The Theresian Military Academy (german: Theresianische Militärakademie, TherMilAk) is a

military academy A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...

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 ...

, where the

Austrian Armed Forces The Austrian Armed Forces (german: Bundesheer, lit=Federal Army) are the combined military forces of the Republic of Austria. The military consists of 22,050 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 0.74% of nati ...

train their officers. Founded in 1751, the academy is located in the castle of

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 ...

Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...

History

The Theresian Military Academy (known as the Theresianum) is one of the oldest military academies in the world (the oldest is the Military Academy of Modena). It was founded on 14 December 1751 by

Maria Theresa of Austria Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position '' suo jure'' (in her own right) ...

, who gave the first commander of the Academy, Field marshal Leopold Joseph von Daun (Count Daun), the order ''Mach er mir tüchtige Officier und rechtschaffene Männer daraus'' ("Make me hard working officers and honest men"). Per year, the Academy accepted 100 noblemen and 100 commoners to start their education there. In 1771, Fieldmarshal Lieutenant Hannig published the official studying plan, and in 1775, Maria Theresa published the Academy Rules. At this time, it took 11 years to complete the Academy, but step by step, it was shortened to 3 years. The Styrian Prince Erzherzog Johann (Archduke John) was the principal headmaster of the academy for 44 years (1805–1849). During the First Republic (1918–1938), the academy was located in Enns until 1934, and then again in the castle of Wiener Neustadt. A very remarkable event occurred in the time between

Austrofascism The Fatherland Front ( de-AT, Vaterländische Front, ''VF'') was the right-wing conservative, nationalist and corporatist ruling political organisation of the Federal State of Austria. It claimed to be a nonpartisan Nonpartisanism is a lack ...

and 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 ...

(Occupation of Austria by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

) when

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Rudolf Towarek was Commander of the TherMilAk (between 1933 and 1938). He had the guard deployed with the bayonet attached and thus denied the Wehrmacht access to the castle for several days. This was the only military resistance made by Austrians against the occupation by Nazi Germany. GenLt Towarek was not punished for this action; however, he was retired while retaining the right to wear the Austrian uniform after his retirement, which was highly unusual in those days. After the Anschluss, the Wehrmacht installed a war school for non-commissioned officers at the castle of Wiener Neustadt. The first commander of this school was Erwin Rommel. At this time, the Germans erected a new building next to the castle, which is now known as Fort Daun, in which the Military High School of Austria is located. Militärakademie

After

World War II 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 opposing ...

and the Austrian State Treaty which was signed in 1955, the demolished castle was rebuilt. In 1958, the military academy was again located in Wiener Neustadt after a short intermezzo (1955–1958) in Enns. On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the death of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, the direct ancestor of Maria Theresa, the so-called "last knight" and founder of a modern war system, a big celebration took place in the church of the military academy in 2019. Karl von Habsburg, the current head of the House of Habsburg, represented the imperial dynasty. Within the precincts of the Theresian Military Academy is the ''Theresian Military Academy Cemetery'' where many students, former teachers and distinguished graduates are buried. Officers interred there include Count Kinsky,

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 Emil Spannocchi, as well as

Thérèse de Dillmont Thérèse de Dillmont (10 October 1846 – 22 May 1890) was an Austrian needleworker and writer. Dillmont's ''Encyclopedia of Needlework'' (1886) has been translated into 17 languages. She owned a string of shops in European capitals and she was ...

whose father taught at the Academy.

The TherMilAk today

The current ''Commanding Officer - CO'' (german: Kommandant - Kdt) of the TherMilAk is Generalmajor Mag. Karl Pronhagl. From 1997–2008, the TherMilAk was a 4-year college which could also be attended by civilian students and finished with a master's degree in military leadership. In 2008, it was changed into a 3-year curriculum, graduating with a bachelor's degree. In 2003, the first four women completed the academy. Since 1959, more than 3,600 young officers have been educated at the Theresian Military Academy.http://www.tr-wiking.at/haupt.php?seite=geschichte_milak.htm Feb.2009 The cadet class graduating in 2004 was given the title of '' Kaiserjäger'' (''Imperial Rifles''), to honor the memory of the brave national light infantrymen who served Austria with distinction during the Imperial period.

TherMilAk commanders (selection)

Below there is a selection of the commanders of the TherMilAk.

Second Republic

Notes and references

External links