Archduke Eugen Ferdinand Pius Bernhard Felix Maria of Austria-Teschen (21 May 1863 – 30 December 1954) was an
Archduke
Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within ...
of
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and a Prince of
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
and
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
. He was the last
Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights
The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order (german: Hochmeister des Deutschen Ordens; la, Magister generalis Ordo Teutonicus) is the supreme head of the Teutonic Order. It is equivalent to the grand master of other military orders and the superio ...
from the
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
dynasty.
Early life
Eugen was the son of
Karl Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria
Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria (Vienna, 29 July 1818 – Gross Seelowitz ( Židlochovice Castle), 20 November 1874) was the second son of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen (1771–1847) and Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg, and the ...
(son of
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles Louis John Joseph Laurentius of Austria, Duke of Teschen (german: link=no, Erzherzog Karl Ludwig Johann Josef Lorenz von Österreich, Herzog von Teschen; 5 September 177130 April 1847) was an Austrian field-marshal, the third s ...
) and of his wife
Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria
Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska Maria of Austria (17 January 1831 – 14 February 1903) was born in Ofen (Buda), Hungary, the daughter of Palatine Joseph of Hungary (1776–1847) and his third wife Maria Dorothea of Württemberg (1797–185 ...
. He was born at the castle of Gross Seelowitz in
Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The me ...
(today
Židlochovice near
Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
). At his baptism he was given the names ''Eugen Ferdinand Pius Bernhard Felix Maria''. His education was Spartan in character. His country living at Gross Seelowitz and holidays at
Gmund alternated with a sound education and strict instruction.
At the Palais Erzherzog Albrecht (Archduke Albrecht's Palace, also known as the Albrechtspalais) in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, Eugen received instruction in all the military subjects in addition to languages, music and the history of art. At the age of 14 in keeping with the family tradition and like his elder brother
Friedrich Friedrich may refer to:
Names
* Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich''
* Friedrich (given name), people with the given name ''Friedrich''
Other
* Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Year ...
, he also began his military career with the
Tyrol
Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
ean
Kaiserjäger Regiment
The ''Kaiserjäger'' (officially designated by the Imperial and Royal (''k.u.k.'') military administration as the ''Tiroler Jäger-Regimenter'' or "Tyrolean Rifle Regiments"), were formed in 1895 as four normal infantry regiments within the Comm ...
and was commissioned as a
Leutnant
() is the lowest Junior officer rank in the armed forces the German (language), German-speaking of Germany (Bundeswehr), Austrian Armed Forces, and military of Switzerland.
History
The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") fro ...
on 27 October 1877. Shortly thereafter he was transferred as an
Oberleutnant
() is the highest lieutenant officer rank in the German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces.
Austria
Germany
In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Trans ...
to a
hussar
A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...
regiment and in the following years participated in many lengthy
manoeuvres.
In 1882, Eugen took an examination before a commission assembled by
Archduke Albrecht that verified his suitability to attend the military academy at
Wiener Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt (; ; Central Bavarian: ''Weana Neistod'') is a city located south of Vienna, in the state of Lower Austria, in northeast Austria. It is a self-governed city and the seat of the district administration of Wiener Neustadt-Land Distr ...
. Eugen became then the sole archduke to attend the several year long course at the academy (1883–1885) and subsequently successfully graduated as a fully trained general staff officer.
Military career
In 1885, Eugen was assigned to the
General Staff
A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...
and rapidly rose through the ranks. He commanded a
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
of Infantry Regiment 13 as a
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
before assuming command of the entire regiment as a
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
. Following a further regimental assignment as commanding officer of Hussar regiment 13, he assumed command of an infantry brigade in
Olmütz
Olomouc (, , ; german: Olmütz; pl, Ołomuniec ; la, Olomucium or ''Iuliomontium'') is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 99,000 inhabitants, and its larger urban zone has a population of about 384,000 inhabitants (2019).
Located on th ...
and then a division in Vienna. In 1900 he was appointed to the command of
XIV Army Corps in
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
and promoted to
General der Kavallerie General of the Cavalry (german: General der Kavallerie) was a General officer rank in the cavalry in various states of which the modern states of German and Austria are successors or in other armies which used the German model. Artillery officers o ...
on 27 April 1901. This command simultaneously also made him the commanding general in Innsbruck and the defence commander for the Tyrol. He was appointed eight years later as an army inspector and senior defence commander for the Tyrol. When in 1909 the possibility of a war against
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
was in the air he alongside
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I.
F ...
and General
Albori was named as a presumptive army commander.
Eugen also had exercised his influence in the field of personnel. He had urgently recommended
Feldmarschallleutnant
Lieutenant field marshal, also frequently historically field marshal lieutenant (german: Feldmarschall-Leutnant, formerly , historically also and, in official Imperial and Royal Austrian army documents from 1867 always , abbreviated ''FML''), was ...
Conrad von Hötzendorf
Conrad may refer to:
People
* Conrad (name)
Places
United States
* Conrad, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Conrad, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Conrad, Iowa, a city
* Conrad, Montana, a city
* Conrad Glacier, Washington ...
, his divisional commander at Innsbruck as the successor to the retiring chief of the general staff — General Beck-Rzikowsky. In 1911, the Archduke retired from active military service ostensibly for health reasons. Conrad von Hötzendorf however suggested in his memoirs that Archduke Franz Ferdinand had become increasingly jealous of the importance of Eugen.
In addition to his military career above all else, Eugen was called upon to perform his duty as the
Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights
The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order (german: Hochmeister des Deutschen Ordens; la, Magister generalis Ordo Teutonicus) is the supreme head of the Teutonic Order. It is equivalent to the grand master of other military orders and the superio ...
. On 11 January 1887, Eugen entered the
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
as a professed knight. At the same time he was chosen to be the coadjutor of his uncle,
Archduke Wilhelm, then ''Hoch- und Deutschmeister''.
When Archduke Wilhelm suddenly died, Eugen was enthroned as the new Hoch- und Deutschmeister on 19 November 1894 and in this office he also proved himself very effective. He further developed the institution of the volunteer nursing care (Marianer), founded new hospitals and improved the training of the sisters. Finally he had the central archives of the order in Vienna sorted out and extended.
World War I
![Archduke Eugen in Ischl](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Archduke_Eugen_in_Ischl.JPG)
At the outbreak of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
he immediately reported for active duty. He was however at first palmed off with a relatively unimportant post as the patron of the voluntary war welfare organization. Finally he was transferred in December 1914 to replace
Oskar Potiorek
Oskar Potiorek (20 November 1853 – 17 December 1933) was an officer of the Austro-Hungarian Army, who served as Governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1911 to 1914. He was a passenger in the car carrying Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria ...
and assume the post of commander of the forces in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
with his headquarters at
Peterwardein
Petrovaradin ( sr-cyr, Петроварадин, ) is a historic town in the Serbian province of Vojvodina, now a part of the city of Novi Sad. As of 2011, the urban area has 14,810 inhabitants. Lying on the right bank of the Danube, across from t ...
. Together with his chief of Staff, Feldmarschall-Leutnant
Alfred Krauss
Alfred Krauss (2 February 1908 – 11 June 1957) was a French gymnast. He competed in four events at the 1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( ...
, a very talented military theoretician with a decisive and vigorous character, he reorganized the hard hit
5th Army.
On 22 May 1915, Eugen was promoted to
Generaloberst
A ("colonel general") was the second-highest general officer rank in the German ''Reichswehr'' and ''Wehrmacht'', the Austro-Hungarian Common Army, the East Germany, East German National People's Army and in their respective police services. ...
. Two days later on 24 May he was entrusted with the command of the southwestern front against Italy. He moved his headquarters to
Marburg
Marburg ( or ) is a university town in the German federal state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district (''Landkreis''). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has a population of approximate ...
(Maribor) and now commanded a theatre stretching from the Swiss border to the Adriatic. His main objective here was a pure and simple defence against the many times numerically superior Italian forces. Only at the beginning was the designation "Southwest Front Command" clear. From March 1916, it functioned as ''Heeresgruppen-Kommando Erzherzog Eugen'' in
Tyrol
Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
to the exclusion of the remaining parts of the front and at the beginning of the execution of the 12th battle of the Isonzo as ''Heeresfront Erzherzog Eugen'' with the allied German
14th Army and ''
Heeresgruppe von Boroević'' under command but
Heeresgruppe von Conrad was not immediately subordinate.
