Hungary in World War I
Encyclopedia
At the outbreak of World War I
, Hungary was part of the dualist monarchy
, Austria-Hungary
. Although there are no significant battles connected to Hungarian regiments, the troops fought trustfully and intrepidly, which was one of the causes of high losses.
On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip
assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
. Before entering the war, only the prime minister Count István Tisza
hesitated, unconvinced that it was the best time to engage in battle. As soon as Germany
promised to neutralise the Kingdom of Romania
and promised that no territories of the Kingdom of Serbia
would be annexed to Austria-Hungary, he then decided to support the war.
After the ultimatum
sent to Serbia by Franz Josef I, the war broke out and soon spread over much of Europe and beyond.
, and consisted of:
The second line of the army was the mobilized
In 1914, the Austrian-Hungarian army was facing its greatest challenge so far in history. After mobilisation, the armed forces were grouped to six armies, and summed to 3.2 million soldiers. The size of the army was totally 9 million (fighting forces: 7,8 million) between 1914 and 1918.
By comparing the Hungarian army to other armies of Europe, the experienced veteran
armed forces, the technical equipment, and the military spendings, was underdeveloped. The artillery
was not sufficient, but was heavily developed later in the war. The correct supply of ammunition was not solved even at the end of the war. The armed forces had a lack of airborne divisions, it had only 42 military and 40 sport airplanes before the war. The military leaders also had a serious problem to unify the multi-ethnic units as well.
support was undoubtedly critical to the success of various offensives (such as Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive
, Caporetto
) the multi-ethnic armies of Austria-Hungary proved fully capable in a defensive role in all the theaters of the war in which they were engaged.
The pre-dominantly ethnic German commanders of the army generally favored troops of German extraction, but ethnic Hungarian troops were also seen as being reliable and were widely used on the front lines, especially in the Russian front
and Italian front. For the most part, troops from other ethnic groups within the empire were less likely to be placed in strategically critical positions and therefore had lower casualties.
Over the course of World War I
there was never a documented offensive by purely ethnic Hungarian troops, but such troops did contribute positively to the outcome of various battles, as follows:
The troops raised in the Kingdom of Hungary
spent little time defending the actual territory of Hungary, with the exceptions of the Brusilov Offensive
in June 1916, and a few months later, when the Romanian army made an attack into Transylvania
, both of which were repelled. A small number of troops from Austria-Hungary also fought in more distant theaters of war that are beyond the borders of the Austria-Hungary, including the Gallipoli
campaign, and in the Sinai Peninsula
and Palestine
.
Some military leaders who have received the Commander's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
, the most renowned medal:
Out of over 8 million men mobilized in Austria-Hungary, more than one million died during the course of the war. In Hungarian areas, this meant a death rate of twenty-eight per thousand persons - a level of loss exceeded within Austria-Hungary only by German Austrians. In comparison of the total army, Hungary's loss ratio was more than any other nations of Austria-Hungary. There could be two possible causes: Hungary was more an agricultural country, where it is easier to mobilize forces, rather than from more industrialized territories (i.e. Bohemia
), and secondly, the Hungarian soldiers were considered to be more trustworthy and disciplined than soldiers from other ethnic groups.
has ended for Austria-Hungary with a complete military loss, even if at the time of the collapse, all forces were standing outside of borders of 1914. With the collapse of the army, Austria-Hungary also collapsed. The ethnic groups of Kingdom of Hungary called for independent nation-states,but this totally disconsidered the hungarian population and national interests. In the dictate of Trianon Treaty of Trianon
signed on July 4, 1920, Hungary was forced to loose two-thirds of its territory, more than half of its population, more territory than any other country at that time (excluding colonies). Eight million Hungarians left in Hungary and more than 3 million Hungarians were stranded outside of the newly established borders. New nations, such as Czechoslovakia
, Poland
, and Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes have arisen and some already existing countries have extended their territories (Italy
and Romania
).The souther part of Hungary was given to Yugoslavia and renamed Vojvodina. Bosnia-Herzegovina was also given to Yugoslavia and Croatia became part of Yugoslavia also, after a 900 years federation with Hungary. More than 104.000 square kms-the whole of Eastern Hungary and Transylvania-- were awarded by the Entente to Romania , more than what was left for Hungary itself 93.030sq.kms. The northern part of Hungary was annexed by the newly created Czechoslovakia.
