Moritz Freiherr Rueber von Ruebersburg

One of the many heroes of the Napoleonic Period was the later Generalmajor Heinrich Freiherr Rueber von Ruebersburg who won the knight's cross of the Military Maria Theresien Order as an Hauptmann in 1809/10. He had 3 sons and naturally all three became active officers like their famous father. It is a reflection of the medical circumstances pertaining during the nineteenth century that the careers of all three would be drastically curtailed. An upper class upbringing and lifestyle were no guarantor against the then prevailing vagaries of nineteenth century soldiering.

The eldest son, Rudolf born at Olmütz on the 20th of March 1812, entered military education at the Military Academy at Wiener Neustadt on the 5th of November 1822 in the age of 10. On the 12th of March 1830 he died at the academy suffering from a heavy fever shortly before his 18th birthday! The second son, Hugo born at Padua on the 17th of December 1817, entered military education at the Military Academy at Wiener Neustadt on the 17th of October 1829. Very shortly he began to get problems with his lungs and therefore he had to leave military service on the 15th of September 1834. After some months in the South he appeared to have made a complete recovery and once again signed up for military duty as a Fähnrich in infantry regiment number 20. Two years later 1837 he was transferred to infantry regiment number 13 where he received his promotion to Leutnant in 1840 and in 1847 he was promoted to Oberleutnant. With the coming of war in the  autumn of 1848 the 1st battalion of his regiment was garrisoned at Graz while the 2nd battalion covered the Korps Nugent at Pettau and was involved in minor fighting on the island in the river Mur. In early 1849 both battalions were united in the brigade of Generalmajor Dietrich in the Hungarian theatre but living in the field and the sleeping in cold and wet tents proved ultimately fatal for Hugo's health. He died of pneumonia shortly before his regiment had to experience their first major battle near Kapolna on the 27th of February 1849. Now only the youngest of the Rueber boys was left!

Moritz Freiherr Rueber von Ruebersburg was born at Padua on the 28th of January 1819. He entered military education at the Military Academy at Wiener Neustadt on the 15th of December 1830. Graduating successfully he was posted in1838 to infantry regiment number 32 as a Fähnrich. With this regiment he received his promotion to Leutnant on the 16th of February 1843 and to Oberleutnant on the 2nd of June 1848. When the revolution started his regiment was divided amongst the garrisons of Modena, Parma and Reggio. In the face of great difficulty they were able to unite behind the river Po at Mantua. After the battles at Governolo (23rd April) and along the Curtatone line (4th and 13th May) they took part in the defence of Mantua. During the campaign of 1849 they were part of the Korps Graf Thurn. The regiment arrived just a little too late to take part in the battle of Novara but remained there as part of the army of occupation until the end of the war. Moritz Freiherr Rueber von Ruebersburg had performed well and was attached to the general staff corps on the 30th of August 1849 where he received his promotion to Hauptmann on the 12th of November of the same year.

On the 5th of September 1853 he was honored with the award of the knight's cross of the Papal Order of Saint Gregorius and with the 2nd class of the Tuscan Military Merit Order on the 19th of December 1854. Following the outbreak of yet another war in northern Italy, Moritz Rueber, meanwhile promoted to Major on the 17th of April 1859, once again saw action there. For his performance during the battle at Montebello he received the commendation of the Kaiser and for his heroic actions during the battle of Solferino he received the Military Merit Cross. For his outstanding performance during the whole campaign he was honored with the award of the Order of the Iron Crown 3rd class with war decoration on the 20th of December 1859. On the 21st of April 1861 he was promoted to Oberstleutnant. Moritz Freiherr Rueber von Ruebersburg was now one of the most decorated younger general staff officers who could look forward to a great career. On the 24th of November 1863 he was appointed chief of the 1st department at the headquarters in Zara. In this post he received his promotion to Oberst im Generalstab on the 20th of October 1865 at the age of only 46. After the battle of Custozza he was briefly the chief of staff of South Army and in August 1866 he was appointed as chief of staff of General Maroičić's 7th Armee-Korps, but here his luck departed him. On the 17th of September 1866 Oberst Moritz Freiherr Rueber von Ruebersburg died of cholera at the fortress of Comorns.

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