Moritz von Auffenberg
Encyclopedia
Moritz Freiherr von Auffenberg, Graf von Komarów , born Moritz Ritter von Auffenberg (May 22, 1852, in Opava
, Austrian Silesia
- May 18, 1928, Vienna
) was a general of Austro-Hungarian Army
.
During World War I
Auffenberg commanded the Fourth Army which won at the Battle of Komarów
but was defeated by the Russians
during the Battle of Rawa
(the "six days battle"). He was blamed for the defeat, dismissed from the command and replaced by the Archduke Josef Ferdinand. Auffenberg never held a command again. On April 22, 1915 the Emperor Karl I awarded him noble title "von Komarow"
Later, Auffenberg wrote two books about the war:
Opava
Opava is a city in the northern Czech Republic on the river Opava, located to the north-west of Ostrava. The historical capital of Czech Silesia, Opava is now in the Moravian-Silesian Region and has a population of 59,843 as of January 1, 2005....
, Austrian Silesia
Austrian Silesia
Austrian Silesia , officially the Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia was an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Empire, from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
- May 18, 1928, 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...
) was a general of Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-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...
.
Biography
Auffenberg served in the army since age of 19. In 1910 he reached rank of general. During 1911 - 1912 he served as Minister of War of the Empire. In this position he tried to modernize the army obtaining many political enemies in the process. Among the few successes was an increase of military budget.During 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...
Auffenberg commanded the Fourth Army which won at the Battle of Komarów
Battle of Komarów (1914)
The Battle of Komarow was a battle on the Eastern Front during World War I. It would prove a victory for the Austro-Hungarian forces, but one they would not be able to reproduce in the coming months of the war.- Background :The prewar planning for a joint Austro-German war with Russia entailed an...
but was defeated by the Russians
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
during the Battle of Rawa
Battle of Rawa
Battle of Rawa was an early stage World War I battle between Austria-Hungary and Russia, between September 3-11, 1914. The Russian armies had defeated their opponents and threw them back to the Carpathian mountains...
(the "six days battle"). He was blamed for the defeat, dismissed from the command and replaced by the Archduke Josef Ferdinand. Auffenberg never held a command again. On April 22, 1915 the Emperor Karl I awarded him noble title "von Komarow"
Later, Auffenberg wrote two books about the war:
- Aus Österreich-Ungarns Teilnahme am Weltkrieg (About Austro-Hungarian participation in the Wold War), Berlin, Ullstein, 1920.
- Aus Österreich-Ungarns Höhe und Niedergang - Eine Lebensschilderung (About rise and fall of Austria-Hungary - a life description), Munich, 1921.