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Minister of War (Austria-Hungary)
Encyclopedia
The Imperial and Royal Minister of War , until the year 1911 Minister of War of the Empire (Reichskriegsminister), was the head of one of the three common ministries shared by the two states which made up the Dual Monarchy
from its creation in 1867 until the empire's collapse in 1918, Imperial Austria and Royal Hungary. Together with the common Ministry of Finance, the Ministery of the Imperial and Royal House and of the Exterior and the Emperor
and King himself, the Common Army (Gemeinsames Heer) and the Navy (Kriegsmarine) were institutions shared by both constituent parts of the empire, although both Austria and Hungary possessed their own Defense Ministries charged with the internal administration of the homeland troops (Landwehr and Honvéd), known as the Ministerium für Landesverteidigung
and Honvédministerium respectively.
(The flags displayed below instead of pictures of the ministers have not been used by the ministry at all. They had been created in 1915 for the navy, but have not been used in practice until the end of the dual monarchy.)
Francis Joseph I
and Krobatin's tenure. It can still be seen in Vienna
today; it is officially called Government Building (Regierungsgebäude) and is used as seat of the Minister for Economy, the Minister for Social Affairs and the Minister for Agriculture and Environment. In front of the ministry building Am Hof as well as, since 1913, of the existing building: the equestrian monument of field marshal Wenzel Count Radetzky, the most popular soldier in Austrian history, riding towards victory. The Navy Section of the ministry had its own building at Vordere Zollamtsstrasse, corner of Marxergasse, behind the headquarters and is still existing, too. At the outside of this building the coats of arms of several I & R ports on the Adriatic see are displayed.
Austria-Hungary
Austrian Empire
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...
from its creation in 1867 until the empire's collapse in 1918, Imperial Austria and Royal Hungary. Together with the common Ministry of Finance, the Ministery of the Imperial and Royal House and of the Exterior and the Emperor
Emperor of Austria
The Emperor of Austria was a hereditary imperial title and position proclaimed in 1804 by the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and continually held by him and his heirs until the last emperor relinquished power in 1918. The emperors retained the title of...
and King himself, the Common Army (Gemeinsames Heer) and the Navy (Kriegsmarine) were institutions shared by both constituent parts of the empire, although both Austria and Hungary possessed their own Defense Ministries charged with the internal administration of the homeland troops (Landwehr and Honvéd), known as the Ministerium für Landesverteidigung
Austrian Minister of Defence (Austria-Hungary)
The Austrian Minister of Defence was head of the ' or '. It was set up in 1868 with responsibility for the armed forces and militia in the Cisleithanian half of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary, effectively what is now Austria...
and Honvédministerium respectively.
I & R Ministers of War
Until 1911, the ministers were called Ministers of War of the Empire. From 1911, following Hungarian wishes not to be summarized under an empire that did not consist of the Hungarian lands at that time, the ministers were called I & R Ministers of War.(The flags displayed below instead of pictures of the ministers have not been used by the ministry at all. They had been created in 1915 for the navy, but have not been used in practice until the end of the dual monarchy.)
| Name | Image | Term began | Term ended | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Feldmarschalleutnant Franz Freiherr Baron Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"... von John |
 |
1867 | 1868 | |
| 2. | Feldmarschalleutnant Franz Kuhn Freiherr Baron Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"... Kuhn von Kuhnenfeld |
|
1868 | 1874 | |
| 3. | General der Kavallerie Alexander Freiherr Baron Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"... von Koller |
|
1874 | 1876 | |
| 4. | Feldzeugmeister Arthur Maximilian Graf Graf Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl... Bylandt-Rheydt (der Ältere) |
|
1876 | 1888 | |
| 5. | Feldzeugmeister Ferdinand Freiherr Baron Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"... Bauer |
|
1888 | 1893 | |
| 6. | Feldzeugmeister Rudolf Freiherr Baron Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"... Merkl |
|
1893 | 1893 | |
| 7. | General der Kavallerie Edmund Freiherr von Krieghammer | |
1893 | 1902 | |
| 8. | Feldzeugmeister Heinrich Ritter Ritter Ritter is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second lowest rank within the nobility, standing above "Edler" and below "Freiherr"... von Pitreich |
|
1902 | 1906 | |
| 9. | General der Infanterie Franz Freiherr Baron Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"... Schönaich |
|
1906 | 1911 | |
| 10. | General der Infanterie Moritz Ritter Auffenberg von Komarów Moritz von Auffenberg Moritz Freiherr von Auffenberg, Graf von Komarów , born Moritz Ritter von Auffenberg was a general of Austro-Hungarian Army.-Biography:... |
1911 | 1912 | ||
| 11. | Feldmarschall Alexander Freiherr von Krobatin Alexander von Krobatin Alexander Freiherr von Krobatin was an Austrian Field Marshal and Imperial Minister for War between 1912 and 1917.- Early life :... |
 |
1912 | 1917 | |
| 12. | Generaloberst Rudolf Stöger-Steiner Edler von Steinstätten Rudolf Stöger-Steiner von Steinstätten Rudolf Freiherr Stöger-Steiner von Steinstätten was a Colonel-General in the Austro-Hungarian army and served as the last Imperial Minister for War not only to the Austro-Hungarian Empire but to the ancient Habsburg monarchy which sat at its head.-Background and early life:Born as Rudolf Stöger in... |
 |
1917 | 1918 |
The War Ministry
The historical building of the Court's War Council, later War Ministry of the Empire, was located at the square Am Hof in downtown Vienna until 1912. In 1913, the imposing neoclassical I & R War Ministry Headquarters on Ringstrasse, the department's final home, was dedicated during the reign of EmperorEmperor of Austria
The Emperor of Austria was a hereditary imperial title and position proclaimed in 1804 by the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and continually held by him and his heirs until the last emperor relinquished power in 1918. The emperors retained the title of...
Francis Joseph I
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
and Krobatin's tenure. It can still be seen in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
today; it is officially called Government Building (Regierungsgebäude) and is used as seat of the Minister for Economy, the Minister for Social Affairs and the Minister for Agriculture and Environment. In front of the ministry building Am Hof as well as, since 1913, of the existing building: the equestrian monument of field marshal Wenzel Count Radetzky, the most popular soldier in Austrian history, riding towards victory. The Navy Section of the ministry had its own building at Vordere Zollamtsstrasse, corner of Marxergasse, behind the headquarters and is still existing, too. At the outside of this building the coats of arms of several I & R ports on the Adriatic see are displayed.
See also
Austro-Hungarian 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...
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...
Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...