Franz von Weyrother

Franz von Weyrother
Weyrother designed the Allied plans for the ill-fated Battle of Austerlitz
Born	1755 (1755) Vienna
Died	16 February 1806 (1806-02-17) (aged 50)
Allegiance	Habsburg Monarchy
Service/branch	chief of staff
Rank	Lieutenant Field Marshal
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars War of the Third Coalition

Franz von Weyrother (1755 – 16 February 1806) was an Austrian staff officer and general who fought during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He drew up the plans for the disastrous defeats at the Battle of Rivoli, Battle of Hohenlinden and the Battle of Austerlitz, in which the Austrian army was defeated by Napoleon Bonaparte twice and Jean Moreau once.

Weyrother was born in Vienna as the son of cavalry Major (Major) Anton von Weyrother, who was Chief Rider of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. After studying at the Ingenieurakademie in Vienna (Military engineering academy), he joined the army as a Fahnencadet (Academy graduate) in Infanterie-regiment Nr. 22 Franz von Lacy on 1 December 1775 as Lacy was his godfather. On 1 May 1777, he was promoted to Fähnrich (cadet officer or ensign) and on 16. November 1778 to Unterlieutenant (second lieutenant). In August 1779, he was chosen by Generalmajor Major General Graf Wenzel Colloredo as his adjutant and stayed in post until 1783. On 1 June 1784, he was promoted to Oberlieutenant and after his transfer on 1 August 1787 to Infanterie-regiment Nr. 2 Erzherzog Ferdinand, he served in the 1788—1790 Turkish War as Adjutant of Feldmarschalleutnant Maximilian Browne and on 1 February 1789, was appointed to Capitain-lieutenant (junior Captain) followed by Hauptmann (full Captain) on 6 July.

The War of the First Coalition brought about Weyrother's important transfer to the Generalquartiermeisterstab on 16 July 1794 and he joined its former chief, Generalmajor Neu, who was now the Governor of the key fortress of Mainz, where he soon gained the reputation of a cunning and well-educated officer, who was entrusted by Major General Neu with defensive actions against the French besiegers, when Neu was too ill to direct them. he moved over to offensive operations and on 19 November 1794, took the Wissenau Lines, followed by the Zahlbach Lines on 1 December. GM Neu commended him to Feldmarschall Albert Casimir, Duke of Teschen for his untiring efforts and exceptional skills on 1 December 1794. Feldzeugmeister (General) Graf von Wartensleben commended Hauptmann Weyrother to Feldmarschall Clerfayt for his skillful leadership of the advance-guard in the assault on the Hartberg in May 1795, which led to his promotion to Major on 22 May, but on 30 August, in repelling a French assault on the Wissenau Lines, Weyrother was shot in the left shoulder. After his recovery, he was sent to the Army of the Rhine under the Archduke Charles to serve on his staff. On 11 May 1796, was awarded the Military Order of Maria Theresia and was promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant-Colonel).