Who was Nikolaus I, Prince Esterházy?
Nikolaus I was born on 18 December 1714 in Vienna as the son of Prince Joseph and Mária Octavia Baroness Gilleis of Theras and Sonneberg. Nikolaus was the younger brother of Paul II Anton, Prince of Esterházy. They were members of the famous Hungarian Esterházy family. Early life Prince Nikolaus was educated by Jesuits. He became a military officer serving the Austrian Empire. He participated at the Battle of Kolin in 1757 where he led the wavering cavalry troops to victory. He was made Lieutenant Field Marshal. Prince Nikolaus became one of the original members of the Order of Maria Theresa. In 1762 he was appointed captain of Maria Theresa's Hungarian bodyguard. Other honours included the Golden Fleece and the Grade of Commander in the Order of Maria Theresa. Love and Marriage On 4 March 1737, Prince Nikolaus married Freiin Marie Elisabeth, a daughter of a Reichsgraf (Count of the Holy Roman Empire) Ferdinand von Weissenwolf. Duty When his brother died in 1762, Nikolaus i