Campaign in Montenegro
| date | January 5, 1916 to January 17, 1916 |
|---|---|
| place | Kingdom of Montenegro |
| output | Defeat of Montenegro |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| about 100,000 men | about 35,000 men |
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The campaign in Montenegro took place in the First World War at the beginning of 1916. It was a follow-up to the conquest of Serbia by the Central Powers . Its result was the suppression of the military resistance and the occupation of the Kingdom of Montenegro by the Austro-Hungarian army . Both operations flowed into one another.
background
After the campaign against the Kingdom of Serbia ended at the end of November 1915 with the transfer of the remnants of the Serbian army to Albanian and Montenegrin territory, the Austro-Hungarian High Command in Teschen decided to take advantage of the momentum of the operation and initially eliminate Montenegro as an enemy. This arose from the fact that the Montenegrin troops who had fought in Serbia had also been pushed back to their national borders and offered slow resistance. The original intention to take Montenegro with only weak forces from Pristina - so to speak in one run - had to be abandoned soon.
The Austro-Hungarian Chief of Staff Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf wanted to clear the bay of Cattaro , which was permanently threatened by the fire of Montenegrin batteries , in order to be able to use this sea base better for the fleet . Attempts were also to be made to smash the Italian bridgeheads at Durazzo and Valona that had been formed since mid-December and to eliminate the Salonika front newly opened by the troops of the Entente . The winter season, catastrophic road conditions and the lack of rail connections in the mountainous country of Montenegro meant that the supply could no longer be ensured and therefore one had to reschedule.
Planning and deployment of the enemy
In mid-December 1915 by the Supreme Command of the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army the XIX. Army Corps subordinated to the Commander-in-Chief of Bosnia, Herzegovina and Dalmatia, Infantry General Stephan Sarkotić von Lovćen . This army group, which also included some independent units, was made available for the attack between Trebinje and Kotor . The removal of the all-dominating Lovćen elevation (between 1300 and 1700 m) was imperative because the Montenegrin artillery dominated the Austro-Hungarian naval port and almost the entire bay of Cattaro from the heights. Since the main power of the Montenegrin army had gathered on the western border (only parts had fought in Serbia) the main attack should then be carried out from here, from the coastal area of Bosnia-Herzegovina . From the direction of Trebinje, units would advance into the interior with a second thrust and destroy any remaining enemy forces.
The Montenegrins, who were under the command of their King Nicola I , had 52,400 men, supported by 155 guns. The four main groups (around 35,000 men) protecting the border immediately were subordinate to General Mitra Martinović (Lovcen group, 8,000 men), Serdar Janko Vukotić (western Herzegovina group, 15,000 men), Radomir Vesevica (eastern Vasojević group, 6000 men) and Luka Gojnić (Mojkovac group in Sandžak , 6,000 men).
The Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army under General Hermann Kövess von Kövesshaza had around 101,000 men and 1,170 cavalrymen, plus 417 movable and 530 stationary guns.
The Austro-Hungarian VIII Army Corps under General Viktor von Scheuchenstuel had to attack the northern and eastern fronts of the Montenegrins . In the east it had to bind the Montenegrin forces there by advancing on a broad front. For this purpose, the 62nd Infantry Troop Division ( Field Marshal Lieutenant von Maasfeld) was on the right wing against the Tara sector, in the middle the 53rd and 59th Infantry Troop Divisions (Major General Pongrácz and FML Snjarić) on Berane and Peć .
The main attack in the west was the kuk XIX. To lead Army Corps under FML Trollmann , 69 battalions, 2 squadrons and 63 batteries with 57,570 men and 170 riders were assigned. In terms of artillery, the attack was supported by 254 mobile and 360 fixed artillery pieces as well as 58 naval artillery pieces. The infantry attack on the height position led the groups of the FML Sorsich (later 63rd ITD) with 6150 men and 16 guns and FML Braun (47th ITD, later led by FML Weber von Webenau ) with 16,500 men and 30 from the Bay of Cattaro Guns. The independent group of Major General Zhuber operated two brigades against Krivošije to the north .
