Italian-Austrian nobleman and professional soldier
Matthias Gallas
Matthias Gallas, Graf von Campo, Herzog von Lucera
Born
17 October 1588 Trento, Prince-Bishopric of Trent[1]
Died
25 April 1647(1647-04-25) (aged 58) Vienna, Austria[2]
Allegiance
Holy Roman Empire
Rank
Generalfeldmarschall
Battles/wars
War of the Mantuan Succession
Battle of Villabuona (1630)
Sack of Mantua (1630)
Thirty Years' War
Battle of Stadtlohn (1623)
Battle of the Alte Veste (1632)
Siege of Regensburg (1634)
Battle of Nördlingen (1634)
Capture of Worms (1635)
Capture of Kaiserslautern (1635)
Siege of Mainz (1635)
Siege of Saint-Jean-de-Losne (1636)
Siege of Prague (1639)
Capture of Kiel (1644)
Spouse(s)
Isabella of Arco († 1632), Dorothea Anna von Lodron († 1666)[2]
Signature
Matthias Gallas, Graf von Campo und Herzog von Lucera (Count of Campo, Duke of Lucera) (Matteo Gallasso; 17 October 1588 in Trento – 25 April 1647 in Vienna)[1][3][4] was an Italian professional soldier during the Thirty Years' War. He distinguished himself in the first half of the war in service of the Catholic League, in the War of the Mantuan Succession, and as one of Albrecht von Wallenstein's Generals. After carrying out the dismissal and elimination of Wallenstein, Gallas became acting supreme commander of the Imperial Army three times between 1634 and 1647 but he never held the function or authority of a Generalissimo.
He was a principal architect of the victory of Nördlingen 1634 but his following campaigns were less successful. After leading ineffective offensives against France, he managed to end Swedish attacks on Saxony and to drive them back to the Baltic coast in 1637. Unable to eliminate them or sustain his own forces in the devastated Pomerania, Gallas retreated with his shrunken army in 1638. Because he was unable to stop the following Swedish advance, he lost his command for the first time.
Called back in 1643 to stop Lennart Torstensson who soon retreated to attack Denmark, Gallas was ordered to follow him and to support the Danes. This ended in Gallas' most disastrous campaign in which he was outmaneuvered and encircled by the Swedes, who cut him off from his supplies in late 1644. Having lost almost his entire army, he was again relieved from command, only to return to advise and support Archduke Leopold Wilhelm in defending the Erblande against Sweden. Once again, he replaced the Archduke as supreme commander in 1647 but died soon afterwards after suffering many years from ill health.
^ abRebitsch 2006, p. 30.
^ abRößler 1964, pp. 46–47.
^Regarding personal names: Until 1919, Graf was a title, translated as Count, not a first or middle name. The female form is Gräfin. In Germany, it has formed part of family names since 1919.
^Regarding personal names: Herzog is a title, translated as Duke, not a first or middle name. The female form is Herzogin.
MatthiasGallas, Graf von Campo und Herzog von Lucera (Count of Campo, Duke of Lucera) (Matteo Gallasso; 17 October 1588 in Trento – 25 April 1647 in...
lived in Gallia Belgica. MatthiasGallas, an Austrian soldier Johann Wenzel von Gallas, an Austrian diplomatist William Gallas, a French footballer The...
Generalfeldmarschall MatthiasGallas, one of the leading Imperial commanders during the Thirty Years' War. Johann Wenzel of Gallas worked in the service...
under Gallas from Jutland in Denmark south to Bohemia. At the Battle of Jankau near Prague, the Swedish army defeated the Imperial army under Gallas and...
armies of the Duke Charles of Lorraine and the Imperial generalissimo MatthiasGallas in the Rhine, Alsace and Lorraine, the French armies remained focused...
broke out, and in 1630 an Imperial army of 36,000 mercenaries under MatthiasGallas and Johann von Aldringen besieged and sacked Mantua, bringing the plague...
distinguished service against Ernst von Mansfeld. He and his constant comrade MatthiasGallas were ennobled on the same day, and in the course of the Italian campaign...
Italian). Curia Provinciale dei FF.MM a Venezia. Rebitsch, Robert (2006). MatthiasGallas (1588–1647). Generalleutnant des Kaisers zur Zeit des Dreißigjährigen...
in the Thirty Years' War first under Albrecht von Wallenstein and MatthiasGallas, then received an independent command in Westphalia. Usually successful...
an Imperial counteroffensive in 1637. The main Imperial army led by MatthiasGallas had returned from Burgundy and repulsed the Swedes back to Pomerania...
Wallenstein's death in 1634, most of the duchy was given to Count MatthiasGallas and its independent status was annulled. English: Golo Mann: Wallenstein...
began to rebuild it. It was again ravaged by imperial troops under MatthiasGallas. They also looted Lemberg Castle, which was burned in 1636. Then the...
In 1636 the Imperial army stationed in Lorraine and Burgundy under MatthiasGallas planned an attack on Paris from the south, but was stopped by French...
more than 4,000 French and Venetian troops killed in an attack by MatthiasGallas of the Holy Roman Empire's army. June 4 – Scottish-born Presbyterian...
Imperial invasion of France under the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand and MatthiasGallas in 1636. Early in February 1638, having been prodded by the French...
Wadding, Irish Franciscan friar and historian (d. 1657) October 17 – MatthiasGallas, Austrian soldier (d. 1647) November 25 – Gilbert Ironside the elder...
taken by Imperial-Spanish and Imperial-Croatian troops under General MatthiasGallas. The castle was still held by the Swedes until May 1636 under an armistice...
French commander Duc de Candale on one side and the Imperial army of Mathias Gallas on the other. The more numerous Franco-Venetians and their Mantuan allies...
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Holy Roman Empire