Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prince Josias |
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| Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld | |
Portrait of the Prince, wearing Austrian military uniform with the ribbon and star of the Order of Maria Theresa of Austria.
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| Born | 26 December 1737 Ehrenburg Palace, Coburg, Bavaria |
| Died | 26 February 1815 (aged 77) Coburg |
| Spouse | Therese Stroffeck |
| Issue | Frederick, Freiherr von Rohmann |
| House | Wettin |
| Father | Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld |
| Mother | Princess Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Prince Frederick Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (born December 26, 1737, died February 26, 1815) was an important Austrian nobleman and a skilled military general. He was also known as Friedrich Josias von Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld in German.
Contents
Prince Josias's Life Story
Prince Josias was born at Ehrenburg Palace in Coburg. He was the youngest son of Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Princess Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. He was a great-uncle to King Leopold I of Belgium and a great-great-uncle to Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Josias's Military Career
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Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
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| Allegiance | Austrian Empire |
| Rank | Generalfeldmarschall |
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Josias joined the Austrian army as a Colonel in 1759. He fought in the Seven Years' War and became a Lieutenant Field Marshal by 1773.
Battles and Victories
In the war against the Ottoman Empire in 1788, Josias led a part of the army. He helped capture Khotyn and won a big victory with Aleksandr Suvorov at the Battle of Focșani in 1789.
He completely defeated the main Ottoman army at the Battle of Rymnik. After this, he took control of most of Wallachia, including Bucharest. The people of Bucharest welcomed him after their ruler, Nicholas Mavrogenes, fled. Soon after these victories, Josias became a Field Marshal.
Family Life
While in Moldavia, Josias met Therese Stroffeck, who was not from a noble family. On September 24, 1789, their son Frederick was born in the town of Roman.
Josias and Therese married when they returned to Coburg on December 24. Josias officially recognized Frederick as his son. Frederick later became a nobleman in 1808. In 1853, Duke Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha gave him the title Freiherr von Rohmann. This title was named after his birthplace. However, because his parents' marriage was not considered equal in rank, Frederick and his children could not inherit the duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.
Later Campaigns and Retirement
In 1793 and 1794, Josias commanded the army in the Austrian Netherlands. He won a major battle at Neerwinden in March 1793. This victory helped Austria regain control of the region. He then moved into France and captured several towns like Condé and Valenciennes.
However, due to problems among the Allied forces, he faced some difficulties. He then suffered a major defeat at the Fleurus on June 26, 1794. After this loss, he left the Netherlands. He was upset and openly criticized the policies of Baron Thugut, an important Austrian diplomat. Josias then resigned as Field Marshal and retired to Coburg, where he later passed away.
See also
In Spanish: Josías de Sajonia-Coburgo-Saalfeld para niños
