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Johann Stahl (12 August, 1780 - 27 December, 1869) was a Saxon born Brigadegeneral, Generaloberst and later Generalfeldmarschall (English: General Field Marshall) first for the Imperial Saxon Confederation and later the Saxon Republic. Serving with distinction during the Saxon Invasion of Poland, most especially at the battle of Leszno in 1804, Stahl found himself swiftly rising through the ranks eventually becoming Brigadegeneral (English: Brigadier General) by the time of the Baltic War. After earning multiple rapid victories at Vissenbjerg, Sölvesborg and Norrköping, Stahl was further promoted to become Generaloberst (English: "Uppermost" or "Colonel" General) during the brief peacetime between 1812 - 1816.

Having grown from near obscurity as a son of a minor landowning family, Stahl became a rallying symbol for the Saxon Republic during the Saxon Revolution. Stahl, alongside his contemporaries, Friedrich Molitor and Ludwig Frommel quickly mobilised the Republican forces and seized the major production cities of Leipzig, Dresden, Prague and Kassel. Earning a decisive and unexpected victory at Königsfeld, Stahl would follow up with another victory over the Imperial forces at Göttingen, dividing the Imperial forces between the north and south. Following the overthrow of the Kaiser on 6 July, 1818, Stahl would be promoted to Generalfeldmarschall. During the escalating hostilities between the League of the Adriatic (composed of the Italian Confederation, the Kingdoms of Serbia, Albania and Croatia and the Republic of Greece) and the German Coalition (composed of the Saxon Republic, the Polish-Czechian Commonwealth and the Swiss League), Stahl pushed for an aggressive response to the Italian occupation of Graz.

Eventually when war broke out in 1822, Stahl lead his army through Austria and defeated a combined Italo-Croatian army at the battle of Völkermarkt before forcing the Croatian surrender after the battle of Varaždin. Stahl would win further victories against Russia upon its intervention in 1825 most notably at Tiraspol, sometimes cited as his crowning achievement. Following these victories, Russia, Greece and Croatia would sue for peace. However, whilst the Saxon Government sought to negotiate, Stahl continued his aggressive policy, pushing through neutral Wallachia, Romania and Bulgaria and laying siege to Komotini in Greece. He was summarily demanded to return to Saxon soil and explain his actions but on his journey home he entered Belgrade which surrendered without resistance and then attempted to enter Zagreb but was threatened with execution by the Saxon Government if he did so.

Biography[]

Early Life[]

Born into a minor landowning family in Meissen, northwest of the capital at Dresden, Johann was given a decent education. He studied at a Protestant Church School, and after graduating he would go on to study Military Engineering at the Dresden Academy of Military Sciences (Dresdner Akademie der Militärwissenschaften). Considered highly intelligent, Stahl would nonetheless be considered a poor student due to poor attendance and an abrasive temperament. He was almost expelled from the Academy for assaulting another student.

Despite this, Stahl would graduate in 1801 and was immediately enlisted into the Imperial Saxon Army as a Lieutenant leading a platoon of fifty musketeers. Apparently a harsh taskmaster, Stahl nonetheless was soon highly respected by those under him due to his commitment to living the same way as his men. It is believed that during this time he would pen the phrase "The only difference between soldier and commander is a piece of cloth."[1] Stahl's platoon would primarily serve in the east as a patrol group along the Polish border.

In 1802 they took part in the repression of the Görlitz Mutiny, an event whereby two Infantry companies, composed mostly of local Polish troops, attacked several Saxon arsenals and seized nearly 4,000 rifles. These mutineers were soon joined by a small Squadron of Polish Hussars who began ravaging the local countryside. Stahl's platoon served with distinction, holding down a peak called Aussichtsturm der Landeskrone against repeated attacks and suffering only three wounded. For this distinction, Stahl was promoted to a Major and his new company was named the "Görlitzer Garde" ("Görlitz Guards"). The Görlitz Guard was expanded to 250 musketeers and was garrisoned across Görlitz itself, with Stahl making his headquarters at the Hotherturm tower, overlooking the old town bridge across the river Neisse.

Saxon Invasion of Poland[]

Baltic War[]

Saxon Revolution[]

Six Years' War[]

Retirement[]

  1. Der einzige Unterschied zwischen soldat und Kommandant ist ein Stück Stoff
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