Alexander Von Krobatin
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Alexander Freiherr von Krobatin (12 September 1849 – 28 September 1933) was an Austrian
field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
and
Imperial and Royal The phrase Imperial and Royal (, ) refers to the court/government of the Habsburgs in a broader historical perspective. Some modern authors restrict its use to the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. During that period, it in ...
Minister of War A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
for
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
between 1912 and 1917 — for most of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.Pope, S. & Wheal, E.A.(1995): ''The Macmillan Dictionary of the First World War'' Macmillan: London.


Early life and education

Born in Olmütz (Olomouc),
Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...
, Krobatin entered the
Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army, also known as the Imperial and Royal Army,; was the principal ground force of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. It consisted of three organisations: the Common Army (, recruited from all parts of Austria-Hungary), ...
as a cadet in 1861 and moved on to attend the Artillery Academy in 1865, from which he graduated in 1869 as a ''Leutnant''. He undertook the upper course of artillery from 1871 to 1873, at the end of which he entered service in the Military Committee with the rank of ''Oberleutnant''. Between 1874 and 1876 he studied and attended lectures on chemistry and chemical engineering at the Technical University of Vienna, becoming head of the chemistry laboratory at the Military Technical Committee in 1877. He served as a chemistry and chemical engineering instructor at the
Imperial and Royal Technical Military Academy The Imperial and Royal Technical Military Academy (German: ''k.u.k. Technische Militärakademie'') was a military training facility founded in 1717 for certain officer groups of the Habsburg monarchy. The location of the academy changed several ...
from 1877 to 1882 and recognized as an expert in munitions, he was appointed to the War Ministry in 1896 where he successful worked as a head of department and as chief of a section while also promoted to the rank of Major General in 1900.


Imperial War Minister

A close associate of the army chief of staff
Conrad von Hötzendorf Conrad may refer to: People * Conrad (name) * Saint Conrad (disambiguation) Places United States * Conrad, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Conrad, Iowa, a city * Conrad, Montana, a city * Conrad Glacier, Washington Elsewher ...
, Krobatin was appointed Imperial and Royal Minister for War on 12 December 1912 and as an integral member of the "war party" gave his full backing to the hawkish element in the military in their calls for an immediate attack on
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
following the
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was one of the key events that led to World War I. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg ...
on 28 June 1914 and the
July Ultimatum The ultimatum of July 23, 1914, was a diplomatic note the Austro-Hungarian ambassador in Belgrade delivered to the , the sole member of the royal government present in the capital that day. The text was drafted with great care by Baron Musulin vo ...
. With the outbreak of the First World War, Krobatin was responsible for the task of harnessing the economies of industrial Austria and agrarian Hungary to ensure the now mobilised
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
was supplied with vital arms and munitions as well as increasing industrial efficiency to meet the needs of a state with a large cohort of its industrial population no longer available for industrial and food production given their enlistment for war.Pope, S. & Wheal, E.A. (1995): ''The Macmillan Dictionary of the First World War'' Macmillan: London. According to a number of sources, Krobatin struggled in his task for the first two years of the war, and although he never really harnessed the economy efficiently, he succeeded in tripling the level of artillery available at divisional level. One of the first commanders to be raised to the newly created rank of
Generaloberst A ("colonel general") was the second-highest general officer rank in the German '' Reichswehr'' and ''Wehrmacht'', the Austro-Hungarian Common Army, the East German National People's Army and in their respective police services. The rank w ...
in February 1916, Krobatin was responsible for dealing with the crisis caused by
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
's entry into the war on the side of the Entente and the sudden cutting off of resources (particularly grain and petroleum) that Romania's declaration of war brought. In the Crown council on 9 September 1916, Krobatin sought backing for a proposal which would have allowed the army unrestricted powers to seize foodstuffs and punish hoarders, but this was vetoed by Austrian chancellor Karl Stürgkh and Hungarian premier Istvan Tisza. Though occupied Serbia eventually produced more grain than Romania, food supplies to soldiers in the field remained a persistent and crucial worry to those at the higher echelons of the War Ministry.


Field commander

With Conrad von Hötzendorf's dismissal in March 1917, Krobatin was left isolated in the Crown Council and he was relieved of his tenure over the war ministry in April to be handed command of the Tenth army. It was as a field commander that Krobatin was most successful. Following his role at the
Battle of Caporetto The Battle of Kobarid (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, the Battle of Caporetto or the Battle of Karfreit) took place on the Italian front of World War I. The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central P ...
in October 1917, during which his force captured two Italian divisions, he was promoted to
field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
on 5 November 1917. Redeployed to form part of Archduke Josef's strike force in
Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
, Krobatin was given command of the entire Tyrol sector following the failure of the Piave Offensive and the Archduke's flight from the front in the face of mutinies on 26 October 1918.


Retirement

Following the rejection of his offer of an armistice to the Italians on 31 October, the battered remains of his armies were overrun at
Vittorio Veneto Vittorio Veneto is a city and ''comune'' situated in the Province of Treviso, in the region of Veneto, Italy, in the Cardinal direction, northeast of Italy, between the Piave and the Livenza rivers, borders with the following municipalities: Alpa ...
a few days later. Krobatin retired immediately after the close of the war and was never again to hold a commission. He was an Honorary Doctor of Technical Science at the Vienna Technical Institute, honorary president of the Kaiser Karl War Welfare Fund, and an honorary member of the "Viribus Unitis" Vienna Riding Association. Krobatin died in Vienna in 1933.


Service record

* 1865 - Attends Artillerieakademie until 1869 * 1869 - Promoted to Leutnant * 1873 - Promoted to Oberleutnant * 1879 - Promoted to Hauptmann 2. Kl. * 1882 - Promoted to Hauptmann 1. Kl. * 1877 - Attends the Technisch Militarisch Akademie until 1885 * 1885 - Truppendienst until 1890 * 1889 - Promoted to Major * 1890 - Head of the Artillery Kadett Schule until 1895 * 1892 - Promoted to Oberstleutnant * 1895 - Promoted to Oberst * 1895 - Commander of Korps Artillery Regiment 1 * 1896 - Head of 7. Section of the RKM until 1904 * 1900 - Promoted to Generalmajor * 1904 - Sections Chief im RKM until 1912 * 1905 - Promoted to Feldmarschalleutnant * 1910 - Promoted to Feldzeugmeister * 1912 - k.u.k Minister of war until April 1917 * 1916 - Promoted to Generaloberst * 1917 - Commands X. Army until October 1918 * 1917 - Promoted to Feldmarschall * 1918 - Commands Heeresgruppe Tirol until November 1918


Notes


Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krobatin, Alexander Von 1849 births 1933 deaths Field marshals of Austria Austrian barons Austro-Hungarian Army officers Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I Moravian-German people People from Olomouc Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary