Raduit de Souches, Jean-Louis

Jean Luis Raduit de Souches / Jean Luis Raduit de Souches
     
Příjmení:
Surname:
Raduit de Souches Raduit de Souches
Jméno:
Given Name:
Jean Luis Jean Luis
Jméno v originále:
Original Name:
Jean Luis Raduit de Souches
Fotografie či obrázek:
Photograph or Picture:
Hodnost:
Rank:
polní maršál Field Marshal
Akademický či vědecký titul:
Academic or Scientific Title:
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Šlechtický titul:
Hereditary Title:
hrabě Count
Datum, místo narození:
Date and Place of Birth:
16.08.1608 La Rochelle /
16.08.1608 La Rochelle /
Datum, místo úmrtí:
Date and Place of Decease:
12.08.1682 Jevišovice
12.08.1682 Jevisovice
Nejvýznamnější funkce:
(maximálně tři)
Most Important Appointments:
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Jiné významné skutečnosti:
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Other Notable Facts:
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Související články:
Related Articles:

Zdroje:
Sources:
fr.wikipedia.org
Antonio Schmidt-Brentano: Kaiserliche und k. k. Generale (1618-1815), Österreichisches Staatsarchiv, 2006
commons.wikimedia.org
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Raduit-de-Souches-Jean-Louis-t17485#517303 Version : 0
     
Příjmení:
Surname:
Raduit de Souches Raduit de Souches
Jméno:
Given Name:
Jean Luis Jean Luis
Jméno v originále:
Original Name:
Jean Luis Raduit de Souches
Všeobecné vzdělání:
General Education:
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Vojenské vzdělání:
Military Education:
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Důstojnické hodnosti:
Officer Ranks:
27.10.1645 generál polní strážmistr
08.09.1648 polní podmaršál
12.01.1658 polní zbrojmistr
20.01.1664 polní maršál
27.10.1645 General Field Watch-Master
08.09.1648 Lieutenant Field Marshal
12.01.1658 Field Ordnance Master
20.01.1664 Field Marshal
Průběh vojenské služby:
Military Career:
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Vyznamenání:
Awards:
Poznámka:
Note:
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Zdroje:
Sources:
Antonio Schmidt-Brentano: Kaiserliche und k. k. Generale (1618-1815), Österreichisches Staatsarchiv, 2006
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Raduit-de-Souches-Jean-Louis-t17485#517305 Version : 0
Jean Luis Raduit de Souches - famous warrior of the 17th century


He was born on August 16, 1608 in La Rochelle to a poor noble Huguenot family. In 1628, Cardinal Richelieu invaded the city, seeking to finally resolve the problem of the Protestant enclave in Catholic France. De Souches, then aged 20, gained his first war experience as he fought on the walls of La Rochelle. When the city was starved, he left for Germany, seeking fortune and glory in the Swedish army. In 1634 he fought at Nördlingen, and a year later he was already appointed to the rank of governor.


He was very learned and well-read, but also very volatile. In 1636, he had a disagreement with his superior during the conquest of Stargard, because he disagreed with the conduct of the siege works. He therefore decided to leave the Swedish army and returned to France, where he tried to join the French army. However, the latter did not accept him and so he returned to the Swedes in 1639. In the same year, Raduit de Souches was appointed colonel and was granted a patent for a regiment of dragoons.


In 1641, he again got into a dispute with his superior, who had him imprisoned and wanted Raduit court-martialled. De Souches therefore escaped from Swedish captivity in 1642 and headed back to France. On the way, he stopped in Vienna and offered his services to Emperor Ferdinand III. As an expert in Swedish organization, tactics and strategy, he is accepted and immediately appointed colonel of a dragoon regiment. In 1642-43 de Souches took part in operations in Silesia. In 1644 he participated in the siege of Olomouc, occupied by the Swedes, and became famous for his great bravery.


