Franz Moritz von Lacy

Graf Franz Moritz von Lacy
Count von Lacy
Born	(1725-10-21)21 October 1725 Saint Petersburg,Russian Empire
Died	24 November 1801(1801-11-24)(aged 76) Vienna,Archduchy of Austria,Holy Roman Empire
Buried	Neuwaldegg,Vienna
Allegiance	Holy Roman Empire
Service/branch	Habsburg Empire
Years of service	1743–1790s
Battles/wars	War of the Austrian Succession Battle of Velletri Seven Years' War Battle of Lobositz Battle of Prague Battle of Breslau Battle of Leuthen Battle of Hochkirch Battle of Kunersdorf Siege of Dresden Battle of Torgau War of the Bavarian Succession Austro-Turkish War
Relations	Peter Graf von Lacy(father)
Signature

Franz Moritz Grafvon Lacy(English:Francis Maurice de Lacy;Irish:Proinsias Muiris de Lása;Russian:Борис Петрович Ласси,tr.Boris Petrovich Lassi;21 October 1725 – 24 November 1801)was aBaltic German-bornAustrianmilitary leader, he was the son of CountPeter von Lacyand was a famous Austrianfield marshal.He served during the reign ofMaria Theresaand was a close friend toJoseph II, Holy Roman Emperor,becoming one of the latter's advisers. Lacy was made a count of the Holy Roman Empire.

Early life

Arms of Franz Moritz von Lacy

He was born as the son of CountPeter von Lacyand his second wife, Margareta Filippina von Funcken-Lösern (1685–1759), widowed CountessFrölich.His father was a RussianField Marshalwho belonged to theIrishbranch of thede Lacyfamily and had followedJames IIinto exile. Franz Moritz was born inSt Petersburg,and was educated inGermanyfor a military career, and entered the Austrian service. He served inItaly,Bohemia,Silesiaand theNetherlandsduring theWar of the Austrian Succession,was twice wounded, and by the end of the war was a lieutenant-colonel. At the age of twenty-five he became full colonel and chief of an infantry regiment.

Seven Years' War

In 1756 with the opening of theSeven Years' Warhe was again on active service, and in the first battle (Lobositz) he distinguished himself so much that he was at once promoted major-general. He received his third wound on this occasion and his fourth at the battle ofPraguein 1757. Later in 1757 Lacy bore a conspicuous part in the great victory ofBreslau,and atLeuthen,where he received his fifth wound, he covered the retreat of the defeated army. Soon after this began his association withField-Marshal Daun,the new generalissimo of the empress's forces, and these two commanders, powerfully assisted later by the genius ofLaudon,made headway againstFrederick the Greatfor the remainder of the war.

Lacy, a lieutenant field-marshal at thirty-two, was made chief of staff (quartermaster-general) to Daun in the newly created general staff. They were cautious to the point of timidity sinceLeuthenand many other bitter defeats had taught the Austrians to respect Frederick; but, having resolved to wear out the enemy by Fabian methods, they were strong enough to persist to the end. Thus for some years the life of Lacy, as of Daun and Laudon, is the story of the war against Prussia. AfterHochkirch(October 15, 1758) Lacy received the Grand Cross of theOrder of Maria Theresa.In 1759 both Daun and Lacy fell into disfavour for failing to win victories, and Lacy owed his promotion to Feldzeugmeister only to the fact that Laudon had just received this rank for the brilliant conduct of his detachment atKunersdorf.He shadowedFrederick the Great's Prussian army during the failedSiege of Dresdenin 1760. His responsibilities told heavily on Lacy in the ensuing campaigns, and his capacity for supreme command was doubted even by Daun, who refused to give him the command when he himself was wounded at theBattle of Torgau.

Later career

Tomb of Franz Moritz von Lacy in the Schwarzenbergpark in Neuwaldegg, Vienna

After theTreaty of Hubertusburga new sphere of activity was opened, in which Lacy's special gifts had the greatest scope.Maria Theresahaving placed her son,Emperor Joseph II,at the head of Austrian military affairs, Lacy was made a field marshal, and given the task of reforming and administering the army (1766). He framed new regulations for each arm, a new code of military law, a goodsupply system.As the result of his work the Austrian army was more numerous, far better equipped, and cheaper than it had ever been before. Joseph soon became very intimate with his military adviser, but this did not prevent his mother, after she became estranged from the young emperor, from giving Lacy her full confidence. His activities were not confined to the army. He was in sympathy with Joseph's innovations, and was regarded by Maria Theresa as a prime mover in the scheme for the partition ofPoland.But his self-imposed work broke down Lacy's health, and in 1773, in spite of the remonstrances of Maria Theresa and of the emperor, he laid down all his offices and went to southern France. On returning he was still unable to resume office, though as an unofficial adviser in political and military matters he was far from idle.

