Baron Karl Paul von Quosdanovich was born in
Brezovac Žumberački near
Samobor (at the time in the
Kingdom of Croatia within Habsburg Monarchy), which is in
Žumberak, a range of
mountains between
Croatia and
Slovenia, known for his
uskoks, the
refugees from parts of Croatia occupied by the
Ottoman Empire and traditional
guerrilla soldiers. The Gvozdanović family surname dates back to
Raška and
Zeta in the Middle Ages. He was a relative of
Petar Vid Gvozdanović,
Fieldmarshal Lieutenant, who distinguished himself in the
War of the Bavarian Succession (1778–1779) and the
War of the First Coalition (1792–1797). Having started his military career as a young man, he was promoted gradually, becoming
captain in 1796,
major in 1801,
colonel in 1809, and finally
major general on 12 May 1813. He fought in many battles during several wars at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century (
Austro–Turkish War (1787–1791),
French Revolutionary Wars,
Napoleonic Wars). For his merits he was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the
Order of Maria Theresa in the 66th promotion ceremony which took place on 18 August 1801, as well as the Commander's Cross on 8 March 1814. Quosdanovich died at the beginning of 1817 in
Pančevo, a town in
Banat Military Frontier of the
Habsburg monarchy (now
Serbia), at the age of 53. ==See also==