Heinrich von Siegenthal

Heinrich Bersina von Siegenthal was born on 18 February 1762 and died on 21 December 1831 in Vienna. He became an Austrian cavalry general and senior military administrator of the Habsburg Monarchy, later holding the post of k.k. Vizehofkriegspräsident and serving as second Inhaber of Kürassierregiment Nr. 1.

Educated at the Theresianische Militär-Akademie in Wiener Neustadt, he entered the kaiserliche Armee from the academy and was assigned as an Unterleutnant to Chevauxlegers Nr. 5 (Kinsky). During the Ottoman war of 1788–1791 (the Austro-Turkish War within the wider Russo-Turkish conflict), he gained notice for field performance, including actions that involved rallying cavalry and securing a river crossing, and he came to the attention of the imperial leadership.

In 1798 he was promoted to Major and appointed Flügeladjutant to Erzherzog Karl. In the same year he was promoted to Oberstleutnant, transferred to Kürassier-Regiment Nr. 4 (Kavanagh), and then promoted to Oberst. In 1801 he moved as Oberst to Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 3 (Erzherzog Carl), where he was credited with rapid training and organization of the regiment.

On 1 September 1805 he was appointed Generalmajor, with seniority dated from 8 February 1804. In the Third Coalition War he served with his regiment in the Italian theatre and was tasked with maintaining communications and linkage between the Austrian forces operating in Italy and those in Tirol. In that context he was engaged on 19 October 1805 in the fighting at the Flitscher Klause and on 21 October 1805 at Pontebba.

In the Fifth Coalition War (1809) he served as a cavalry brigadier in the corps of Liechtenstein. At the battle of Aspern (21 May 1809) he was in reserve, and in the fighting around Essling he repelled French cavalry attacks against Austrian infantry squares. He again distinguished himself on 22 May 1809, and on 23 May 1809 he was awarded the Militär-Maria-Theresien-Orden on the battlefield by Erzherzog Karl. On 27 May 1809 he was promoted to Feldmarschalleutnant and appointed as a division commander (Divisionär) in the corps of Hohenzollern. He subsequently fought at Wagram on 5–6 July 1809.

On 20 April 1810 he received the hereditary baronial status (erbländischer Freiherrenstand), appearing thereafter in formal usage as Freiherr Heinrich Bersina von Siegenthal. In 1812 he became the second Inhaber (proprietor) of Kürassierregiment Nr. 1. During the 1812 campaign against Russia he served with the Austrian auxiliary contingent associated with Schwarzenberg’s forces, and he commanded a divisional formation within the Austrian corps employed in that theatre.

On 7 February 1813 he was at Warsaw and oversaw the handover of the city to Russian forces under генерал-лейтенант Baron Korff, after which Austrian elements withdrew toward Kraków. In 1813 he was appointed kommandierender General in Slavonien and Sirmien, a regional command within the Habsburg military-administrative structure that combined military and territorial responsibilities.

After the Napoleonic Wars, his career continued in high command and central administration. In November 1827 he was promoted to General der Kavallerie. In 1831 he was appointed k.k. Vizehofkriegspräsident, serving at the top level of the Hofkriegsrat (Aulic War Council) administration shortly before his death in Vienna on 21 December 1831.