Johann chose a military career and at age 21 entered the army as a
lieutenant in a
cuirassier regiment. In the year 1785 Johann joined the
Freemason lodge in
Vienna. He also participated in many other battles. Soon after being promoted to
General-Major in June 1794, he fought at the
Battle of Fleurus. He commanded a mixed cavalry-infantry brigade in Anton Sztaray's division at the
Battle of Würzburg on 3 September 1796. After this action he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Maria Theresa. In the
War of the Second Coalition, Liechtenstein commanded the Austrian Reserve at the
Battle of Trebbia. In August 1799 he received promotion to
Feldmarschal-Leutnant. He commanded 8,000 men in the successful siege of
Cuneo in November and December. On 3 December 1800, he led a 5,109-man cavalry division in the
Battle of Hohenlinden.
Napoleonic Wars '' by
Antoine-Jean Gros, 1812. Liechtenstein is pictured between the two emperors. Liechtenstein was prominent in the
Napoleonic Wars. At the
Battle of Austerlitz, he led the 4,600 cavalry of the 5th Column. His troops fought well but he was unable to save the Austrian-Russian army from a disastrous defeat. Afterward, he carried on the negotiations with
Emperor Napoleon I which concluded with the
Peace of Pressburg. He earned the rank of General of Cavalry in 1808. Throughout the
War of the Fifth Coalition Liechtenstein commanded the I Reserve Korps in the army of
Archduke Charles. He led his cavalry and grenadiers at the
Battle of Eckmühl on 22 April 1809, the
Battle of Aspern-Essling on 21–22 May, and the
Battle of Wagram on 5–6 July. He took command of the main army after Archduke Charles resigned and held this responsibility until the end of the year.
Emperor Francis II promoted him
Feldmarschall in September. He negotiated and signed the
Peace of Schönbrunn. Both of these treaties were very favourable to Napoleon and hard on Austria. Afterward, Liechtenstein was accused of having little diplomatic skill. To escape criticism he resigned from the military in 1810.
Sovereign of Liechtenstein As Prince of Liechtenstein, Johann made forward-thinking reforms, but also had an
absolutist governing style. In 1818 he granted a constitution, although it was limited in its nature. He expanded
agriculture and
forestry and radically reorganized his administration, in an attempt to take the requirements of what was then a modern estate into account. He proved a trendsetter in the area of garden art by planting
Biedermeier gardens and park landscapes in an
English model. In 1806 Napoleon incorporated Liechtenstein in the
Confederation of the Rhine and made it a sovereign state. At the
Vienna Congress the sovereignty of Liechtenstein was approved. Liechtenstein became a member of the
German Confederation in 1815. This membership confirmed Liechtenstein's sovereignty. ==Personal life==