Franz von Lauer | |
|---|---|
 Franz von Lauer | |
| Born | 11 May 1736 |
| Died | 11 September 1803 (aged 67) Krems an der Donau, Austria |
| Allegiance |  Habsburg monarchy |
| Service | Engineers |
| Years of service | 1755–1801 |
| Rank | Feldzeugmeister |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Military Order of Maria Theresa, KC 1789, CC 1795 |
Franz von Lauer (11 May 1736 – 11 September 1803) entered the Imperial Army as a military engineer in 1755 and ended his career as Feldzeugmeister. After serving in the Seven Years' War, by 1783 he had reached the rank of oberst, or colonel. He fought against Ottoman Turkey at Belgrade and became a general officer for his distinguished effort as a siege specialist.
During the War of the First Coalition against the First French Republic, he directed the sieges of Fort-Louis in 1793 and Mannheim in 1795. In 1796, he was named chief of staff of the army sent to oppose Napoleon Bonaparte in Italy, fighting at Bassano and Mantua. In 1800, he was appointed deputy commander of the main army in southern Germany, which ended in disastrous defeat at Hohenlinden in December. He was made the scapegoat for this failure and dismissed from the service shortly thereafter.