These newly created or greatly enlarged states formed the Little entente after the war encircling Hungary in order to make border reestablishment impossible. The Hungarian Army was reduced to a mere 30.000 troops, Hungary was forbidden to have air force, tanks and any more sophisticated weapons. The borders were set in such a way that all natural defense lines were crossed making the remaining territory totally vulnerable and difficult to defend. The Czechoslovak border was drawn at 30 kms from Budapest to put the city in the range of the Czechoslovak cannons aligned on the border.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Hungary was part of the dualist monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
, Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. Although there are no significant battles connected to Hungarian regiments, the troops fought trustfully and intrepidly, which was one of the causes of high losses.
The outbreak of the war
In 1914, Austria-Hungary was one of the most powerful nations of Europe, with an area of 676,443 km² and a population of 52 million, of which Hungary had 325,400 km² with population of 21 million.On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip was the Bosnian Serb who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914...
assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
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...
. Before entering the war, only the prime minister Count István Tisza
István Tisza
Count István Tisza de Borosjenő et Szeged was a Hungarian politician, prime minister, and member of Hungarian Academy of Sciences....
hesitated, unconvinced that it was the best time to engage in battle. As soon as Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
promised to neutralise the Kingdom of Romania
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
and promised that no territories of the Kingdom of Serbia
Kingdom 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...
would be annexed to Austria-Hungary, he then decided to support the war.
After the ultimatum
Ultimatum
An ultimatum is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance. An ultimatum is generally the final demand in a series of requests...
sent to Serbia by Franz Josef I, the war broke out and soon spread over much of Europe and beyond.
The army of Austria-Hungary in 1914
The first line of this multi-ethnic army was based on conscriptionConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
, and consisted of:
- The so-called "common" army and "common" navy, where the language was GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and was 87% of the total army - The LandwehrLandwehrLandwehr, or Landeswehr, is a German language term used in referring to certain national armies, or militias found in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. In different context it refers to large scale, low strength fortifications...
of the Austrian army - The Royal Hungarian "honvédség", where the language was HungarianHungarian languageHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
and CroatianCroatian languageCroatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
.
The second line of the army was the mobilized
- LandsturmLandsturmGerman-speaking countries used the word Landsturm to refer to third-class infantry or militias.- 1813 :King Frederick William III of Prussia established the Prussian Landsturm as irregular military forces on 21 April 1813 by royal edict – the decree appeared in the preussische Gesetzesammlung...
of the Austrians - "Népfelkelés" ("Folk uprising") of Hungarians.
In 1914, the Austrian-Hungarian army was facing its greatest challenge so far in history. After mobilisation, the armed forces were grouped to six armies, and summed to 3.2 million soldiers. The size of the army was totally 9 million (fighting forces: 7,8 million) between 1914 and 1918.
By comparing the Hungarian army to other armies of Europe, the experienced veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
armed forces, the technical equipment, and the military spendings, was underdeveloped. The 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...
was not sufficient, but was heavily developed later in the war. The correct supply of ammunition was not solved even at the end of the war. The armed forces had a lack of airborne divisions, it had only 42 military and 40 sport airplanes before the war. The military leaders also had a serious problem to unify the multi-ethnic units as well.
Hungarian participation
The military forces of Austria-Hungary remained largely unified over the course of the war, in spite of their multi-ethnic nature and some expectations to the contrary. While GermanGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
support was undoubtedly critical to the success of various offensives (such as Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive
Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive
The Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive during World War I started as a minor German offensive to relieve Russian pressure on the Austro-Hungarians to their south on the Eastern Front, but resulted in the total collapse of the Russian lines and their retreat far into Russia...