Marble bust of Franz Moritz von Lacy byGiuseppe Ceracci.

Arms of Franz Moritz von Lacy from his crypt in Vienna

In the brief and uneventfulWar of the Bavarian Succession,Lacy and Laudon were the chief Austrian commanders against theKing of Prussia,and when Joseph II at Maria Theresa's death, became the sovereign of the Austrian dominions as well as emperor, Lacy remained his most trusted friend. More serious than the War of the Bavarian Succession was the Turkish war which presently broke out. Lacy was now old and worn out, and his tenure of command therein was not marked by any greater measure of success than in the case of the other Austrian generals. His active career was at an end, although he continued his effective interest in the affairs of the state and the army throughout the reign of Joseph's successor,Leopold II.His last years were spent in retirement at hisNeuwaldegg CastlenearVienna.He is buried in amausoleumin the castle grounds.

Ancestry

His father was the Irish-born Russian field marshal and general, commander ofSaint PetersburgandVeliky Novgorodas well as governor ofRiga,CountPierce Edmond de Lacy(German:Peter Graf von Lacy) (1678–1751).

Ancestors of Franz Moritz von Lacy

8. John (de) Lacy of Ballingarry (Limerick) 4. Peter (Pierce) (de) Lacy of Killeedy (Limerick) 2. Count Peter von Lacy [Peter (Pierce) (de) Lacy of Killeedy (Limerick)] (1678–1751) 5. Maria Courteney 1. Count Franz Moritz von Lacy [Francis Maurice (de) Lacy] (1725–1801) 6. Rembert von Funcken, lord of Liezere 3. Maret Philippine "Martha" von Funcken from Liezere 7. baroness Helena Üksküla (Uexkull-Gyldenband)

See also

• Irish military diaspora
• Irish regiments

Further reading

• "Franz Moritz von Lacy",Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie(ADB) (in German), Volume 17, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, 1883, pp. 487–499; (accessible online).
• Johannes Kunisch(1982),"Lacy, Franz Moritz Graf v.",Neue Deutsche Biographie(in German), vol. 13, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, p. 382;(full text online).
• Edward de Lacy-Bellingari (1928),The roll of the house of Lacy: pedigrees, military memoirs and synoptical history of the ancient and illustrious family of De Lacy, from the earliest times, in all its branches, to the present day. Full notices on allied families and a memoir of the Brownes (Camas).Baltimore, MD: Waverly Press, viii & 409 pp. (accessible online).
• Stefan Michael Newerkla (2019), "Die irischen Reichsgrafen von Browne-Camus in russischen und österreichischen Diensten. Vom Vertrag von Limerick (1691) bis zum Tod ihres Hausfreunds Ludwig van Beethoven (1827)" [= The Irish counts of Browne-Camus in Russian and Austrian service. From the Treaty of Limerick (1691) to the death of their friend Ludwig van Beethoven (1827)]. In: Lazar Fleishman – Stefan Michael Newerkla – Michael Wachtel (eds.):Скрещения судеб. Literarische und kulturelle Beziehungen zwischen Russland und dem Westen. A Festschrift for Fedor B. Poljakov(= Stanford Slavic Studies, Volume 49). Berlin: Peter Lang, pp. 43–68.
• Stefan Michael Newerkla(2020), "Das irische Geschlecht O'Reilly und seine Verbindungen zu Österreich und Russland" [The Irish O'Reilly family and their connections to Austria and Russia]. In:Diachronie – Ethnos – Tradition: Studien zur slawischen Sprachgeschichte [Diachrony – Ethnos – Tradition: Studies in Slavic Language History].Eds. Jasmina Grković-Major, Natalia B. Korina,Stefan M. Newerkla,Fedor B. Poljakov, Svetlana M. Tolstaja. Brno: Tribun EU, pp. 259–279(accessible online),here pp. 259–261.
• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Lacy, Franz Moritz, Count".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 57.