10 EURO SILVER COIN PROOF CHARLES NORMAN – PHILHELLENES

Περιγραφή

Born into an aristocratic family, Karl Normann (Karl Friedrich Lebrecht von Normann-Ehrenfels) was born in 1784 in Stuttgart, Württemberg, and pursued a military career. He distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars while serving in Bonaparte’s army, as Württemberg was allied with France, and he took part in the campaign against Russia. After the Battle of Leipzig (1813), he withdrew from active service.
Moved by the struggle of the Greeks, he decided to travel to Greece, and in February 1822 he landed at Navarino together with 50 other Philhellenes, successfully defending it. During the campaign organized by Alexandros Mavrokordatos in Epirus, Normann commanded a battalion of Philhellenes composed of French, Italian, German, and Polish volunteers. After an initial victory at Kompoti in Arta, the revolutionary forces suffered a devastating defeat at the Battle of Peta on 16 July 1822, with heavy losses among the Philhellenes. Normann was seriously wounded and eventually died in Messolonghi on 15 November 1822.