Ernst Horsetzky von Hornthal

Ernst Horsetzky Edler von Hornthal

Ernst Horsetzky Edler von Hornthal (born May 14, 1865 Vienna ; † May 28, 1943 there ) was an Austro-Hungarian troop leader in the First World War , who last rose to general of the infantry .

Military career

He attended the lower secondary school in St. Pölten and the upper secondary school in Mährisch-Weißkirchen . From 1882 to 1884 he graduated from the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt . In 1885 he joined as a lieutenant in the Military Police Battalion. 21 one, was in 1889 Lieutenant and attended the 1889 war School. In the following year, 1890, he was transferred as an adjutant to the General Staff of the 25th Infantry Troop Division in Vienna, and then to the 59th Infantry Brigade in Czernowitz as General Staff Officer. In 1893 he was taken on as a captain in the General Staff Corps and taught general war history at the military academy from 1894 to 1897 . He was then assigned to active service in Infantry Regiment No. 38. Promoted to major in 1899 , he served as a staff officer at the XIII. Corps. From 1900 to 1905 he organized the office for instructive military exercises on the General Staff. Promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1903 , he was posted to service in Infantry Regiment No. 94 in 1905 and took over the 1st Battalion of this regiment in 1907. Promoted to colonel on May 1, 1906 , he took part in a general staff trip abroad and was head of the 3rd training group. On July 8, 1907 he was appointed Chief of Staff of the XII. Corps ordered. Horsetzky was promoted to major general on December 3, 1911 , and assumed command of the 59th Infantry Brigade.

First World War

At the beginning of the war in August 1914, the 59th Infantry Brigade (regiments 24 and 41) of the 43rd Rifle Division ( FML Albert Schmidt von Georgenegg ) stood near Halicz and withdrew from the southern Dnjestrufer in front of the Russian XXIV Corps on Mikolajow . After the intervention of the Austro-Hungarian 2nd Army , Horsetzky's brigade defended on September 6th on Szezerek in the area east of Sambor .

In October 1914 Horsetzky became the commander of the Imperial and Royal 3rd Infantry Troop Division with which he distinguished himself in the XIV Corps under Field Marshal Lieutenant Roth in the battle of Limanowa – Lapanow , and on December 25, 1914 he was promoted to Field Marshal Lieutenant. After the successful battle of Gorlice-Tarnow on May 2, 1915, his division initially got stuck on the advance over the Dunajec . During the campaign of the Austro-Hungarian 2nd Army in the direction of Rowno , a Russian advance on September 13, 1915 tore open the weak lines of the 3rd and 24th Divisions on both sides of Klewan . The advance of the Russian 8th Army gained ground so quickly that AOK 2 ( Böhm-Ermolli ) was forced to immediately throw the 21st Rifle Division and the already recalled 2nd Infantry Division to the focal point in order to achieve a general breakthrough of the front master.

After the 3rd Division was transferred to the 3rd Army on the Italian front, Horsetzky's troops spearheaded the attack of the XXth during the South Tyrol offensive in May and June 1916. Corps ( Archduke Karl ) on Asiago - Arsiero , for their work in the mountainous terrain, the 3rd Division was awarded the title "Edelweisdivision". From November 1917 Horsetzky was Commanding General of the XXVI. Corps of the Austro-Hungarian 11th Army (Scheuchensteul) and advanced with the Corps Group " Belluno " ( Alfred Krauss ) through northern Veneto to the Grappa section. On May 16, 1918 Horsetzky received his promotion to general of the infantry. During the Piave offensive in June 1918, he attacked Monte Asolone . On October 27, 1918, on the orders of Feldzeugmeister Goglia , he and the I. Corps ( Cossack ) began a futile counter-offensive to relieve the army group " Boroevic " on the Piave, which was attacked during the Battle of Vittorio Veneto .

After the lost war, Horsetzky was retired on January 1, 1919 and moved back to Vienna.

After the war he wrote his war memories.

• The Four Last Weeks of the War. October 24 to November 21, 1918 (1920)
• The battle for Monte Asolone. Late October 1918 (1927)

His two older brothers Adolf von Horsetzky (1847–1929) and Karl von Horsetzky (1844–1906) rose to the highest general ranks in the Austro-Hungarian army ( Feldzeugmeister ), his sister Melanie Horsetzky von Hornthal (1852–1931) was a well-known Austrian sculptor and craftswoman.

literature

• Horsetzky von Hornthal Ernst. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 2, Publishing House of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1959, p. 427 f. (Direct links on p. 427 , p. 428 ).

Web links

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