Paul Kray | |
|---|---|
 Baron Paul Kray | |
| Born | 5 February 1735 (1735-02-05) |
| Died | 19 January 1804 (1804-01-20) (aged 68) |
| Allegiance |  Habsburg Monarchy |
| Branch | Colonel and Proprietor |
| Rank | Feldzeugmeister |
| Battles / wars | |
Baron Paul Kray ofKrajova andTopolya (German:Paul Freiherr Kray von Krajova undTopola;Hungarian:Krajovai ésTopolyai báró Kray Pál; 5 February 1735 – 19 January 1804), was a soldier, and general inHabsburg service during theSeven Years' War, theWar of Bavarian Succession, theAustro–Turkish War (1787–1791), and theFrench Revolutionary Wars. He was born inKésmárk,Upper Hungary (today: Kežmarok,Slovakia).
He withdrew from military service temporarily in 1792 because of poor health, but in 1793, he was recalled to the Habsburg military in theNetherlands at the request of Field MarshalPrince Coburg and fought in theFlanders Campaign.
In 1799 he was appointed commander of the Austrian forces in Italy andColonel-Proprietor of the Infantry Regiment N.34, a ceremonial position he held until his death. On 18 April 1799, Kray was promoted to Feldzeugmeister for theBattle of Magnano. In the 1800 campaign, Kray commanded the Austrian force on the Upper Rhine, charged with the defense of all approaches toVienna through the German states. After being out-maneuvered by the French, he was disastrously defeated in five consecutive battles. After theBattle of Neuburg, the French acquired both shores of the river, and commanded access to the Danube waterway as far east asRegensburg. During the subsequent armistice, Emperor Francis II replaced Kray with his brother,Archduke John; Kray was discharged on 28 August 1800 and retired toPest, Hungary. He died there on 19 January 1804. For all his victories, for his fierce competitiveness on the battlefield, the French soldiers referred to him asLe terrible Kray, le fils cher de la victoire and men from both sides attended his funeral in 1804.
Kray was born inKésmárk,Upper Hungary (today: Kežmarok,Slovakia). He was educated in mathematical and other military sciences inSchemnitz andVienna.[1]
Entering the Austrian army at the age of nineteen in 1754 in the Infantry Regiment 31 "Hallerstein" and fought in theSeven Years' War. In 1778, he was promoted from grenadier captain to major and transferred to Infantry Regiment "Preysach" 39. After theWar of Bavarian Succession, he transferred to the 2nd Szeckler Grenz (border) Infantry Regiment as lieutenant colonel. In 1784 he suppressed a Romanian peasants' uprising in Transylvania. Kray served in theTurkish wars of 1787-91. On 10 May 1788, he defeated a superior Turkish force of 5,000 men commanded byOsman Pazvantoğlu and Kara Mustapha Pasha on the borders ofTransylvania. He later led the capture of theKrajova fortress; for this, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of theMilitary Order of Maria Theresa on 21 December 1789, in May of the following year, Kray was promoted Generalmajor and subsequently ennobled by EmperorJoseph II with thetitle ofFreiherr "von Krajow und Topolya".[2] In theAustro-Turkish War of 1787 to 1791 he saw active service atPetrozsény and theVulcan Pass.[3]
Promotedmajor general in 1790, three years later Kray commanded the advance guard of theAllies under Prince Coburg, operating in Flanders and the Austrian Netherlands. He distinguished himself atFamars,Menin,Wissembourg,Charleroi,Fleurus, and, indeed, at almost every encounter in theFlanders Campaign with the armies of theFrench Republic,[3] inclusive of his victory at theBattle of Le Cateau. Promoted to Feldmarschalleutnant on 5 March 1796 Kray served inArchduke Charles's Army of the Lower Rhine. On 19 June, after theBattle of Wetzlar, he forced GeneralJean-Baptiste Kléber to withdraw fromUckerath.[4] He also defeated French General of DivisionJourdan in the clash at Limburg on 16 September. He then fought in various actions, including the victory atAmberg on 24 August, and at theBattle of Würzburg as a divisional commander, when he was largely responsible for the victory ofArchduke Charles of Austria.[5] On 19 September, he captured the mortally wounded General of DivisionFrançois Séverin Marceau-Desgraviers, one of the ablest and bravest French commanders of the day; he returned the corpse to French lines with a guard of honor of the Bethlen Hussars N.35.[3] On 4 March 1796 he received promotion tolieutenant general (Feldmarschal-Leutnant). In the celebrated campaign of 1796, on theRhine andDanube, he performed conspicuous service as acorps commander. In the following year, he was less successful, being defeated on theLahn, and atMainz.[3] Worse, his command was surprised and defeated by the French GeneralLouis-Lazarre Hoche in theBattle of Neuwied of 1797. Kray was accused of negligence; acourts-martial found him guilty and sentenced him to two weeks arrest. He requested to resign in protest but this was denied.[6]
Kray commanded inItaly in 1799, and reconquered the plain ofLombardy from the French. He won a sharp actionat Legnago on 26 March. For his victory over the French at theBattle of Magnano on 5 April, he was promotedFeldzeugmeister (artillery lieutenant general).[3] This victory caused the French army to withdraw to theAdda River. Nevertheless, Kray was replaced whenMichael von Melas arrived to take command of the Austrian forces. While the field army won two more major battles, Kray conducted the successful sieges ofPeschiera del Garda andMantua. At theBattle of Novi, he commanded the divisions ofPeter Ott andHeinrich Bellegarde.[7] On 6 November, he was defeated by the French in asecond clash at Novi Ligure.[8]
The following year he commanded on the Rhine againstJean Moreau. As a consequence of his defeats at the battles ofStockach,Messkirch,Biberach,Iller River, andHöchstädt, Kray was driven intoUlm. However, by a skillful march round Moreau's flank he succeeded in escaping toBohemia.[3] After a 15 July truce became effective he was relieved of his command byEmperor Francis II and dismissed from the service. Kray's successor,Archduke John of Austria was disastrously defeated at theBattle of Hohenlinden in December.[9]
Thoroughly discredited and personally demoralized, the once respected general retired to his estates to live out his life in exile. Austrian society could be cruel to its losers. When the Habsburg officer corps shunned him, he was left almost friendless, the memories of his fine service during the Seven Years' War vanished. Later Archduke Charles would write Kray a flattering letter explaining that the boorish behavior directed toward him stemmed from envy over his previous victories.[10]
Kray died in Pest, Hungary on 19 January 1804.[11]
Kray was one of the best representatives of the old Austrian army. Tied to an obsolete system, and unable, from habit, to realize the changed conditions of warfare, he failed, but his enemies held him in the highest respect as a brave, skillful, and chivalrous opponent. It was he who, atAltenkirchen, cared for the dyingMarceau (1796), and the white uniforms of Kray and his staff mingled with the blue of the French in the funeral procession of the young general of the Republic.[12]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Kray von Krajova, Paul, Freiherr".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 925.| International | |
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