Western front
The XIX. Army corps had concentrated in the bay of Cattaro to attack the heavily fortified mountain ridge of Lovćen . This was the key enemy position and was viewed by the Montenegrin army as a citadel . The capital Cetinje was also covered by the mountain range. The defenders gathered here were joined by a discontinuous front as far as Nikšić . The units made up about 2/3 of the Montenegrin army, which was estimated at 25,000 to 30,000 men.
The massive attack of the 47th ITD on the mountain began on January 8th, with the Austrian troops being supported by the naval artillery of the Austro-Hungarian Navy. At the same time, two independent brigades and the group Field Marshal Lieutenant Braun advanced on Nikšić, thus covering the left flank and at the same time threatening the Montenegrin forces on the northeast front in the rear. The Krstacsattel and the Lovćen summit fell within 48 hours. On 10/11 On January 1st, Lovćen was almost completely conquered by units of the Bosniaks . In the afternoon of January 13, 1916, the vanguard had reached the capital Cetinje . In the northern section the Austrians had been able to advance about 10 kilometers towards Nikšić against bitter resistance.
Eastern Front
The VIII Army Corps, which had pursued the retreating Montenegrin expeditionary troops of the Sandžak Army under Serdar Janko Vukotić from Serbia, had the task of binding them on the one hand and deployed parts of the 62nd and 53rd Infantry Divisions - on the other hand it was supposed to go past their right wing, meet with the troops of the XIX. Unite Corps to split Montenegro into two parts. The Serbian army command had sent the newly formed Kosovo department to the Sandžak army. These were supposed to cover the withdrawal of the Serbian main force of the 1st Army via Montenegro from Peć-Andrijevica-Podgorica-Skadar with the Sandžak Army.
The 62nd Infantry Division under FML Kalser von Maasfeld invaded Montenegro from the Višegrad area from the north on November 27, 1915 and pushed the opposing defenses onto a line from Pljevlja (December 1) and Bijelo Polje (December 16) along the River Tara back, in the course of December was stopped there to secure the supply lines. At the same time, the 53rd Infantry Division (FML Pongracz) was advancing a little to the east from the northeast to the south. In order to stop the further advance of the 62nd and 53rd divisions at the Mojkovac gate between the high mountain ranges of the Durmitor- Sinjajevina plateau and the Bjelašnica , Serdar Janko Vukotić commanded one after the advance of the Austro-Hungarian divisions on January 6th, Christmas Eve according to the Julian calendar General attack by his army of 6,500 men on January 7th against the well-developed position of the Austro-Hungarian army on the Bojna njiva. This led to the battle of Mojkovac on Christmas for the Orthodox Montenegrins, which culminated in the clash of the two main forces of the armies in an extremely bloody battle on bayonets for the Bojna njiva. After the first two Montenegrin attacks got stuck, Serdar Vukotić led his only reserve, the Drobnjačka Battalion, into action under the instruction that the field should be taken by all means. After the first row of the 53rd Division had been taken, but not the second, a general attack of the three groups of the battalion followed in a line in the assault on the defensive positions. After the battalion had penetrated the main row of the 53rd Division, the fight was fought with knives and bayonets, whereupon the Austro-Hungarian troops had to flee the Bojna njiva. After the Montenegrins had captured the Bojna njiva, General von Reinöhl decided to launch a counterattack with the aim of recapturing them with the use of the last reserves and the 205th Brigade. The fight on the snowy Bojna njiva lasted into the night, but neither side could bring about a decision.
At the same time, the 10th and 18th Mountain Brigades from the Novi Pazar area attacked westward, captured Berane on January 10th and opened the road to Podgorica . The parallel 205th Landsturm Mountain Brigade and the 9th Mountain Brigade advanced westwards from Pristina via Peć and Velika.
On the left wing of the VIII Army Corps, the attack was covered by the 57th Infantry Troop Division under FML Goiginger on the Djakova - Prizren line .
