How a rejected soldier became the most formidable rival to Frederick the Great
In short: Ernst Gideon von Laudon was a Baltic German officer who rose from poverty to become a legendary Austrian commander. Despite being turned away by Prussia early in his career, he later inflicted crushing defeats on Frederick the Great, eventually serving as the commander-in-chief of the entire Austrian armed forces.
Born in 1717 in Swedish Livonia, Laudon began his military journey as a cadet in the Imperial Russian Army. Frustrated by poor conditions and limited advancement, he resigned in 1741. After an unsuccessful attempt to join the Prussian military, he found his place in Austria, initially serving in irregular units. His transition to a regular officer was marked by years of administrative work in the Karlovac district, where he managed frontier duties until the Seven Years' War provided his true breakthrough.
Laudon’s reputation was forged through aggressive, decisive leadership that stood in stark contrast to the cautious, temporizing strategies favored by his Austrian peers, specifically Leopold Josef von Daun and Franz Moritz von Lacy. While his colleagues often hesitated, Laudon achieved significant victories at Kunersdorf and Landeshut. His genius for rapid, daring maneuvers made him a constant threat to Frederick the Great, who even attempted to recruit him after the war. Despite his successes, Laudon frequently faced internal friction with the Austrian military establishment, leading to periods of semi-retirement on his estates.
In his final years, Laudon was recalled to active service to lead the Austro-Turkish War. Despite failing health, he captured Belgrade in 1789, a final triumph that solidified his legacy. Appointed commander-in-chief by Emperor Leopold II, he died on duty in 1790 at the age of 73. His impact was such that he became a household name in Austria, and his name was even slated for a battleship that was never completed due to the onset of the First World War.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Ernst Gideon von Laudon
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