Joseph Maria Frederick Wilhelm of Saxe-Hildburghausen, Duke in Saxony (5 October 1702 – Hildburghausen, 4 January 1787), was an Austrian general and field marshal. He is best known for commanding the Franco-Austrian forces at the Battle of Rossbach.

He was the third but second surviving son of Ernst, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and Sophie of Waldeck-Pyrmont. His mother died ten days after his birth, on 15 October 1702.

He received the typical education of a nobleman of his time, with some educational journeys to the different countries of Europe. When he was sixteen years old, the prince joined the Habsburg Army and became already in 1719 a Staff Captain in the Infantry Regiment N°18 "Seckendorff", and fought in it in Sicily during the War of the Quadruple Alliance (1717–1720).

After his conversion to Catholicism in 1728, began for Joseph a fast ascent in his military career. In 1729 he was appointed lieutenant-colonel and the next year (18 July 1730) colonel of the Regiment "Palffy". In January 1732 he even got his own 8th Infantry Regiment. Briefly after the outbreak of War of the Polish Succession (1733-1735/1738) he served in the following campaigns in northern Italy. He distinguished himself, especially in the Battle of San Pietro, where he was wounded in the face, and was promoted to Lieutenant field marshal before the end of the war (on 30 April 1735).

Joseph ended the War of the Polish Succession with the rank of Feldzeugmeister (25 September 1736). Only one year later, during the Austro-Turkish War, 1737-1739, he was entrusted with the command of an Austrian Corps. In 1737, his attempt to conquer Banja Luka failed, but in practically all important engagements of the war, Joseph displayed personal bravery, for example in the Battle of Grocka (on 22 July 1739), where he covered the retreat of the Imperial Army.

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