Count Claude Florimond de Mercy

Who was Count Claude Florimond de Mercy?

Count Claudius Florimund de Mercy was an Imperial field marshal, born at Longwy in Lorraine, now in France.

Mercy entered the Austrian army as a volunteer in 1682. He won his commission at the great Battle of Vienna in the following year; and during seven years of campaigning in Hungary rose to the rank of Rittmeister. A wound sustained at this time permanently injured his sight. For five years more, up to 1697, he was employed in the Italian campaigns, then he was called back to Hungary by Prince Eugene of Savoy and won on the field of the Battle of Zenta two grades of promotion.

De Mercy displayed great daring in the first campaigns of the Spanish Succession War in Italy, twice fell into the hands of the enemy in rights at close quarters and for his conduct at the surprise of Cremona received the thanks of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and the proprietary colonelcy of a newly raised cuirassier regiment. With this he took part in the Rhine campaign of 1703, and the Battle of Friedlingen, and his success as an intrepid leader of raids and forays became well known to friend and foe. He was on that account selected early in 1704 to harry the dominions of Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria. He was soon afterwards promoted to Generalfeldwachtmeister, in which rank he was engaged in the Battle of Schellenberg.