Generals in Franco-Prussian War

[Hippy]

Omblod asked but AB will not allow a reply ...

[Hippy]

The Austrian House of Stadion has been recorded since the 12th century and it split into two branches in 1741, Stadion-Thannhausen and Stadion-Waldhausen.

Johann Philipp (Karl) Graf von Stadion (1787-1862), succeeded Cobenzl as Chancellor of Austria in December 1805, and was head of the Austrian anti-French party. He sounded out the British Government regarding financial support for this view. He had contacts inside the then new German secret society, the Tugendbund, or League of Virtue, later to metamorphose into the Nazi Party. His plan was for a German alliance with Austria leading to defeat Napoleon. This was supported by German patriots, but after the French successes of 1809 he was replaced by Metternich. Stadion negotiated an truce with Prussia, from which French occupying troops had been withdrawn.

Franz Graf von Stadion-Waldhausen (1806-1853) proposed a pro-royalist constitution in March 1849, which declared all Habsburg lands part of an indivisible monarchy, put an effective end to the question of Austria joining a German national state. His eldest son, Friedrich (1810-1881), became a diplomat and was appointed president of the restored German Diet at Frankfurt in 1850, where his anti-Prussian policy brought him into conflict with Bismarck, Prussian envoy and eventually architect of the larger Germany. He later became ambassador at Berlin and St Petersburg, retiring from public office in 1863.

Napoleon III was defeated in the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 and he abdicated leading to the collapse of the Second French Empire. The 5th Corps of the Austrian army ranged against Napoleon's forces was named after the Chancellor of 1805-9.

[Hippy]

Whoops! I got two noble Austrian and Bohemian families muddled, as can be seen by the dates above. Count Franz Thun-Hohenstein had an eldest son Friedrich (1810-1881) not Franz Graf von Stadion-Waldhausen as stated. I was captivated by the anti-Prussian sentiments. Friedrich Thun-Hohenstein was Bohemian, hence his being involved in the Diet at Frankfurt.