![Coat of Arms of Archduke Eugen of Austria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Coat_of_Arms_of_Archduke_Eugen_of_Austria.svg)
During the
First Battle of the Isonzo
The First Battle of the Isonzo was fought between the Armies of Italy and Austria-Hungary on the northeastern Italian Front in World War I, between 23 June and 7 July 1915.
The aim of the Italian Army was to drive the Austrians away from its ...
Eugen traveled back and forth behind the front. He attended many conferences, appeared on the front lines and encouraged the troops and in this way achieved great popularity. At the same time he managed the rear areas in order to guarantee the best possible supply to the forward troops.
Before the great attack from the South Tyrol which took take place in the Spring of 1916 Eugen assumed command as army group commander of the 11th and 3rd armies and took up headquarters at his cousin's, the Graf von Bozen und Maurer, estate just outside Bozen (
Bolzano
Bolzano ( or ; german: Bozen, (formerly ); bar, Bozn; lld, Balsan or ) is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third la ...
). After initial success, the attack had to be broken off in consequence of the danger posed to the Russian front following the
Brusilov Offensive of June 1916 and the subsequent transfer of formations to that threatened front. However, after breaking off the offensive, Archduke Eugen successfully withdrew his troops in the second half of June 1916 into secure positions.
In the further course of the war Eugen had to transfer more and more of his troops to the hard fighting Isonzo Army so that he soon had to manage without reserves in his own theatre of operations. Although he had only a very limited forces holding the Tyrolean front, he never considered withdrawing further and shortening his line. He was too personally attached to the land to do that.
Eugen was promoted to
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
on 23 November 1916 and in the middle of March 1917 again took up his work as the commander of the southwest front. During the
Caporetto offensive, Eugen was the actual commander employing his complete energy in the process. He recognized that this was the last favorable opportunity for the
Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
. The Archduke, who normally was no great flayer of the soldiers could on this occasion not push hard enough. There appeared temporarily to be great confusion in the issuing of orders. It is possible that many blamed Eugen and his staff for this.
Against the will of the chief of the general staff, Generaloberst Baron
Arz von Straußenburg, the Emperor
Karl Karl may refer to:
People
* Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name
* Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne
* Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer
* Karl of Austria, last Austria ...
released Eugen from active service on 18 December 1917. The southwestern front command was terminated. The relief of Eugen does not appear to have been made for personal but on objective reasons. After Russia's withdrawal from the war and the shortening of various other fronts (Isonzo, Carinthia, Dolomites), the senior generals pushed at the
Piave. With his very senior rank, Eugen could only be a commander in chief. Eugen was forced to go as the Emperor Karl himself took up the supreme command.
Eugen still enjoyed high renown and at the end of the war at the beginning of November 1918, the idea of Eugen becoming a
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
was introduced. The last foreign minister
Graf Andrassy and the member of parliament Dr.
Franz Dinghofer of the German nationalist party had discussed this. However, Eugen would never have accepted such an offer without the consent of the emperor.
Military awards
Amongst the Archduke's considerable number of Austro-Hungarian awards here are the most important:
*Knight of the
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...
(13 April 1878)
*Throat and Breast Cross of a Professed Knight of the
Teutonic Order
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
(11 January 1886)
*Grand Master of the Teutonic Order (30 July 1894)
*
Military Merit Cross (30 November 1898)
*Jubilee Commemoration Medal (2 December 1898)
*Military Service Award III Class (24 October 1902)
*Bronze Military Merit Medal (26 September 1905)
*Brilliants to the Military Merit Cross (12 August 1908)
*Second Expression of Appreciation (Silver Military Merit Medal 1911) (11 October 1908)
*Military Jubilee Cross (2 December 1908)
*Grand Cross of the
Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen (30 March 1911)
*Red Cross Merit Star with War Decoration (8 March 1915)
*
Bronze Military Merit Medal (War ribbon) (9 May 1915)
*
Military Merit Cross 1st Class with War Decoration (29 July 1915)
*
Large Military Merit Medal (24 May 1916)
*Grand Cross of the
Military Order of Maria Theresa
The Military Order of Maria Theresa (german: Militär-Maria-Theresien-Orden; hu, Katonai Mária Terézia-rend; cs, Vojenský řád Marie Terezie; pl, Wojskowy Order Marii Teresy; sl, Vojaški red Marije Terezije; hr, Vojni Red Marije Te ...
