Viktor Graf von Scheuchenstuel
Viktor Graf von Scheuchenstuel | |
---|---|
Born | May 10, 1857 Witkowitz, Moravia, Austrian Empire |
Died | April 17, 1938 Vienna, First Austrian Republic |
Allegiance | Austria-Hungary |
Service/ | Austro-Hungarian Army |
Years of service | 1886–1918 |
Rank | Colonel general |
Battles/wars | World War I |
Viktor Graf von Scheuchenstuel (May 10, 1857 – April 17, 1938) was a
Before World War I
Scheuchenstuel was born in
World War I
Serbian Front
In August 1914 Field Marshal Lieutenant Scheuchenstuel commanded the Austrian 9th Infantry Division, which was part of General
In mid-November Scheuchenstuel's VIII. Corps joined General Potiorek's V. Army in the invasion of Mačva in Northern Serbia. Scheuchenstuel advanced through Serbia reaching Belgrade, abandoned by Serbian Marshal Putnik, on December 1. Once Putnik resupplied, he counter-attacked and drove the Austrian army back. By December 16 the VIII. Corps was back across the Danube and out of Belgrade.
Throughout most of 1915 Scheuchenstuel was involved in battles along the Serbian front. Finally in October 1915, his VIII. Corps was included in
Albanian Front
On January 25, 1916, the Austro-Hungarian Army attacked Montenegro which quickly surrendered. The army then moved down into the Italian controlled Albania, which fell to the Austrians by the end of winter. The Serbian Army made a fighting retreat over the Albanian coastal mountains. Once they reached the coast, the Italian and French Navies evacuated the Serbian Army. By February 26, 1916 nearly all of Albania was under Austrian control.[2]
Italian Front
On May 23, 1915, Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary, however the Italian front quickly became a stalemate as the
Following brutal fighting against the Russians, the entire VIII. Korps was disbanded. Scheuchenstuel was dismissed from the army following "disputes with Army High Command"[1] in July. However he was reinstated by the Kaiser and given command of I. Korps in Romania in September.
Romanian Front
Scheuchenstuel's new I. Korps were part of Hermann Kövess von Kövessháza's VII. Army in northern Romania. The VII. Army in the north was not directly involved in Falkenhayn's counterattack and sweep through southern Romania, but was certainly involved in fighting in the Carpathian Mountains. By January 1917, most of the fighting appeared to be over. On February 28, 1917, Scheuchenstuel was made a noble and given the rank of Graf. In addition to his rank, he was given command of the XI. Army on the Italian Front.[1]
Return to the Italian Front
By spring 1917 Scheuchenstuel was in command of the Austro-Hungarian
In the spring of 1918 he directed a diversionary attack into the Tonale Pass, which was beaten back by the Italians. During the summer of 1918, food supplies ran short prompting Scheuchenstuel to write to Count Franz Conrad insisting that more food was needed.[4] Conrad blamed the suppliers and Army Headquarters ordered an increase in the meat ration. However, the supplies didn't exist and this order was not fulfilled.[1]
The unsuccessful
References
- ^ a b c d e Stefanovics, Glenn, Viktor Graf von Scheuchenstüel, retrieved 2010-12-08
- ^ Quoted in Stefanovics, "Because of the inferior quality of meat, th small fat ration of six grams and the lack of vegetables which can only be substituted by flour, the present measure of 500 grams is already the minimum which a man should get under existing fighting and climatic conditions in order just to survive... Any reduction of the bread ration seems to me very risky because bread is the most indispensable foodstuff and our men cannot be fully compensated with meat."