Alexander von Krobatin
Encyclopedia
Alexander Freiherr von Krobatin (12 September 1849 – 28 September 1933) was an Austrian Field Marshal and Imperial Minister for War between 1912 and 1917.
, Moravia
, Krobatin graduated from the Artillery Academy in 1869 before spending a number of years studying the place of artillery
in late 19th century warfare. He served as an instructor at the Technical Military Academy 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.
following the assassination of Archduke
Franz Ferdinald
and the July Ultimatum
. With the outbreak of war Krobatin was responsible for the task of harnessing the economies of Industrial Austria and Agrarian Hungary to ensure the now mobilised military
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. According to a number of sources Krobatin struggled in his task for the first two years of the war, and although he never really threatened to harness 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 in February 1916, Krobatin was responsible for dealing with the crisis caused by Roumania's
entry into the war on the side of the Entente and the sudden cutting off of resources (particularly grain and petroleum) that Roumania's declaration of war brought. In Crown council on September 9, 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 Chancellor Karl Stürgkh and Premier Istvan Tisza
. Though occupied Serbia was eventually to produce more grain than Roumania food supplies to soldiers in the field remained a persistent and crucial worry to those at the higher echelons of the War Ministry.
. It was as a field commander that Krobatin was most successful, and following his role at Caporetto in October 1917 during which his force captured two Italian divisions he was promoted to Field Marshal on November 5, 1917. Redeployed to form part of Archduke Josef's strike force in Tyrol
, 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 October 26, 1917.
a few days latter.
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.
Early life
Born in Olmütz (Olomouc)Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, Krobatin graduated from the Artillery Academy in 1869 before spending a number of years studying the place of artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
in late 19th century warfare. He served as an instructor at the Technical Military Academy 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
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in 1900.
Imperial War Minister
A close associate of the army chief of staff Conrad, Krobatin was appointed Imperial Minister for War in 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 SerbiaKingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned King in 1882. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Karađorđevic dynasty from 1817 onwards . The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de...
following the assassination of Archduke
Archduke
The title of Archduke denotes a noble rank above Duke and below King, used only by princes of the Houses of Habsburg and Habsburg-Lorraine....
Franz Ferdinald
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia...
and the July Ultimatum
July Ultimatum
The July Crisis was a diplomatic crisis among the major powers of Europe in the summer of 1914 that led to the First World War...
. With the outbreak of war Krobatin was responsible for the task of harnessing the economies of Industrial Austria and Agrarian Hungary to ensure the now mobilised military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
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. According to a number of sources Krobatin struggled in his task for the first two years of the war, and although he never really threatened to harness the economy efficiently, he succeeded in tripling the level of artillery available at divisional
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
level.
One of the first commanders to be raised to the newly created rank of Generaloberst in February 1916, Krobatin was responsible for dealing with the crisis caused by Roumania's
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
entry into the war on the side of the Entente and the sudden cutting off of resources (particularly grain and petroleum) that Roumania's declaration of war brought. In Crown council on September 9, 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 Chancellor Karl Stürgkh and Premier Istvan Tisza
István Tisza
Count István Tisza de Borosjenő et Szeged was a Hungarian politician, prime minister, and member of Hungarian Academy of Sciences....
. Though occupied Serbia was eventually to produce more grain than Roumania 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'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 armyAustro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
. It was as a field commander that Krobatin was most successful, and following his role at Caporetto in October 1917 during which his force captured two Italian divisions he was promoted to Field Marshal on November 5, 1917. Redeployed to form part of Archduke Josef's strike force in Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
, Krobatin was given command of the entire Tyrol sector following the failure of the Piave Offensive
Piave River
Piave is a river in north Italy. It begins in the Alps and flows southeast for into the Adriatic Sea near the city of Venice....
and the Archduke's flight from the front in the face of mutinies on October 26, 1917.
Retirement
Following the rejection of his offer of an armistice to the Italians on October 31, the battered remains of his armies were overrun at Vittorio VenetoVittorio Veneto
Vittorio Veneto is a city and comune situated in the Province of Treviso, in the region of Veneto, Italy, in the northeast of the Italian peninsula, between the Piave and the Livenza rivers.-Geography:...
a few days latter.
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