Heinrich von Hess

Heinrich Hermann Josef Freiherr von Heß (alternatively: von Hess) (17 March 1788 – 13 April 1870) was an Austrian soldier and field marshal, who entered the army in 1805 and was soon employed as a staff officer on survey work.

He distinguished himself as a subaltern at Aspern and Wagram, and in 1813, as captain, again served on the staff. In 1815, he was with Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg. He had, in the interval between the two wars, been employed as a military commissioner in Piedmont, and at the peace resumed this post, gaining knowledge which later prover invaluable to the Austrian army.

In 1831, when Radetzky became commander-in-chief in Austrian Italy, he took Heß as his chief of staff. This began the connection between two famous soldiers which, like that of Blücher and Gneisenau, is a classical example of harmonious co-operation between commander and chief of staff. Heß put into shape Radetzky's military ideas, in the form of new drill for each army, and, under their guidance, the Austrian army in North Italy, always on a war footing, became the best in Europe. From 1834 to 1848 Heß was employed in Moravia, at Vienna, etc., but, on the outbreak of revolution and war in the latter year, he was at once sent out to Radetzky as chief of staff. Commander of the Military Order of Maria Theresa, 1849 Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1855 Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Leopold Military Merit Cross Grand Cross of the Zähringer Lion, 1840 Grand Cross of the Merit Order of St. Michael, 1840 Grand Cross of Merit of the Bavarian Crown, 1853 Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order, 1850 Grand Cross of the Merit Order of Philip the Magnanimous, 27 December 1840 Grand Cross of the Ludwig Order, 4 August 1858 Kingdom of Prussia: Knight of the Black Eagle Knight of the Red Eagle, 1st Class with Swords Grand Cross of the Friedrich Order Holy See: Knight of the Supreme Order of Christ Grand Cross of St. Gregory the Great Knight of St. George, 2nd Class, April 1849 Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky, in Diamonds Knight of the White Eagle Knight of St. Anna, 1st Class Knight of St. Vladimir, 4th Class Commander of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Grand Cross of St. George of the Reunion