Archduke John (1782-1859)

You may have wondered what the little image is on the left. It is the counter of an Austrian general in Harry Rowland and Greg Pinder's Empires in Arms. John (Baptist Joseph Fabian Sebastian) was a Habsburg archduke, the younger brother of Holy Roman Emperor Francis II (and I of Austria, when the HRE came a cropper). He was also the younger brother of Archduke Charles: a noted captain of the age and one of the most competent of Napoleon's opponents.

Sadly the same couldn't be said for John. His military capabilities were ... how shall we put this ... somewhat limited. It is safe to say that he did not 'extend the limits of glory'. Indeed, he represents the worst military leader in Empires in Arms. (Which is perhaps a little unfair, because even Jerome Bonaparte is better in the game, and he was a right toss-pot...)

All this is very unfortunate because, as 18th century aristocrats went, John actually seemed to be a rather nice bloke. Much more so than half the other butcherers who get counters. As liberal and modernising as Habsburgs could be without breaking the axioms of the universe, he married (morganatically) a postmaster's daughter, and was interested in mountaineering, natural history, geology, technology and industry. Temporarily regent over the German Confederation in 1848-9, he died at the age of seventy-seven a decade later. As Charles gave his name in posterity to a rose, John gave his to an orchid.