Reinhard Vincent Graf von Hompesch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Reinhard Vincent Graf von Hompesch
Reinhard Vincent von Hompesch (1660-1733)
Born	1660
Died	20 January 1733(1733-01-20) (aged 72–73) 's-Hertogenbosch
Father	Johann Dietrich II von Hompesch zu Bollheim und Rurich
Mother	Anna Louisa von Ketzgen
Military service
Battles/wars	Nine Years' War War of the Spanish Succession Ekeren Blenheim Elixheim Ramillies Oudenaarde Malplaquet Arras Douai

Reinhard Vincent Graf von Hompesch was an important general from Germany. He lived from 1660 to 1733. He worked for the United Provinces, which was like the Netherlands back then. He was a governor in several cities, including Luxembourg and ’s-Hertogenbosch. His parents were Johann Dietrich II von Hompesch and Anna Louisa von Ketzgen.

A Life of Service

Reinhard came from a noble family called Hompesch. They were from an area between Germany and the Netherlands. Many people in his family, including two of his brothers, chose to become soldiers.

Early Military Career

By 1691, Reinhard was a major in the Dutch Horse Guards. This was an important army group. He later became a colonel in the same regiment in 1711. In 1698, he even worked for King William III of England. He was given the job of Master of the Privy Buckhounds.

In 1701, he was promoted to major general. This meant he was a very important leader in the army.

Fighting in Major Wars

Reinhard fought in the War of the Spanish Succession. This was a big war that lasted many years. He fought in several important battles:

• In 1703, he was at the Battle of Ekeren.
• In 1704, he was a lieutenant general at the Battle of Blenheim. He led a large group of cavalry, which are soldiers on horseback.

After the Battle of Blenheim, a famous general named Marlborough gave Reinhard a special job. He was to take charge of the Trier area. Reinhard made Trier stronger by building defenses. He also took control of Saarbrücken.

Rising Through the Ranks

Reinhard continued to gain more responsibility. In 1704, he became the commander of the Grave region. In 1705 and 1706, he led forces in the Meuse region.

Because of his great service, Emperor Joseph I made him a count in 1706. This was a very high honor. He continued to fight bravely in battles:

• In 1708, he fought at Oudenarde.
• In 1709, he fought at Malplaquet.

Governor and Diplomat

In 1710, Reinhard became the governor of Douai. This happened after the Allied forces won a long battle to take the city. In 1711, his forces had to retreat from a nearby town. But they fought back and helped the Allies move forward into France.

Two years later, in 1712, the French army took Douai back. Reinhard did not have enough soldiers to defend the city for long. The people of Douai also wanted the fighting to end quickly. Reinhard and his soldiers were taken prisoner. The French also captured many cannons and supplies.

After this, Reinhard continued his important work. In 1713, he became the Governor of Luxembourg. Then, in 1714, he was governor of Namur. Finally, from 1718 until he passed away in 1733, he was the governor of ’s-Hertogenbosch.

In 1723, he was promoted to General of Cavalry. In 1732, he became the top commander of the entire Dutch States Army. He led many army exercises near the border to show how strong the army was.

Reinhard also worked as a diplomat. In 1721, he went to Berlin and received the Black Eagle Order, a special award. In 1725, he helped the Dutch government buy some land from another ruler. This was an important deal for Holland.

Reinhard bought a large estate and castle called Stevensweert in 1721. He passed away there in 1733.

His Family

Reinhard had two brothers who were also soldiers. Adrien Gustave died in battle in 1710. Adam Adrien Louis also became a general. He served both Holland and Prussia.

One of Reinhard's relatives, Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim, became the last Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller. This was a very old and famous group of knights.