Ernest de Lipowski

Joseph Antoine Ernest, Comte de Lipowski was a French general of Polish origin that served the Franco-Prussian War and was notable for being the main French commander of several battles of the war.

Biography Early life and family Ernest was born on 12 June 1843 in Strasbourg as the son of Pierre Nicolas Joseph Albert de Lipowski and Marguerite Sophie Laroche. He had two marriages with his first wife being Marie Eggerickx who died within a few years, and then with Marianne Eastwood in 1876.

Military career After graduating from the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, he became an officer but initially resigned this position due to several financial embarrassments. He later returned to military service when the Franco-Prussian War broke out and commanded the French forces at the battles of Châteaudun and Varize. For his service at Châteaudun, he was awarded the Legion of Honour, knight class.

Later years In his later years of military service, he served in the armies of Austria-Hungary and the Russian Empire simultaneously when in 1873, he was caught committing escroquerie as Lipowski had a large amount of unpaid bills but avoided prosecution in Switzerland due to being a French citizen but was removed from the records of the Legion due to this. until his death on 23 February 1904 in Paris.