(15 January 1917)
*
Silver Military Merit Medal with Swords (26 June 1917)
*Brilliants to the
Military Merit Cross 1st Class with War Decoration and Swords (5 November 1917)
He also received the Swords to both his Large Military Merit Medal and Bronze Military Merit Medal at a later date to the original awards.
Additionally he was the possessor of a host of foreign awards and decorations:
*Grand Cross of the Romanian
Order of the Star (3 October 1881)
*Grand Cross of the Royal Spanish
Order of Charles III
The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III ( es, Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III, originally es, Real y Muy Distinguida Orden de Carlos III) was establ ...
(25 June 1883)
*Grand Cross of the Royal Portuguese
Order of the Tower and Sword
The Ancient and Most Noble Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of the Valour, Loyalty and Merit ( pt, Antiga e Muito Nobre Ordem Militar da Torre e Espada, do Valor, Lealdade e Mérito), before 1910 Royal Military Order of the Tower an ...
(7 March 1890)
*Knight of the Royal Prussian
Order of the Black Eagle
The Order of the Black Eagle (german: Hoher Orden vom Schwarzen Adler) was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg (who became Friedrich I, King ...
(30 January 1891)
*Grand Cross of the Grand Ducal Hessian
Order of Ludwig (5 May 1892)
*Grand Cross of the Grand Ducal Tuscan
Order of St. Joseph (7 April 1896)
*Knight of the Imperial Russian
Order of St. Andrew
The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called (russian: Орден Святого апостола Андрея Первозванного, translit=Orden Svyatogo apostola Andreya Pervozvannogo) is the highest order conferred by both the ...
with Chain (26 June 1896)
*Knight of the Imperial Russian
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on by Empress Catherine I of Russia.
History
The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Empero ...
*Knight of the Imperial Russian
Order of the White Eagle
*Knight 1st Class of the Imperial Russian
Order of St. Anna
The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holst ...
*Knight of the Siamese
(23 June 1897)
*Knight of the Royal Swedish
Order of the Seraphim
The Royal Order of the Seraphim ( sv, Kungliga Serafimerorden; ''Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the P ...
(18 September 1897)
*Royal Swedish Jubilee Commemorative Medal
*Knight of the Papal
Supreme Order of Christ
The Supreme Order of Christ ( it, Ordine Supremo del Cristo) was the highest order of chivalry awarded by the pope. According to some scholars, it owes its origin to the same Order of Christ of the Knights Templar, from which came the Order of ...
(17 February 1904)
*Grand Cross of the Ducal
(5 June 1904)
*Collar of the Royal Spanish
Order of Charles III
The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III ( es, Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III, originally es, Real y Muy Distinguida Orden de Carlos III) was establ ...
(18 May 1907)
*Grand Cross of the Papal
Order of the Holy Sepulchre
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic Church, Catholic order of ...
(24 September 1907)
*Honorary Grand Cross of the
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...
(21 August 1908)
*Commemoration Medal to the Regency of Queen Maria Christina of Spain (1909)
*Grand Cordon of the Royal Belgian
Order of Leopold (6 October 1910)
*Royal Prussian
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...
1st and 2nd Classes (30 March 1915)
*Grand Commander of the
Royal Prussian House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (4 August 1915)
*Grand Cross of the Royal Bavarian
Military Order of Max Joseph
The Military Order of Max Joseph (german: Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden) was the highest military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria. The order came in t ...
(16 November 1915)
*Imperial Ottoman Gold and Silver
Imtiyaz Medal
The Imtiyaz Medal / Imtiaz Medal ( tr, İmtiyaz Madalyası) was an Ottoman military decoration, instituted in 1882. It was presented in two classes, gold and silver. The gold medal was the highest Ottoman military decoration for gallantry. When ...
s (15 January 1916)
*
Friedrich-August Cross, 1st and 2nd Classes of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg (15 March 1916)
*Royal Prussian Order
Pour le Mérite
The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Or ...
(23 May 1916)
*Grand Cross of the House Order of Vigilance or of the White Falcon with Swords of the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimer (2 December 1916)
*Honour Award of the Royal Bulgarian Red Cross (1916/1917)
*Oak leaves to the Royal Prussian Order
Pour le Mérite
The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Or ...
