Le Jacobin de la Carniole

Résumé 0

The baron Siegfried von Taufferer was one of the two known sympathizers of the French Revolution originating from the Slovene territory. Born 1750 in a noble family of Ljubljana, he studied at the Viennese Theresianum and entered the military career. He served in the administration of the Austrian military border until 1787 but tried also his hand as a wood dealer and as a shipbuilder. He was a member of the Freemasonry and proposed several projects for reforming the service in the Military border. He briefly left the army for the free enterprise but all his attempts failed, he was quickly bankrupt and had to evade his creditors. He came to Venice where at the turn of 1789 he got acquainted with the French diplomats and became familiar with the revolutionary ideas. In the meantime he traveled to Vienna where he had contacts with Viennese, Styrian and Hungarian Jacobins. Later on he was employed by France and moved to Genes, he served as a translator and counselor for the French consulate. He was then sent to the French army and proposed to General Kellermann to organize a regiment of Austrian, Hungarian, Croatian and Polish deserters. He pinned his plans on his knowledge of the region and of the Austrian military organization, as well as on his language skills. His proposal was adopted in Paris, Taufferer was made a lieutenant colonel of the general staff and formed a regiment at the head of which he fought until November 1795. But his most significant contribution against Austria was elaborated during his stay in Genes : he imagined in June 1794 an insurrection of the Military border which according to his plans would to be extended to Croatia, Hungary and Austria itself in order to launch a revolution against the Habsburgs. The plan might be of interest also for the Ottoman Empire and Taufferer suggested that the French try to convince the Ottomans to participate financially. Taufferer’s project was sent to the French delegates in Italy and then to Paris, but it was also known to the Austrian spies who informed Vienna of his subversive initiatives and opinions. But in the meantime, great changes had occurred in Paris where Robespierre was overthrown. Taufferer was captured by the Austrians during the action against the fortress of Voltra. He was condemned for his former financial dishonest acts as well as for his subversive plan and sentenced to death. He was hanged in Vienna on May 24,1796. Siegfried von Taufferer was certainly a “Slovene Jacobin”, as an enlightened officer opposed to the despotic rule of the Habsburg he imagined many plans but did not express real political aims. His insurrectional project for the Military border is only justified by the discontent of its inhabitants. Nevertheless his action must be considered according to the enlightened ideas which dominated in the Croatian and Hungarian aristocracy of the time.