Danish military leader (1608?1676)
Hans Schack
(28 October 1608 ? 27 February 1676) was a member of the north German
noble family Schack
, who after many years in French service, entered the Danish service, made major contributions during the war with Sweden, and loyally supported
Frederick III
when he overthrew the Danish constitution. He became a Danish field-marshal, commander-in-chief of the Danish army, member of the Board of State, and of the
Danish Privy Council
, and made a Danish count.
Early career
[
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As a young man, Schack began his military career by serving in the Danish army during the early years of the
Thirty Years' War
. He entered Swedish service in 1630, and thence in French in 1635, becoming
colonel
of
cavalry
1642, and later
marechal de camp
. In 1651 Schack retired from the French service to his estates in
Saxe-Lauenburg
, where he remained until 1656, when he became military commandant of
Hamburg
.
[1]
[2]
[3]
Danish service
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]
Faced with imminent war with Sweden, the Danish government wanted to recruit the experienced and reputed Schack for a senior position in the Danish army. In order to satisfy Schack's demand for a permanent position, he was in 1658 appointed
lieutenant-general
, colonel of horse and foot, and made a member of the War Council. He also became
naturalized
as a Danish
nobleman
, receiving two
estates
in
life tenancy
;
Riberhus
and
Møgeltønder
(the later
Schackenborg Castle
). As military governor, Schack commanded Copenhagen during the
Swedish siege
of 1659. For his successful defence of the city, he was rewarded with promotion to
field-marshal
. In the fall of the same year, Schack led the Danish forces to victory over the Swedes at the
battle of Nyborg
.
[1]
[2]
[3]
When the
Scanian War
broke out, Schack was commander-in-chief of the Danish army (after the king), but his poor health did not let him participate in the campaign and he died before the second campaign season had started.
[4]
Political role
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]
Schack was a popular figure in Copenhagen, not only as a defender of the city against the Swedes, but as a defender of its
privileges
. In 1660 he was
co-opted
to the Danish
Rigsrad
, in spite of being a recently naturalized foreigner. When
Frederick III
in the same year overthrow the Danish constitution, and created an
absolute monarchy
, Schack was, together with
Hannibal Sehested
, the King's main supporter in the
Rigsrad
, persuading the
clergy
and
bourgeoisie
to support the regime change. The King needed loyal supporters in the government, and Schack was in 1660 appointed to
Rigsfeltherre
(commander-in-chief of the Danish army), and made president of the Board of War, a member of the Board of State, and
Stiftsbefalingsmand
of
Ribe stift
. In 1670 he was also appointed a member of the
Gehejmekonseil
(Privy Council), which that year was created as a successor to the
Rigsrad
. Within the new government, he was the leading proponent of the military party, in opposition to Sehested and the Treasury, and an efficient administrator of military affairs. As a reward, he was in 1661 given Møgeltønder in
fee simple
, and became one of the first
enfeoffed
counts
,
Lensgreve
, when the King in 1671 created that dignity.
[1]
[2]
[3]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
Schøller, C.E.A (1901). "Schack, Hans".
Dansk Biografisk Lexikon
. Kjøbenhavn, Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag, vol. 15, pp. 21-28
Retrieved 2016-12-04.
- ^
a
b
c
Laursen, L. (1926). "Schack, Hans".
Salmonens konversationsleksikon
. København: J. H. Schultz Forlagsboghandel, vol. 20, pp. 1046-1047.
Retrieved 2016-12-04.
- ^
a
b
c
Rockstroh, K. C. "Hans Schack, greve".
Den Store Danske.
Gyldendal.
Retrieved 2016-12-04.
- ^
Christian den femtes rosenborgtapeter fra den skaanske krig, Gudmund Boesen, Copenhagen 1949, p.12
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