, Caporetto
Battle of Caporetto
The Battle of Caporetto , took place from 24 October to 19 November 1917, near the town of Kobarid , on the Austro-Italian front of World War I...
) the multi-ethnic armies of Austria-Hungary proved fully capable in a defensive role in all the theaters of the war in which they were engaged.
The pre-dominantly ethnic German commanders of the army generally favored troops of German extraction, but ethnic Hungarian troops were also seen as being reliable and were widely used on the front lines, especially in the Russian front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
and Italian front. For the most part, troops from other ethnic groups within the empire were less likely to be placed in strategically critical positions and therefore had lower casualties.
Over the course of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
there was never a documented offensive by purely ethnic Hungarian troops, but such troops did contribute positively to the outcome of various battles, as follows:
- On December 3–15. 1914 in Limanowa-LapanowBattle of LimanowaThe Battle of Limanowa took place from December 1 and December 13, 1914, between the Austro-Hungarian Army and the Russian Army near the town of Limanowa ....
battle the "Russian steamroller" was held back, especially by the hussarHussarHussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
s. Lieutenant-general Josef Roth attacked Russian 3rd army, and on the right wing, and cavalryCavalryCavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
divisionDivision (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...
Budapest 10. and Debrecen 11. engaged in a man-to-man fight and was decisive. On 11 December, colonel Ottmár Muhr died in a heroic defense leading Sopron 9. cavalryCavalryCavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regimentRegimentA regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
. Lieutenant-general Artur Arz, together with lieutenant-general Imre Hadfy, leading division Kassa 39., had destroyed 15th Russian division in Livno. - During the Siege of PrzemyslSiege of PrzemyslThe Siege of Przemyśl was one of the greatest sieges of the First World War, and a crushing defeat for Austria-Hungary. The investment of Przemyśl began on September 24, 1914 and was briefly suspended on October 11 due to an Austro-Hungarian offensive...
, which defense was commanded by general Hermann Kusmanek, the main defence line built up of Hungarian troops have guarded the fortress for five months from 1915 November. The defendants were commanded by Árpád Tamásy, leading 23. Szeged division. After the depletion of ammunition and food reserves, Przemysl capitulated leaving 120,000 prisoner of warPrisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. - At the Isonzo front, Hungarian forces participated in all 12 battles. On the Doberdo plateau and near KarstKARSTKilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
the most serious battles were fought by Hungarians, who composed one third of the total armed forces. In particular, the 20th Nagyvárad and 17th Budapest common regiment distinguished themselves. On June 15, 1918, near river PiavePiavePiave can refer to:* Francesco Maria Piave, Italian librettist and composer* Piave * Piave * Battle of the Piave River* 10 Motorised Division Piave An Italian division of World War II...
, the 6th army commanded by Archduke József Ágost took over most part of mount MontelloMontello-Companies:* Montello Private Finance, a real estate bridging finance company based in London.-Places:Australia*Montello, Tasmania, the home ground of Burnie United FCItaly*Montello, Lombardy, a comune in the Province of Bergamo...
and kept it till the end of the war. Decisive fights were carried out by the 31st Budapest common regiment and the 11th Debrecen division.
The troops raised in the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
spent little time defending the actual territory of Hungary, with the exceptions of the Brusilov Offensive
Brusilov Offensive
The Brusilov Offensive , also known as the June Advance, was the Russian Empire's greatest feat of arms during World War I, and among the most lethal battles in world history. Prof. Graydon A. Tunstall of the University of South Florida called the Brusilov Offensive of 1916 the worst crisis of...
in June 1916, and a few months later, when the Romanian army made an attack into Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, both of which were repelled. A small number of troops from Austria-Hungary also fought in more distant theaters of war that are beyond the borders of the Austria-Hungary, including the Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
campaign, and in the Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
and Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
.
Military leaders
Military Order of Maria Theresa
The Military Order of Maria Theresa was an Order of the Austro-Hungarian Empire founded on June 18, 1757, the day of the Battle of Kolin, by the Empress...
