Matthias Gallas, Graf von Campo und Herzog von Lucera (Count of Campo, Duke of Lucera) (Matteo Gallasso; 17 October 1588 in Trento – 25 April 1647 in Vienna) was an Austrian professional soldier during the Thirty Years' War. He distinguished himself in the first half of the war in service of the Catholic League, in the War of the Mantuan Succession, and as one of Albrecht von Wallenstein's Generals. After carrying out the dismissal and elimination of Wallenstein, Gallas became acting supreme commander of the Imperial Army three times between 1634 and 1647 but he never held the function or authority of a Generalissimo.
He was a principal architect of the victory of Nördlingen 1634 but his following campaigns were less successful. After leading ineffective offensives against France, he managed to end Swedish attacks on Saxony and to drive them back to the Baltic coast in 1637. Unable to eliminate them or sustain his own forces in the devastated Pomerania, Gallas retreated with his shrunken army in 1638. Because he was unable to stop the following Swedish advance, he lost his command for the first time.
Called back in 1643 to stop Lennart Torstensson who soon retreated to attack Denmark, Gallas was ordered to follow him and to support the Danes. This ended in Gallas' most disastrous campaign in which he was outmaneuvered and encircled by the Swedes, who cut him off from his supplies in late 1644. Having lost almost his entire army, he was again relieved from command, only to return to advise and support Archduke Leopold Wilhelm in defending the Erblande against Sweden. Once again, he replaced the Archduke as supreme commander in 1647 but died soon afterwards after suffering many years from ill health.
Biography
Early career
Gallas started his career first as page and then as cavalryman in service of Ferdinando Madruzzo, a brother of the Prince-Bishop of Trento Carlo Gaudenzio Madruzzo. He most likely fought as Spanish mercenary in Flanders. Thereafter, he fought as Fähnrich and Lieutenant under the Tyrolean Obristfeldhauptmann Giannangelo Madruzzo for Spain against Savoy. In 1616, Gallas participated at the Spanish siege of Vercelli in Piedmont. Following Giannangelo's death in December 1618, Gallas was designated to succeed him as commander of the fortress Riva. He became Captain and commanded the fortress until January 1621. In this year, Gallas joined the forces of the Catholic League and entered the Thirty Years' War as Obristwachtmeister and commander of an infantry regiment. He was second officer to Count Anholt and distinguished himself, especially at the battle of Stadtlohn (1623). After being promoted to colonel in 1625 and made Reichsfreiherr in 1627, the League president and Bavarian Elector Maximilian denied him further promotion, leading to Gallas' change into Imperial service in early 1629.
Since 1629, he was serving as Generalfeldwachtmeister under Count Collalto in the War of Mantuan succession. When Collalto fell sick, command of the Imperial army devolved to his deputies, Gallas and Johann von Aldringen.
On 29 May 1630, Gallas successfully defeated a 17,000 strong Franco-Venetian relief army led by the French general Duc de Candale and the Venetian provveditore Zaccaria Sagredo at the battle of Villabuona. His complete victory at Villabuona ensured the fall of Mantua, and on 18 July Imperial troops under his command captured and then brutally sacked the city. Only the churches and the ghetto were spared, but the latter solely to expel the Jewish population and to plunder it nine days later. The expulsion was later rescinded by the Imperial court, and on 18 October the surviving Jewish population of Mantua was allowed to return. Gallas stayed in Italy to negotiate the Treaty of Cherasco in which he managed to prevent the demilitarisation of the Valtellina that remained under Imperial control.