Ladislas Ignace de Bercheny () (August 3, 1689 in Eperjes,

Sáros County Sáros (- Hungarian, Slovak: ''Šariš'', Latin: ''comitatus Sarossiensis'', German: ''Scharosch'') was an administrative county ( comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in northeastern Slovakia. Today, Šariš is only an in ...

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

(today

Prešov Prešov () is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is the seat of administrative Prešov Region () and Šariš. With a population of approximately 85,000 for the city, and in total more than 100,000 with the urban area, it is the second-largest city i ...

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

) – January 9, 1778 in Luzancy,

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...

(today

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

) was a Hungarian-born soldier who became

Marshal of France Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...

Life

Ladislas Ignace de Bercheny was born in 1689, the son of Hungarian noble and army commander Miklós Bercsényi, who was a friend of Francis II Rákóczi. Bercheny spent his childhood in Vranov, Brunovce and Tovarníky . After his mother's death in 1691, he lived with relatives in Hlohovec until 1695 when his father remarried to Krisztina Csaky who raised him and his sister at the castle in Užhorod. He was educated at the Jesuit grammar school at the age of ten. After his father fled to Poland in 1701, twelve-year-old Ladislas was transferred to the Jesuit grammar school in

Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...

. Bercheny started his military career in the Bodyguard of prince Rákóczi. After the Prince's failure to achieve Hungarian independence in 1711, Bercheny emigrated to France. In 1712, he was named lieutenant-colonel in the Rattky Hussards Regiment, then the only hussar regiment in the French Army. After a year spent at Rákóczi's court-in-exile in

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

, Bercheny was promoted ''mestre de camp'' (

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

) in the Rattky Regiment in 1719. Around 1720, Bercheny proposed to recruit new hussars for the Rattky Regiment among the exiled Hungarians in Constantinople. The prospect soon turned into the creation of a new regiment, with Bercheny as his colonel-proprietor. Along with several French and Hungarians officers, Bercheny was able to muster 174 Hungarians by the end of 1722. Afterwards Bercheny settled permanently in France. He married Anne Catherine Girard, a middle-class girl from

Haguenau Haguenau (; or ; ; historical ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Bas-Rhin Département in France, department of France, of which it is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture. It is second in size in the Bas-Rhin only to Strasbourg ...

, who had already given birth to his first son, in 1726. He was made a French subject by letters from the King the same year. Bercheny purchased the lordship and manor of Luzancy, which became his home, in 1729. The new regiment, known as ''Bercheny-Houzards'', participated in the

War of the Polish Succession The War of the Polish Succession (; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a civil war in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth over the succession to Augustus II the Strong, which the other European powers widened in pursuit of ...

(1733-1735), during which Bercheny was promoted

brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

. He was further promoted to ''maréchal de camp'' ( major general) in 1738 and participated in the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...

, during which he was promoted

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

, and the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

, during which he was made

. This final promotion was only honorary, as he retired from active service the same day. Bercheny died in 1778 in his manor of Luzancy.

Military History

Bercheny was renowned as an expert on light cavalry and became the first Inspector General of Hussars in 1743, giving him advisory role in officers' nominations and tactical use of units. He is widely known as the ''Father of French Hussars''. His regiment, Bercheny Houzards, became the most ancient hussars regiment in the French Army after the dissolution of the former Rattky regiment in 1756. This regiment is nowadays the 1st Parachute Hussars Regiment, but is still widely known as ''Bercheny-Houzards''.Raymond Boissau, "La Levée de Bercheny-hussards", ''Revue historique des armées'', n° 225, 2009, pp. 15-21

Trivia

The Hungarian military special forces, ''34th László Bercsényi Special Operations Battalion'', is named in his honour.

References

External links

Bercheny
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bercheny, Ladislas 1689 births 1778 deaths Emigrants from the Kingdom of Hungary (pre-1805) Immigrants to France People from Prešov Marshals of France Hungarian nobility Hungarian soldiers 18th-century Hungarian people

Life

Military History

Trivia

See also

References

External links