Hungarian soldier of fortune, born in Baja, Hungary, on the 10th of August 1825. Entered the Austrian army, and distinguished himself in the Italian campaign of 1848. Hungary having begun its great insurrection, he deserted to the Sardinian army, and commanded a regiment of Hungarian volunteers at the battle of Novara (1849). After that disaster he joined the revolutionary army in Baden, and when it was defeated took refuge in London. During the Crimean War he took service under the British flag. Having set foot on Hungarian territory, he was arrested by the Austrian police, court-martialed and sentenced to be shot. Queen Victoria’s personal interference was needed to save his life. From 1856 to 1859 he served under the Turkish Crescent. In 1859, under Garibaldi, commanded a battalion of Alpine chasseurs, and was severely wounded. He joined the Garibaldi expedition in the kingdom of the Two Sicilies. He was wounded at the storming of Palermo, but kept on with the conquering army. He influenced materially the final decision of Garibaldi to transfer his conquests to King Victor Emmanuel. He was created lieutenant-general, and married a princess of the younger Bonaparte branch. In 1870 he did his best to gain Italian and Austrian help for France. In 1886 he formed the company which finally dug the ship-canal through the Isthmus of Corinth, Greece.
