Ludwig Goiginger was an Austro-Hungarian
Lieutenant Field Marshal
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''), wa ...
who notably served in
World War I
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 ...
.
Biography
![Skopje_-_Wladimir_Giesl_and_Alfred_Rappaport](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Skopje_-_Wladimir_Giesl_and_Alfred_Rappaport.jpg)
Early life
After graduating from
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
in
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
, he entered the
military engineer
Military engineering is loosely defined as the art, science, and practice of designing and building military works and maintaining lines of military transport and military communications. Military engineers are also responsible for logistics ...
cadet school 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 ...
in 1881. In 1884 he joined the Genie Regiment 2 in
Krems and became a
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
. After attending the War Academy from 1888 to 1890, he was assigned to the General Staff Corps as an
adjutant and was given a permanent position in 1893. He was appointed colonel in 1906. From 1907 to 1908, he was "military assistant" in the Austro-Hungarian mission, part of an international mission responsible for supervising the
Ottoman Gendarmerie
The Ottoman Gendarmerie ( tr, Jandarma), also known as ''zaptı'', was a security and public order organization (a precursor to law enforcement) in the 19th-century Ottoman Empire. The first official gendarmerie organization was founded in 1869.
...
in
Macedonia,
[Bernard MOURAZ, ''Des gendarmes en Macédoine (1904–1911)'', Armées d’aujourd’hui, numéro 249, 2000](_blank)
/ref> and he fought the armed bands around Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
in the Kosovo Vilayet. After more than 20 years of staff activity, he took over command of the newly established 122nd Infantry Brigade in Bruneck
Bruneck (; it, Brunico or Ladin: ''Bornech'' or ''Burnech''; la, Branecium or ''Brunopolis'' is the largest town in the Puster Valley in the Italian province of South Tyrol.
Geography
Bruneck rises up in the middle of a wide valley (perhaps ...
on 27 February 1912, which was assigned in peace to the 8th Infantry Division ( FML Johann Freiherr von Kirchbach auf Lauterbach) and was promoted to major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
in May 1912.
World War I
During the mobilization of August 1914 , the 122nd Brigade (1st '' K.u.k. Feldjäger'' Regiment) and the 87th Infantry Brigade are grouped into the new 44th Landwehr Infantry Division by Heinrich Tschurtschenthaler, who was part the Austro-Hungarian XIV Corps on the Eastern Front in Galicia, in the area of modern-day Rava-Ruska
Rava-Ruska (, translit. ''Rava-Rus'ka''; ; , Rave) is a city in Lviv Raion, Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. It is a border town between Ukraine and Poland. The border checkpoint is situated west of the city, along the international autoroute ...
. On 1 October he was appointed head of the 32nd Infantry Division attached to the 2nd Army which was commanded by General Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli
Eduard Freiherr von Böhm-Ermolli (12 February 1856 – 9 December 1941) was an Austrian general during World War I who rose to the rank of field marshal in the Austro-Hungarian Army. He was the head of the Second Army and fought mainly on the fr ...
. During winter 1914–1915, he was given command of the Goiginger group, including its division, and the 103rd Landsturm Brigade, engaged in the Battle of the Carpathians. In March 1915, He undertook for some time the command of the 44th Landwehr Division of the XVIII Corps commanded by General Alfred von Ziegler
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interlu ...
. On 9 May 1915 he was named Feldmarschall-Leutnant.
With the Italian entry into World War I
Italy entered into the First World War in 1915 with the aim of completing national unity: for this reason, the Italian intervention in the First World War is also considered the Fourth Italian War of Independence, in a historiographical perspectiv ...
, he was sent to the Italian front where on 5 June 1915, he received the command of the Division Pustertal in Tyrol defence command's District V under ''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 ...
'' Viktor Dankl von Krasnik
Viktor Julius Ignaz Ferdinand Graf Dankl von Kraśnik (Born as Viktor Dankl; 18 September 18548 January 1941) was a highly decorated Austro-Hungarian officer who reached the pinnacle of his service during World War I with promotion to the rare r ...
's authority. He engaged on the front of the Dolomites
The Dolomites ( it, Dolomiti ; Ladin: ''Dolomites''; german: Dolomiten ; vec, Dołomiti : fur, Dolomitis), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form pa ...
. On 17 April 1916, at Col di Lana
The Col di Lana is a mountain of the Fanes Group in the Italian Dolomites. The actual peak is called ''Cima Lana'' and situated in the municipality of Livinallongo del Col di Lana (German: ''Buchenstein'') in the Province of Belluno, Veneto r ...
, in its command sector, the explosion of a passage mined by Italian sappers engulfed a whole '' Kaiserjäger'' company.
At the end of August 1916, with Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
's entry into the war, he was sent to Transylvania. On 12 October 1916 he was appointed head of the 73rd Division attached to the German 9th Army commanded by the General Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen
Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen (24 November 1862 – 21 February 1953) was a Bavarian Army general in World War I. He served as Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Bavarian Army before World War I and commanded the elite Alpenkorps, the Im ...
.
After victorious fighting on the Romanian front
The Romanian Front ( ro, Frontul Românesc, FR) was a moderate fascist party created in Romania in 1935. Led by former Prime Minister Alexandru Vaida-Voevod, it originated as a right-wing splinter group from the mainstream National Peasants' Part ...
