Among the foreign-born leaders who played crucial roles in the American Revolution, Hungarian-born Colonel Commandant Michael Kovats de Fabriczy stands out for his significant, yet often overlooked, contributions to the Continental Army.[1] Kovats played a key role in the establishment and development of the cavalry, overseeing the recruitment, training, and organization of regular cavalry units. His efforts helped transform an underdeveloped force into a formidable military asset, earning recognition from a British contemporary who described his cavalry as “the best the rebels ever had.”[2] The tricentennial of Kovats’ birth celebrated in Hungary and the United States in 2024 provides a unique opportunity to highlight his influence on the evolution of U.S. cavalry and his lasting impact on American military history.[3]

Hungarian Roots, Habsburg Service, American Inspiration

Michael Kovats de Fabriczy (also written as “Kowatz,” “de Kovats” in English, and “Fabriczy Kováts Mihály”) was born in 1724 into a noble family in the Protestant town of Karcag in the Kingdom of Hungary. He led a distinguished military career that spanned much of eighteenth-century Europe. At the age of sixteen, Kovats, highly educated and driven by a sense of adventure, joined a Hungarian Hussar regiment within the Habsburg Empire’s military.[4] Seeking further opportunities for advancement, he quickly rose through the ranks, serving in both the French Bercsényi Hussar Regiment and the Prussian Székely Hussar Regiment. Over the course of thirty years, Kovats participated in several major European conflicts, including the Austrian War of Succession, the Seven Years’ War, and, later, supporting the cause of Polish independence fighting for the Bar Confederation.

In the autumn of 1776, Kovats embarked on the final chapter of his military career, volunteering to support the American cause in the War of Independence. From 1773 onward, the Pressburger Zeitung, a weekly newspaper in the Kingdom of Hungary, provided extensive coverage of the American Revolution, publishing more than 100 articles detailing the conflict between the British redcoats and the Continental Army. These reports spanned the entire course of the war, from its outbreak to the conclusion of the revolution and inspired many across the Habsburg Empire, including Kováts.

In 1777, Kováts traveled from the Habsburg Empire to Bordeaux, France, where he wrote a letter in excellent Latin to Benjamin Franklin, the American envoy to France. In the letter, Kovats modestly outlined his military achievements, emphasizing that his rise through the ranks was a result of his own efforts, discipline, and service. He also expressed his voluntary commitment to supporting the American cause, thereby offering his talents and experience to the fledgling United States: