Vinko Knežević or Vincent Knesevich of Saint Helen (, ); 30 November 1755 – 11 March 1832) was a Croatian nobleman and general in the Habsburg monarchy imperial army service. He was a member of the Knežević noble family. During his long military career he fought in many battles during the Austro-Turkish War and the French Revolutionary Wars. In 1799 he led a hussar regiment at Cassano, the Trebbia and Novi. He commanded an infantry brigade at Marengo the following year and led Austrian Empire troops in the Tyrol in 1805 and at Graz in 1809. He served in various assignments on the Military Border from 1809 to 1812. From 1802 he lived on his estate Sveta Jelena (Szent-Ilona in Hungarian, named after Empress St. Helen) in former Zala County, modern-day Međimurje County in northern Croatia. By the end of Napoleonic Wars he retired from military service as a General der Kavallerie in 1815. He became Proprietor of a dragoon regiment in 1809 and held that office until his death in 1832. Early life and career Knežević was born on 30 November 1755 at Gračac (Lika region), in a part of Habsburg monarchy known as Croatian Military Frontier, as the youngest son of baron Martin Knežević (1708–1781), major general of the Habsburg army, and his wife Uršula Knežević née Vukasović (1717–1776). He had five brothers, who all were military officers, and two sisters. He started his career in 1772 as cadet in the Royal Hungarian Noble Body Guard at Viennese Court. In the Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791) he recruited and led a freikorps to fight against the Ottoman Empire. Together with major Josip Filip Vukasović he distinguished himself in 1789 during the battle of Cetingrad. In the War of the First Coalition he was major and led a squadron of hussars in western Galicia. He attained the ranks of Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) in 1796 and Oberst (colonel) in 1797. In the latter year he became the commanding officer of the Archduke Joseph Palatine Cavalry Regiment Nr. 17. In 1798 the unit was redesignated Hussar Regiment Nr. 2 and stationed in Inner Austria. In the War of the Second Coalition Knežević led his hussar regiment at the Battle of Cassano on 26 April 1799. The regiment's eight squadrons were part of Johann von Zoph's 1st Division. Near Vaprio d'Adda, the Palatine Hussars launched three attacks and finally broke through Paul Grenier's division,