The Archduke Carl of Teschen, the premier commander of the Habsburg military between 1793 and 1809, is often misunderstood in his inherent conservatism as a leader, theorist and historian. Too often he is simply seen in the context of his looming contemporaries, Napoleon Bonaparte and Carl von Clausewitz. This paper will look to explore the key political, military and religious theories that the Archduke studied and the potential impact that can be seen in his work, both theoretical and in practice.