Wenzel Freiherr von Wurm (

Karlín Karlín () is a cadastral area of Prague, part of Prague 8 municipal district, formerly an independent town (which became part of Prague in 1922). It is bordered by the river Vltava and Holešovice to the north, Vítkov hill and Žižkov to t ...

(Prague), 27 February 1859 – Vienna, 21 March 1921) was a

Colonel General Colonel general is a military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically General officer#Old European system, general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, ...

in 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), ...

Biography

He was born on 27 February 1859 as son of an Oberleutnant in the Austro-Hungarian Army. He entered the army in 1875 and by 1914 had become Feldmarschalleutnant and commander of the XVI Army Corps in Ragusa (today

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...

). Promoted to

Feldzeugmeister General of the Artillery () was a historical military rank in some German and Austro-Hungarian armies, specifically in artillery. It was commonly used in the 16th and 17th centuries, and survived until the beginning of the 20th century in some Euro ...

, he participated with his XVI Korps, as part of the 6th Army in the disastrous 1914 attack of Serbia. Commanding General

Oskar Potiorek Oskar Potiorek (20 November 1853 – 17 December 1933) was an officer of the Austro-Hungarian Army, who served as Governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1911 to 1914. He was a passenger in the car carrying Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria an ...

took all the blame for the failure, but Von Wurm had gained a reputation as a ruthless commander without consideration for his troops. As Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary on 23 May 1915, von Wurm and his XVI Corps were sent to stop the Italian advance. Against orders, he positioned his Corps along the Isonzo river. Their presence there turned out to be crucial in stopping four consecutive Italian attacks. In August 1917, he received the Knights' cross of

Military Order of Maria Theresa The Military Order of Maria Theresa (; ; ; ; ; ) was the highest military honour of the Habsburg monarchy, Austrian Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire. History Founded on 18 June 1757, the day of the Battle of Kolín, by the Empress Mari ...

, and was ennobled to "Freiherr von". Promoted to

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 ...

, he received command of the 1st Isonzo Army and participated in the successful

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 ...

. As commander of the 5th Army (or ''Isonzo Army'') since 6 January 1918, he fought in the

Battle of the Piave River The Second Battle of the Piave River (or Battle of the Solstice), fought between 15 and 23 June 1918, was a decisive victory for the Italian Army against the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I, as Italy was part of the Allied Forces, whi ...

and the final

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 ...

. He was retired on 1 December 1918 and died 3 years later in Vienna on 21 March 1921.

External links

''The Austro-Hungarian Army''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wurm, Wenzel Freiherr Von 1859 births 1921 deaths Austro-Hungarian generals Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I