General situation
Shortly after the capital Cetinje was occupied, a letter reached the staff of the XIX. Army Corps. It was written in French, signed by King Nikola, and read:
“ To His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, Vienna
Sire! Since your troops have occupied my capital today, the Montenegrin government finds it necessary to turn to the imperial and royal governments in order to obtain peace from them between the states of your imperial and royal majesties and my country upon the end of hostilities ask. The conditions of a lucky winner can be severe; I therefore turn to Your Majesty beforehand to intercede for an honorable peace worthy of the prestige of a people who until recently enjoyed your benevolence, respect and sympathy. I hope that your generous and chivalrous heart will not humiliate it which it does not deserve.
Nicola "
In a second letter, the Montenegrin government asked for a cessation of hostilities and the initiation of peace negotiations. That was promised if the Montenegrin army immediately laid down their arms. After this request was met, on January 17, 1916 the fighting was stopped. About three quarters of the country were occupied. Those of the Montenegrin soldiers who had surrendered unconditionally were given the status of non-combatants and sent home. Anyone who had to be disarmed by force was taken prisoner of war.
consequences
Montenegro lost 20,000 soldiers in the World War, that is 40% of all soldiers mobilized and 10% of the total population. Other data even speak of 39,000 and 16% total casualties, making Montenegro the worst affected participant in the war.
King Nicola I as commander in chief had abandoned his army and left for Italy. His younger son Mirko , number two in the line of succession, remained in Austrian custody in Montenegro, which encouraged speculations about separate peace efforts between Nicolas and the Central Powers. Nicola I and his government, however, went via the allied Italy to France, which was also allied, where they stayed after the end of the war.
At the end of January 1916, the kuk XIX. Army Corps continued the campaign to northern Albania to remove landed units of the Italian XVI. Corps under General Bandini to drive out. On January 23, the Austrians occupied Skutari and on February 9, Tirana . Between February 23 and 26, the Italian Savona Brigade was forced to re-embark at Durazzo. Albanian volunteers under Captain Ghilardi were also deployed in April to secure the Vojusa section threatened by the Austrian 14th Mountain Brigade. In May, trench warfare broke out on the Vojusa (now Vjosa ) in the area north of Valona .
literature
- M. Christian Ortner : The storming of Lovcen during the conquest of Montenegro in January 1916 , 2017, online in the HGM knowledge blog .
- Field Marshal Lieutenant Theodor Konopicky: The Austro-Hungarian War , Verlag Barth: Leipzig 1922.
- Peter Ene: The Austro-Hungarian offensive against Montenegro 1916 with special consideration of the operation over the Lovćen ( diploma thesis ), Vienna 2008
Individual evidence
- ^ Anton Wagner: The First World War , Verlag Carl Ueberreuther, Vienna 1981, p. 143.
- ^ Anton Wagner: The First World War , Verlag Carl Ueberreuther, Vienna 1981, p. 143.
- ^ Anton Wagner: The First World War , Verlag Carl Ueberreuther, Vienna 1981, p. 142.
- ^ Nikola B. Popović 2012: The Serbs in the World War I 1914-1918 . Kuća Petrović, Fondacija Radost, Belgrade. ISBN 978-86-906183-5-4 Here p. 47
- ↑ Šerbo Rastoder: Montenegro 1914–1991. In: Österreichisches Ost- und Südosteuropa-Institut (Ed.): Serbia and Montenegro: Space and Population, History, Language and Literature, Culture, Politics, Society, Economy, Law. Lit, Münster 2006, ISBN 3-825-89539-4 , pp. 315-332, here: p. 319.
- ^ Arnold Suppan : Yugoslavia and Austria 1918–1938. Bilateral foreign policy in the European environment. Verlag für Geschichte und Politik, Vienna 1996, ISBN 3-486-56166-9 , p. 30.
- ^ Anton Wagner: The First World War, Verlag Carl Ueberreuther, Vienna 1981, p. 146 f