, the most renowned medal:
- Colonel-General Arthur Arz von StraussenburgArthur Arz von StraussenburgArthur Freiherr Arz von Straußenburg was an Austro-Hungarian Colonel General and last Chief of General Staff to the Austro-Hungarian Army.- Early life :...
- 1914 December - Battle of LimanowaBattle of LimanowaThe Battle of Limanowa took place from December 1 and December 13, 1914, between the Austro-Hungarian Army and the Russian Army near the town of Limanowa ....
- 1915 May - Gorlice-Tarnow OffensiveGorlice-Tarnów OffensiveThe Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive during World War I started as a minor German offensive to relieve Russian pressure on the Austro-Hungarians to their south on the Eastern Front, but resulted in the total collapse of the Russian lines and their retreat far into Russia...
, leading legion Kassa 6. - 1916 October - leading 1st army, defending TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
from Romanian forces
- 1914 December - Battle of Limanowa
- Archduke Joseph August of AustriaArchduke Joseph August of AustriaArchduke Joseph August Viktor Klemens Maria of Austria, Prince of Hungary and Bohemia was for a short period head of state of Hungary, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and the eldest son of Archduke Joseph Karl of Austria and his wife Princess Clotilde of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
- 1915 - during the 2-4 Battle of the Isonzo, he defended Doberdo plateauPlateauIn geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
- 1916 December - constable of army, successful offensives in Russian front
- 1915 - during the 2-4 Battle of the Isonzo, he defended Doberdo plateau
- Field-marshal Hermann Kövess von KövessházaHermann Kövess von KövessházaHermann Kövess von Kövessháza was the final, and completely ceremonial, Commander-in-Chief of Austria-Hungary...
- 1915 August - leading legion Nagyszeben 12., he captured IvangorodIvangorodIvangorod is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the right bank of the Narva River by the Russian-Estonian border, west of St. Petersburg. Population: The town is known for the Ivangorod fortress....
- 1915 October - commander of 3rd army, occupied Kingdom of SerbiaKingdom of SerbiaThe 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...
- 1916 January–February - occupied MontenegroMontenegroMontenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
and north of AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
- 1915 August - leading legion Nagyszeben 12., he captured Ivangorod
Losses
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
), and secondly, the Hungarian soldiers were considered to be more trustworthy and disciplined than soldiers from other ethnic groups.
Aftermath
In November 1918, World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
has ended for Austria-Hungary with a complete military loss, even if at the time of the collapse, all forces were standing outside of borders of 1914. With the collapse of the army, Austria-Hungary also collapsed. The ethnic groups of Kingdom of Hungary called for independent nation-states,but this totally disconsidered the hungarian population and national interests. In the dictate of Trianon Treaty of Trianon
Treaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
signed on July 4, 1920, Hungary was forced to loose two-thirds of its territory, more than half of its population, more territory than any other country at that time (excluding colonies). Eight million Hungarians left in Hungary and more than 3 million Hungarians were stranded outside of the newly established borders. New nations, such as Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes have arisen and some already existing countries have extended their territories (Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Romania
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...
).The souther part of Hungary was given to Yugoslavia and renamed Vojvodina. Bosnia-Herzegovina was also given to Yugoslavia and Croatia became part of Yugoslavia also, after a 900 years federation with Hungary. More than 104.000 square kms-the whole of Eastern Hungary and Transylvania-- were awarded by the Entente to Romania , more than what was left for Hungary itself 93.030sq.kms. The northern part of Hungary was annexed by the newly created Czechoslovakia.
These newly created or greatly enlarged states formed the Little entente after the war encircling Hungary in order to make border reestablishment impossible. The Hungarian Army was reduced to a mere 30.000 troops, Hungary was forbidden to have air force, tanks and any more sophisticated weapons. The borders were set in such a way that all natural defense lines were crossed making the remaining territory totally vulnerable and difficult to defend. The Czechoslovak border was drawn at 30 kms from Budapest to put the city in the range of the Czechoslovak cannons aligned on the border.