Ludwig von Benedek
Ludwig von Benedek | |
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| Awards | Military Order of Maria Theresa |
Ludwig August Ritter von Benedek
Early life
Early years
Benedek was born in
In 1840 Benedek was made a major and aide to the General Commander of
Commander in Italy
In August 1847, Benedek was entrusted with the command of the 33rd infantry regiment in Italy. On 5 April 1848 he took over the command of a newly formed brigade that consisted of two battalions. This brigade saw battle in the first Italian war of independence several times, notably at Curtatone in 1848. The following day, Benedek led his troops in the Battle of Goito.
Benedek was afterwards awarded the Commanders' Cross of the Order of Leopold, and the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa. This officially made Benedek a knight (hence Ludwig, Ritter von Benedek). On 3 April 1849 he became major general and was appointed to the staff of the Chief of Quartermaster-General with the 2nd Army in Italy.
Hungary and Italy
Hungarian revolution
In 1849, Benedek was sent to Hungary. Leading troops in the Battle of Győr, he was instrumental in striking down the rebellion.[citation needed] At another battle in Szőreg he was seriously wounded. He was given the Military Merit Cross and made regimental colonel. Benedek was made chief of staff to Radetzky in Italy.
He was promoted to
Battle of San Martino/Solferino
In early 1859, Benedek was commander general of the 8th army corps in the
Benedek was attacked on the right flank by the entire army of King
After the Austrian defeat, Benedek was appointed Chief of the General Quartermaster Staff on 31 January 1860, and to the governorship of Hungary in April.
On 20 October 1860 Benedek assumed command of the Austrian forces in
Military and political philosophy
Benedek was a staunch believer in the concept that the army was the chief guardian of the Habsburg monarchy and needed to protect it from liberal and nationalist forces; loyalty to the dynasty and monarch were paramount and suspicion of the civilian professional and business classes followed. In a circular to his officers in March 1861 he warned against "international revolutionaries, lawyers and doctors without practices, ambitious and money-hungry journalists, dissatisfied professors and schoolteachers" as well as "debt-ridden nobles and cowardly magnates" who threatened the monarchy.[2] A year later he further stated in Verona that the army's purpose was "to serve, fight, and if necessary die with honor for the emperor and supreme warlord."[2] Benedek believed in a traditional concept of war where valor and courage were of chief importance, where "simple rules" were superior to "complicated calculations".[3] Following in this vein, he opposed the notion of a national, Prussian-style general staff of officers selected for their education and intellect.[3]
Austro-Prussian War
Battle of Königgrätz
At the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, Benedek was made the commander in chief of the Northern Army. He had previously declined the appointment three times, claiming that he knew neither the terrain in the north nor the enemy. Delaying his departure from Verona for nearly two months, he arrived in Vienna only on 12 May and did not establish his headquarters at Olmütz (Olomouc) until 26 May.[4] Furthermore, his two chiefs of staff, Krismanic and Henikstein, encouraged his pessimism and reluctance to engage the enemy.[5]
While the Prussians advanced against and defeated Austria's German allies (
When the Prussians crossed into Bohemia, Benedek failed to mass his forces against the separate enemy formations and suffered defeats across his front (except for a costly stand at
When, on 3 July 1866, the Prussians attacked, Benedek had a numerical advantage. Yet he expected to face only the Prussian First Army, and the arrival of the Prussian Second Army under Crown Prince Frederick William, attacking the Austrian flank at Chlum, disrupted the Austrian lines. Benedek ordered a retreat and crossed the river himself in the evening and informed the emperor that the catastrophe he had feared had indeed taken place.[7] He offered to rally again at Olmütz but the retreat became a near rout. On 10 July Archduke Albrecht was appointed commander of all armies and established defenses around Vienna. However, the Prussians had achieved their objectives and were suffering a cholera outbreak while the Austrians were desperate for an end to the fight; an armistice was signed on 21 July.[8]
Loss of command
This placed Emperor Franz Joseph I in a difficult position. There was extensive demand for the blame for the defeat to be placed on Benedek. He resigned as commander-in-chief at
Benedek was ordered never to speak about the circumstances of the defeat. When a scathing article in the Wiener Zeitung on 8 December 1866 blamed him alone for the catastrophe, he had no right to reply.
The former first soldier of the Empire lived for another fifteen years in quiet retirement at Graz, and died there on 27 April 1881.
Notes
- ^ Regarding personal names: Ritter was a title before 1919, but now is regarded as part of the surname. It is translated as Knight. Before the August 1919 abolition of nobility as a legal class, titles preceded the full name when given (Graf Helmuth James von Moltke). Since 1919, these titles, along with any nobiliary prefix (von, zu, etc.), can be used, but are regarded as a dependent part of the surname, and thus come after any given names (Helmuth James Graf von Moltke). Titles and all dependent parts of surnames are ignored in alphabetical sorting. There is no equivalent feminine form.
- ^ a b Rothenberg 1976, p. 57.
- ^ a b Rothenberg 1976, p. 60.
- ^ Rothenberg 1976, p. 67.
- ^ Rothenberg 1976, p. 67-68.
- ^ Rothenberg 1976, p. 69.
- ^ a b Rothenberg 1976, p. 70.
- ^ Rothenberg 1976, p. 70-71.
References
- Rothenberg, Gunther Erich (1976). The Army of Francis Joseph. Purdue University Press. ISBN 978-1-55753-145-2.
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
External links
- Ludwig Ritter von Benedek Archived 2015-03-06 at the Wayback Machine
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