The Austro-Hungarian Fifth Army was an
Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
field army that fought during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
.
Actions
The Fifth Army was formed in 1914 as part of
Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
mobilization following its declaration of war on
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hung ...
and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
. The Fifth Army was put under the command of Gen.
Liborius Ritter von Frank
Liborius Ritter von Frank (5 October 1848 — 26 February 1935) was an Austro-Hungarian general in World War I. He commanded the Austro-Hungarian Fifth Army in 1914 at the start of the war, and fought at the Battle of Cer, Battle of Drina and Ba ...
. Between August and December 1914, it fought in the
Serbian Campaign
The Serbian campaign was a series of military expeditions launched in 1914 and 1915 by the Central Powers against the Kingdom of Serbia during the First World War.
The first campaign began after Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on 28 J ...
and suffered such enormous casualties that it was disbanded on 27 December 1914.
It participated in the :
*
Battle of Cer
The Battle of Cer, ; german: Schlacht von Cer; hu, Ceri csata. Also known as the Battle of the Jadar River (Јадарска битка, ''Jadarska bitka''; ''Schlacht von Jadar''; ''Jadar csata''). was a military campaign fought between Austr ...
(August 1914),
*
Battle of Drina
The Battle of the Drina (Serbian: , ) was fought between Serbian and Austro-Hungarian armies in September 1914, near Loznica, Serbia, during the First Serbian campaign of World War I.
After a first failed invasion of Serbia where he lost 40 ...
(September - October 1914)
*
Battle of Kolubara
The Battle of Kolubara ( sr-cyr, Колубарска битка, german: Schlacht an der Kolubara) was fought between Austria-Hungary and Serbia in November and December 1914, during the Serbian Campaign of World War I.
It commenced on 16 No ...
(November - December 1914).
The Fifth Army was reestablished in May 1915 on the
Italian Front, where it remained active until the end of the War.
On 24 May 1917, it was renamed the Isonzo Army.
On 23 August 1917, the Isonzo Army was upgraded to Army Group Boroević (Heeresgruppe "Boroević") which was composed of 2 armies:
* First Isonzo Army, under command of
Wenzel von Wurm
Wenzel Freiherr von Wurm (Karlín (Prague), 27 February 1859 – Vienna, 21 March 1921) was a Colonel General in the Austro-Hungarian Army.
Biography
He was born on 27 February 1859 as son of an Oberleutnant in the Austro-Hungarian Army. He ent ...
.
* Second Isonzo Army, under command of
Johann Ritter von Henriquez
Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name ''Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning " Yahweh is Gracio ...
.
In January 1918 the Army Group was composed of
* Isonzo Army, under command of
Wenzel von Wurm
Wenzel Freiherr von Wurm (Karlín (Prague), 27 February 1859 – Vienna, 21 March 1921) was a Colonel General in the Austro-Hungarian Army.
Biography
He was born on 27 February 1859 as son of an Oberleutnant in the Austro-Hungarian Army. He ent ...
.
*
Sixth Army, under command of
Archduke Joseph August of Austria
Archduke Joseph August Viktor Klemens Maria of Austria, Prince of Hungary and Bohemia (9 August 1872 – 6 July 1962) was a ''Feldmarschall'' (field marshal) of the Austro-Hungarian Army and for a short period head of state of Hungary. He wa ...
.
It participated in the
*
Battles of the Isonzo
The Battles of the Isonzo (known as the Isonzo Front by historians, sl, soška fronta) were a series of 12 battles between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies in World War I mostly on the territory of present-day Slovenia, and the remainde ...
(May 1915 - September 1917)
*
Battle of Caporetto
The Battle of Caporetto (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, the Battle of Kobarid or the Battle of Karfreit) was a battle on the Italian front of World War I.
The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central ...
(October 1917 - November 1917)
*
Battle of the Piave River
The Second Battle of the Piave River, fought between 15 and 23 June 1918, was a decisive victory for the Italian Army against the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I. Though the battle proved to be a decisive blow to the Austro-Hungaria ...
(June 1918)
*
Battle of Vittorio Veneto
The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought from 24 October to 3 November 1918 (with an armistice taking effect 24 hours later) near Vittorio Veneto on the Italian Front during World War I. After having thoroughly defeated Austro-Hungarian troops ...
(October–November 1918)
Commanders
*
Liborius Ritter von Frank
Liborius Ritter von Frank (5 October 1848 — 26 February 1935) was an Austro-Hungarian general in World War I. He commanded the Austro-Hungarian Fifth Army in 1914 at the start of the war, and fought at the Battle of Cer, Battle of Drina and Ba ...
: August 14–27 December 1914
*
Svetozar Boroević
Svetozar Boroević von Bojna (or Borojević) (13 December 1856 – 23 May 1920) was an Austro-Hungarian field marshal who was described as one of the finest defensive strategists of the First World War. He commanded Austro-Hungarian forces i ...
: 27 May 1915 - 3 November 1918
Sources
Austro-Hungarian Army, Higher Commands and Commanders
{{Austro-Hungarian forces during World War I
Field armies of Austria-Hungary
1914 establishments in Austria-Hungary
1915 establishments in Austria-Hungary
Military units and formations established in 1914
Military units and formations disestablished in 1914
Military units and formations established in 1916
Military units and formations disestablished in 1918