In the 1840s, the War of the Austrian Heritage broke out in Europe, in which the main protagonists were Austria on the one hand, and Prussia in alliance with Bavaria and France on the other. The Austrian Empress Maria Theresa had almost no chance in such a constellation of forces. The young and inexperienced ruler stood in opposition to one of the greatest military strategists of the time, Frederick II. Prussian, a man who was raised all his life in rigid military discipline under the tutelage of militaristic father Frederick William I. In this situation, the newly enthroned Austrian empress and Croatian-Hungarian queen needed all military help. In 1741, at the very beginning of the conflict for Austrian heritage, Baron Franjo Trenk provided her with the necessary support, founding on April 29, 1741, a unit of about a thousand soldiers, named Trenk's Cops after its founder.
Franjo Trenk was born on January 1, 1711 in Reggio in southern Italy, where his father Ivan Trenk served as an Austrian officer. Although born in Italy, Trenk was actually a Prussian with Austrian citizenship and large estates in Croatia, specifically Slavonia.
He spent most of his childhood in Italy, Croatia and Hungary, which was not surprising given his father's occupation, which required frequent relocations. His schooling began with the Jesuits, but he soon decided that his vocation would be in military service, so he went to Sopron for further education.
After graduating from military school, he married his wife and four children and decided to live on a property near Požega. However, in 1737, Francis lost his entire family. The plague took away his wife and children, so indignant and emotionally broken, he went to the Russian army to fight the Turks as a mercenary. Perhaps the loss of his family was the trigger that brought to the surface all the worst from him, although he had previously been known as a sudden and unrestrained person, so the biggest problems in his later military career were caused by his aggression, involvement in numerous conflicts and cruelty. an obvious lack of respect for authority and military hierarchy. Because of such a character, he was expelled from Russia, where he barely managed to escape the death penalty caused by his inappropriate behavior.
He was given a second chance to prove his military knowledge, determination and courage in 1741 when he decided to help Empress and Queen Maria Theresa in the Seven Years' War to preserve the territories that French, Polish, Bavarian, Spanish and Neapolitan rulers led by the Prussian king had tried to take away. Frederick II. Great, in short, all those who did not recognize the Pragmatic Sanction of her father Charles VI. and the enthronement of a woman on the throne of the lands of the Habsburg crown.
Throughout Slavonia, Franjo Trenk began recruiting volunteers, former hajduks and outlaws into his unit, which he called Trenk's cops. Soon more than a thousand people found a place in it, and over the next four years the number increased drastically and by the end of 1745 amounted to a little less than seven thousand soldiers. Trenk's cop regiment fought for Maria Theresa on the battlefields of Bavaria, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Austria, France, Silesia and gained a reputation as a highly trained and brave soldier. Stories of their military exploits were spread throughout Europe, and in Croatia Trenk gained the unquestionable status of a legend.
In addition to their military skills, Europe was introduced to some innovations, which are still indispensable parts of many military units. Namely, Franjo Trenk took the title of father and founder of military music, and the way they dressed was completely different from all military groups of that time. Particularly striking was the red scarf tied around his neck, which was actually the forerunner of today's tie.
All this deserved fame and sacrifice of Franjo Trenk and his cops obviously bothered many, so they repeatedly made accusations against them. They were sued for alleged excessive cruelty to enemy soldiers, even though there was war, then for embezzlement, rape of women in almost every place they passed through, disobedience, and even rebellion against the Empress and Queen to whom they made themselves available. All the accusations were repeatedly rejected as unfounded, but Trenk's prosecutors did not give up until the legendary Slavonian baron ended up as a prisoner of the Moravian dungeon in Spielberg, where he died on October 4, 1749.
In Croatia, Franjo Trenk is remembered as a broad-chested nobleman, a gallant cavalier, a great seducer and above all a brave warrior and soldier. The controversial baron has left an indelible mark throughout Europe, and even today he is especially appreciated by Germans and Austrians, who in historical societies always remind him how important the tradition of Trenk and his fearless cops is to them.
Regardless of his place of birth and his origin, Baron Franjo Trenk always felt best in Croatia, where he was greeted with enthusiasm every time, and he often repeated a sentence that was unquestionable proof of this claim: "I am a Slavonian!".
