Prince Heinrich XV of Reuss-Plauen
| Prince Heinrich XV of Reuss-Plauen | |
|---|---|
Prince Heinrich XV of Reuss-Plauen, Source: Encyclopedia Risorgimentalis, 1911
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| Born |
22 February 1751 Greiz Castle, Thuringia, Germany |
| Died |
30 August 1825 (aged 74) Greiz Castle, Germany |
| Allegiance |
 Austrian Empire
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| Years of service | 1766–1824 |
| Rank | Feldmarschall |
| Battles/wars |
Austro-Turkish War (1787–91) French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars |
| Awards | Knight's Cross Military Order of Maria Theresa (1809) Military Order of Max Joseph (1813) Order of Leopold (1814) Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1814) |
| Other work | Inhaber Infantry Regiment # 17 (1801–1825) |
Prince Heinrich XV of Reuss-Plauen, Viceroy of Lombardy-Venetia (22 February 1751 – 30 August 1825) was the fourth of six sons born into a high-ranking noble family. At the age of fifteen he joined the army of Habsburg Austria and later fought against Ottoman Turkey. During the French Revolutionary Wars he became a general officer and saw extensive service. He commanded a corps during the Napoleonic Wars. From 1801 until his death, he was Proprietor (Inhaber) of an Austrian infantry regiment.
Prince Reuss came to the attention of the Austrian emperor in his thirties. After distinguishing himself in battle against the Turks, the emperor promoted him to command an infantry regiment. He served against the French First Republic in the Flanders Campaign and received promotion to general. The year 1796 found him leading Austrian troops against the army of Napoleon Bonaparte. In the following year he commanded a division.
In 1799 Prince Reuss fought against France in Germany and Switzerland. He led a division in northern Italy during the 1805 war. In the Danube campaign of 1809, he started out leading a division and ended the war in command of a corps. In 1813, he led a successful diplomatic effort to cause the Kingdom of Bavaria to change sides and join the Allies against Napoleon. Into his seventies he served Austria in various military and civil positions.
Heinrich XV was born into the House of Reuss at Greiz Castle on 22 February 1751. His parents Graf (later Prince) Heinrich XI Reuss von Ober-Greiz (1722–1800) and Grafin Konradine Reuss zu Köstritz (1719–1770) carried on the family tradition of naming all their male children Heinrich and numbering them consecutively. They duly named their six sons Heinrich XII through Heinrich XVII, while their five daughters were christened Amalie, Frederike, Isabella, Marie, and Ernestine. Belonging to the Reuss Elder Line, Heinrich XV was entitled to be called Prince (Fürst), but he was not the reigning prince. That dignity was held by his surviving elder brother Heinrich XIII from 1800 to 1817.
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