On 15 March 1645 he was entrusted with an almost suicidal task. Command in Brno, which was about to be overrun by the Swedish tide. De Souches, however, did not hesitate and threw himself with all his strength into the preparatory work. The superhuman task was accomplished - Raduit managed to improve the fortifications and create sufficient supplies for six months of siege. He had, however, only 1,475 men under his command, and of these only 426 were soldiers, the rest being volunteers from the ranks of the students and the bourgeoisie. The Swedes under General Lennart Torsterson arrived in early May 1645 with 28,000 men (!) and besieged the city for 16 long weeks. After a long and unsuccessful siege, they finally decided to take the city by a general attack scheduled for 15 August 1645. The Swedes made 6 simultaneous attacks from all directions, the city was burning in many places and the situation was so desperate that even Raduit fought personally on the walls with his men. In the end, all the attacks were repulsed with all his strength. Sporadic fighting continued for three more days, and on 23 August 1645 the Swedes finally withdrew for good. The defenders lost 350 dead and wounded, the Swedes a shocking eight thousand men. Throughout Europe, the miracle was spoken of as a miracle and Raduit de Souches as the greatest contemporary expert on fortress warfare.


On October 27, 1645, he was promoted to the rank of field-guard general. As an expert on forts and sieges, he was given the task of capturing several small Swedish forts on the Austro-Moravian border, which he did without any problems. In 1647 he participated in the liberation of Jihlava.


In 1648 Raduit de Souches was promoted to the rank of field marshal and appointed commander-in-chief in Moravia. He marched with his army to the aid of besieged Prague. The battle did not take place, however, and after the Swedes heard that the army was approaching, they ended the siege.


After the Thirty Years' War, most of the professional soldiers lost their jobs, but Raduit remained an officer in the Imperial Army because of his undisputed qualities. The next war he participated in was the Swedish-Polish War, which broke out in 1655. Later, the Austrian Emperor intervened in this conflict. One part of the Imperial army marching against the Swedes was commanded by de Souches at the rank of sub-marshal. Immediately after his arrival he participated in the conquest of Kraków in 1657. In 1658 he was appointed general field armorer, making him commander over all the artillery. In 1658 he captured Torun plus several other fortresses and almost succeeded in driving the Swedes out of most of Pomerania. Unfortunately, he failed to capture Szczecin, the Swedes remained trapped in Poland, and eventually the unsuccessful Imperial Army was recalled in 1660.


On the other hand, it was about time, because the same year another war with the Turks started again. Raduit de Souches fights them in Transylvania, then in Slovakia, but eventually has to retreat to Moravia, where the Turks make raids. In 1663 he is made a count.


He is also appointed commander of Moravia to stop the Turkish advance. Thus, in 1664, the counter-attack begins and de Souches commands the northern stream of the imperial armies. He liberates Nitra, Levice, defeats the Turks at the Battle of St. Benedik nad Hronom and drives them across the Danube. In October 1664 he is appointed colonel of the Komárno frontier and commander of the upper towns in Slovakia. As an experienced commander, he begins to restore and improve old fortresses and build new ones. In 1665, work began on the most famous fortress built by Raduit de Souches, the Leopoldov Fortress, which was to prevent the Turks from attacking the wider area from Nové Zámky.


In 1665 de Souches was appointed Imperial Privy Councillor. In 1668 he is honoured again and becomes colonel of the Vienna City Guard. Here again he is engaged in his specialty - fortification work. In 1671, de Souches intervenes against an uprising of the Hungarian nobility.


The same year, war breaks out between Holland and France. Austrian troops were sent to help the Dutch. Raduit's troops support the troops of William III. Oranges in the Battle of Seneffe against the French. However, the choleric de Souches gets into a severe argument with William, which results in Raduit's complete disregard of William's strategic intent during the battle. Although the French are defeated, William complains to the imperial court. Raduit de Souches is therefore dismissed from his post in 1674, stripped of his military functions and banished to his estates.


Blind, suffering from epilepsy and allegedly also mentally ill, Count Jean Luis Raduit de Souches died at his castle in Jevišovice on 12 August 1682, aged 74. According to his will, he was buried on the site of his most famous battle - in the Church of St. James in Brno.
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