However, when Attalus refused to let Alaric move his
army into Africa, Alaric again besieged Rome, deposing
Attalus, whose enemies opened Rome’s gates to him.
When Alaric marched in on 24 August 410, he became
the first foreign military leader to occupy that city in
over 800 years.
Alaric was now free to march into Africa, whose
corn both Rome and Alaric badly needed, but he was
seriously ill. The Visigoths left Rome and marched north
through Italy, and he died at Cosentia, Bruttium (mod-
ern-day Cosenza, Italy). He was buried by his comrades,
but his grave is now lost.
Sources on the life of Alaric are scant; the chief au-
thorities for any information are the historians Orosius
and the poet Claudian, whose contemporary works have
been studied thoroughly. Jordanes, a Visigothic historian
who lived in the a.d. sixth century, wrote a history of the
Visigoths and included information on Alaric not seen
in other publications.
References: Brion, Marcel, Alaric the Goth, translated by
Frederick H. Martens (London: Thornton Butterworth
Limited, 1932); Stevens, F. P., From Constantine to Alaric
(Liphook, Hants., U.K.: Privately published, 1984).
Albemarle, duke of See monck, george, duke
of albemarle.
Albert, archduke of Austria (Friedrich Rudolf
Albrecht Habsburg-Lorraine) (1817–1895)
Austrian field marshal
Born Friedrich Rudolf Albrecht Habsburg-Lorraine in
Vienna, Austria, on 3 August 1817, Albert was the eldest
of four sons of Archduke charles of Austria (1771–
1847), the younger brother of Emperor Francis I of Aus-
tria-Hungary. Archduke Charles was himself a military
leader, fighting for France at the battles of Jemappes (6
November 1792) and Neerwinden (18 March 1793)
before siding with the European powers against na-
Poleon, when he was defeated by the French leader at
Wagram (6 July 1809). Albert was educated under his
father’s tutelage before he entered the Austrian military
in 1837 with the rank of colonel of infantry. He studied
the art of war under Count Karl radetzky, the Aus-
trian general whose numerous victories had gained him a
reputation in military history. In 1848, when Italian par-
tisans started nationalistic uprisings in Austria, Radetzky,
backed by his aide Albert, crushed the opposition at the
battles of Pastrengo, Santa Lucia, and Custozza. Because
of his service, Albert was named as commander of a divi-
sion in the II Corps under General Constantin D’Aspre.
Albert’s service at the battle of Novara (23 March 1849)
led to his being made a full general. In 1850, he be-
came a general of cavalry. A year later, he was named
the military and civil governor of Hungary, a part of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, where he served until he was
relieved at his own request in 1860.
Soon after returning to Vienna, Albert was named
to succeed Count Radetzky as the commander in chief
of Austrian forces in Italy. In 1863, he was promoted
to field marshal. As the threat of war with Prussia and
Italy increased, Albert took command of the field army
in Italy. On 18 June 1866, Italy declared war on Austria,
and Albert moved his troops to fight the Italian forces;
his victory at Custozza (23 June 1866) crowned their de-
feat. Historian George Bruce writes of this battle as the
encounter “between 74,000 Austrians under the Arch-
duke Albert and 80,000 Italians under General [Alfonso
Ferrero, Marchese Della] La Marmora.... La Marmora
crossed the Mincio [River] and advanced against the
Archduke, who was covering Verona. The Italians, hav-
ing to pass through a hilly country, the columns were
much broken up, and as they debouched [marched from
a confined area into the open] into the plain of Cus-
tozza, they were beaten in detail, and driven back by the
Austrians, who gained a signal victory. The Austrians lost
4,650 killed and wounded; the Italians 720 killed, 3,112
wounded, and 4,315 prisoners. La Marmora was com-
pelled to recross the Mincio.” Because of his victory at
Custozza, Albert was able to reinforce Bohemian troops
who, in aiding the Austrian side, were beaten back them-
selves by Prussian forces. An Austrian naval victory at
Lissa on 20 July confirmed the Austrian success. Albert
went back to Vienna to defend the capital against attack
by Prussia, but peace came before a final offensive could
take place.
At the end of the Italian War in 1866, Albert, now
nearly 50 years old, was called upon as inspector gen-
eral to reorganize the Austrian army. He spent the re-
mainder of his life in this endeavor, transforming the
Austrian military into a more efficient fighting machine.
Albert attempted to sign a military alliance with France
in 1870, but the Franco-Prussian War interrupted the
negotiations, and the treaty was never signed.AlbeRt, ARchDuke oF AuStRiA