Leopold Joseph von Daun (24 September 1705-5 February 1766) was a Field Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire during the War of the Austrian Succession and Seven Years' War. Von Daun has been compared unfavorably to Flavius Cuncator of the Roman Republic for being slow to fight against his enemies, but he won several battles against the finest army in Europe, being Frederick the Great's Prussian army. He would set up the Theresian Military Academy in 1751, and he was well-known for his excellent organizational skills and various army reforms.
Biography[]
Leopold Graf von Daun was the only Austrian commander able to take on Frederick the Great, his patience and steadiness successful against Frederick's rash aggression. Daun defeated the Prussian king at Kolin in June 1757, only to cede supreme command for reasons of social precedence before opposing Frederick at the battle of Leuthen six months later. He escaped responsibility for this defeat and secured overall command for the rest of the Seven Years' War. Daun defeated the Prussians at Hochkirch in 1758 and imposed heavy casualties on Frederick at Torgau in 1760.