, Goiginger was sent back to the Italian front. He controls the 60th Division in the highlight of the Monte San Gabriele on the Isonzo. During the Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo
The Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo was a World War I battle fought by the Italian and Austro-Hungarian Armies on the Italian Front between 18 August and 12 September 1917.
Background
On the Soča (Isonzo) River, Luigi Cadorna, the Italian Ch ...
, on 22 August 1917, his defence of Jelenik earned him the gold Medal for Bravery
The Medal for Bravery (Serbo-Croatian: ''Медаља за Храброст'', Macedonian: ''Медал за Xраброст'') was a Yugoslav military award created in 1943 for achievements in the line of duty during World War II. It was initial ...
. During the Battle of Caporetto
The Battle of Caporetto (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, the Battle of Kobarid or the Battle of Karfreit) was a battle on the Italian front of World War I.
The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central ...
, the 60th Division, integrated into Armeegruppe Kosak (2nd Army of the Isonzo, General Johann von Henriquez), participates in the offensive German-Austro-Hungarian who routs the Italian 2nd Army. On 8 March 1918 he was appointed to the head of XXIV Corps comprising the 55th and 60th Divisions and part of the 94th Division, in the Monte Asolone area.
In June 1918, the Goiginger corps takes part in the Second Battle of the Piave River
The Second Battle of the Piave River, fought between 15 and 23 June 1918, was a decisive victory for the Italian Army against the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I. Though the battle proved to be a decisive blow to the Austro-Hungaria ...
, 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 ...
' last attempt to wrest the decision on the Italian front. It occupied a bridgehead in Montello and, on 19 June, repulsed an Italian counter-attack, capturing 12,000 prisoners and 84 cannons. General Svetozar Boroević
Svetozar Boroević von Bojna (or Borojević) (13 December 1856 – 23 May 1920) was an Austro-Hungarian field marshal who was described as one of the finest defensive strategists of the First World War. He commanded Austro-Hungarian forces i ...
, the front's commander, found a way to exploit Montello's position as a base for the next offensive. But Erich Ludendorff
Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff (9 April 1865 – 20 December 1937) was a German general, politician and military theorist. He achieved fame during World War I for his central role in the German victories at Liège and Tannenberg in 1914 ...
, head of the German High Staff, said that Germany could not provide additional resources because it had to devote all its reserves to the Western front. Having consulted with the Austro-Hungarian Chief of Staff Arthur Arz von Straußenburg
Generaloberst Arthur Freiherr Arz von Straußenburg ( hu, Báró Artúr Arz de Straussenburg; 16 June 1857 – 1 July 1935) was an Austro-Hungarian colonel general and last Chief of the General Staff of the Austro-Hungarian Army. At the outbreak o ...
, Emperor Charles decided on 20 June to abandon the offensive and to withdraw its forces north of Piave. Goiginger initially refuses to give up hard-won territory but, on reiterated orders, ends up submitting. Bosnian, Hungarian and Austrian soldiers evacuate Montello, the last troops withdrawing on 23 June, ending the battle.[Mark Thompson, ''The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front, 1915–1919'', Faber Faber, 2008,]
/ref> This action earned Goiginger the Military Order of Maria Theresa.
On 19 July he was appointed head of the Austro-Hungarian troops on the French front. The XVIII Corps comprised the 1st, 35th, 37th Divisions and the 16th Landsturm Division, attached to the Army Group Gallwitz. From October 1918, he was engaged in the Orne
Orne (; nrf, Ôrne or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.[American Expeditionary Forces
The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...]
. On 3 November, by the Armistice of Villa Giusti
The Armistice of Villa Giusti or Padua ended warfare between Italy and Austria-Hungary on the Italian Front during World War I. The armistice was signed on 3 November 1918 in the Villa Giusti, outside Padua in the Veneto, Northern Italy, a ...
, Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
withdrew from the conflict. The Austro-Hungarian corps in France was evacuated to Arlon
Arlon (; lb, Arel ; nl, Aarlen ; german: Arel ; wa, Årlon; la, Orolaunum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in and capital of the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium. With a population of just over 28,000, it is t ...
then, on 10 November, towards Thionville
Thionville (; ; german: Diedenhofen ) is a city in the northeastern French department of Moselle. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz.
History
Thionville was settled as early as the time of th ...
. The last Austro-Hungarian troops left Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
on 29 November, disperse in the new states resulting from the breakup of the Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
.
Family and final years
His older brother, Heinrich Goiginger (1861–1927), during the war, reached the rank of Feldzeugmeister
''Feldzeugmeister'' was a historical military rank in some German and the Austro-Hungarian armies, especially in use for the artillery. It was commonly used in the 16th or 17th century, but could even be found at the beginning of the 20th century i ...
(senior artillery officer).
Ludwig Goiginger retires from military service on 1 January 1919 and retired to the Republic of German-Austria
The Republic of German-Austria (german: Republik Deutschösterreich or ) was an unrecognised state that was created following World War I as an initial rump state for areas with a predominantly German-speaking and ethnic German population wi ...
, to Graz-Neustift, where he died in 1931.
References
External links
*
Biographie auf austro-hungarian-army
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goiginger, Ludvig
1863 births
1931 deaths
People from Verona
People from Udine
19th-century Austrian people
20th-century Austrian people
Austro-Hungarian Army officers
Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I
Austrian lieutenant field marshals
Commanders Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa