Christoph Martin von Degenfeld

About Christoph Martin von Degenfeld

Christoph Martin Freiherr von Degenfeld (1599–1653) was a German military commander who served the Habsburgs, Sweden and France (1634–1640) during the Thirty Years War, and the Republic of Venice during the Cretan War against the Ottoman Empire. The descendant of an old Swabian noble family, he was orphaned at a young age but received an excellent education at German universities, before beginning his military career in 1621 in the Habsburg army. As a cavalry commander he distinguished himself in Habsburg service under Wallenstein and Tilly, being promoted, knighted, and restored to his family's old title of Freiherr. With his regiment disbanded and his older brothers dying without offspring, Degenfeld left military service in 1630 to devote himself to his family estates. In 1632 he entered Swedish service and raised two cavalry regiments, serving with distinction but falling out with the Swedes before the Battle of Nördlingen, after which he lost all his estates to the victorious Habsburg forces. Degenfeld left with his family for France, where he was soon appointed as commander-in-chief of all foreign cavalry regiments. Again he served with distinction, before court intrigues forced him to abandon French service in 1642. He then entered Venetian service, and fought in Dalmatia against the Ottoman Empire. His six sons also followed a military or courtly career, while his daughter Loysa was the morganatic second wife of Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine.

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