though. IIRC, the Crown Prince was NOT a fan of Napoleon at all, although the Emperor certainly tried his charm upon him!

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