(3 November 1917)
*Royal Bulgarian
Order of Bravery
The Order of Bravery ( bg, Орден за Храброст) is a Bulgarian order which existed during the Kingdom of Bulgaria and currently exists in the Republic of Bulgaria. It was the second highest in the Kingdom of Bulgaria and is the fourt ...
1st Class (20 November 1917)
*Grand Cross of the
Royal Württemberg Military Merit Order (2 January 1918)
*Royal Bavarian Honour Award to commemorate the Golden Anniversary of King Ludwig III (20 January 1918)
Later life
![Innsbruck - Dom zu St Jakob - tomb of Archduke Eugen - 6916](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Innsbruck_-_Dom_zu_St_Jakob_-_tomb_of_Archduke_Eugen_-_6916.JPG)
Following the collapse of the monarchy Eugen first settled in
Lucerne
Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic German, High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label=Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking po ...
and then at
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
where he lived modestly in a hotel from 1918 to 1934. In order to safeguard the existence of the Teutonic Order, Eugen voluntarily resigned his position as the ''Hoch- und Deutschmeister'' in 1923. He had been the last hereditary grand master of the order. In this way the possessions of the order were saved.
In 1934, Eugen settled at the order's convent at
Gumpoldskirchen
Gumpoldskirchen (Central Bavarian: ''Gumpoidskiachn'') is a town in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Gumpoldskirchen borders on the municipalities Mödling, Guntramsdorf, Gaaden, Pfaffstätten and Traiskirchen. The ...
near Vienna. He participated at monarchical rallies, attended veterans' meetings and placed himself again at the service of the dynasty even though he himself no longer believed in the restoration. Following the
Anschluß
The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938.
The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany") ...
of Austria to Germany in 1938 the Teutonic Order was dissolved and its possessions confiscated.
Eugen received, probably with the intervention of
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...
and other senior military figures, a rented house at
Hietzing
Hietzing () is the 13th municipal District of Vienna (german: 13. Bezirk, Hietzing). It is located west of the central districts, west of Meidling. Hietzing is a heavily populated urban area with many residential buildings, but also contains lar ...
where he survived the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. In 1945, he fled to the Tyrol where he received through the French occupying power a small rented villa at Igls. On 21 May 1953, the whole of Innsbruck celebrated the field marshal's 90th birthday.
Eugen died on 30 December 1954 at
Meran
Merano (, , ) or Meran () is a city and ''comune'' in South Tyrol, northern Italy. Generally best known for its spa resorts, it is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to above sea level, at the entrance to the Passeier ...
, at the time part of Italy, the oldest living member of the dynasty at the and later the 2nd oldest ever Archduke of Austria, surrounded by the brothers of his order from
Lana
Lana may refer to:
*Lana (given name)
*Francesco Lana de Terzi (1631–1687), Italian Jesuit priest and scientist
*Lana (wrestler), professional wrestler and pro wrestling manager
*''Wild Energy. Lana'', a 2006 Ukrainian fantasy novel
Sciences
*L ...
. On 6 January 1955, he was buried in the St. Jakobskirche at Innsbruck next to
Archduke Maximilian III
Maximilian III of Austria, briefly known as Maximilian of Poland during his claim for the throne (12 October 1558 – 2 November 1618), was the Archduke of Further Austria from 1612 until his death.
Biography
Born in Wiener Neustadt, Maximilian ...
(1558–1618).
Ancestry
Bibliography
*
Rác, Robert. ''Arcivévoda Evzen Habsbursko-lotrinský 1863-1954: velmistr Rádu nemeckých rytíru''. Sovinec/Eulenburg: Esmedia, 2005.
*
Schildenfeld, Zoë von. ''Erzherzog Eugen, 1863-1963: ein Gedenkbuch''. Innsbruck: F. Rauch, 1963.
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eugen Of Austria
1863 births
1954 deaths
People from Židlochovice
House of Habsburg-Lorraine
Austrian princes
Austrian Roman Catholics
Field marshals of Austria
Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I
Moravian-German people
Austro-Hungarian Army officers
Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria
Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary
Grand Crosses of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
Grand Crosses of the Military Order of Max Joseph
Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania
Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)
Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order
Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia)
Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class
Annulled Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class
Recipients of the Gold Imtiyaz Medal
Recipients of the Order of Bravery, 1st class
Knights of the Holy Sepulchre
Theresian Military Academy alumni