Johann Herbert von Herberstein

Field Marshal Lieutenant Johann Herbert Graf von Herberstein, 1917

Johann Herbert Graf von Herberstein (born April 3, 1863 in Vienna , † October 30, 1940 in Graz ) was an Austro-Hungarian lieutenant field marshal , division leader in World War I and chief steward of Archduke Friedrich .

Life

Origin and education

Johann Herbert was the second of four children of Count Johann Siegmund zu Herberstein (June 14, 1831 - March 31, 1907), Freiherr zu Neuberg and Gutenhag, Colonel Hereditary Treasurer and Truchsess in the Duchy of Carinthia, hereditary member of the manor of the Austrian Imperial Council and the Julie Countess Herberstein (1835–1898), b. Festetits des Tolna was born. The family spent the summers at the family seat of Herberstein Castle in Eastern Styria, the winters first in the house of Festetics de Tolna in Vienna-Leopoldstadt and from 1868 in Graz. Johann Herbert and his three siblings spent most of their childhood in Graz . After his older brother Johann Maximilian (1862–1935) was appointed head of the house, Johann Herbert was designated for a military career. From 1868 he attended an elementary school in Graz, then as a private student the grammar school, where he completed the second semester in 1873 in the Klagenfurt grammar school, in 1887 he finally graduated in Graz.

Early military career

In 1881/82 he visited the Imperial and Royal Cavalry Cadet Institute in Mährisch Weißkirchen , which he left as a lieutenant . Until he was admitted to the War School in 1889, he served with the Windisch-Grätz Dragoon Regiment No. 14. In 1889, he transferred to the War School in Vienna as a first lieutenant from the Dragoon Regiment No. 6 , which was a prerequisite for admission to the General Staff . From 1891 he was in active service with various garrisons. In the next few years he served in the staff of the 9th Cavalry Troop Division in Lemberg and in Corps Command III in Graz. From 1898 to 1900 he led a squadron in the 11th Dragoon Regiment in Stockerau . After four years of experience as a general staff officer , he passed his diploma on November 29, 1895 in order to serve as kuk military attaché in Paris from 1900 to 1909 . During this time he became a major in the General Staff and went on a study trip to Algeria , where he studied French colonial administration. After his return in 1909, Johann Herbert was promoted to colonel and squadron leader in the Nádasdy No. 9 hussar regiment in Sopron . On December 20, 1912, he was appointed chief steward of Archduke Friedrich and was in charge of his household in the Albrechtspalais in Vienna. On May 31, 1914, Count Herberstein was promoted to major general.

In the world war

When the First World War broke out , he followed Archduke Friedrich to the front and acted as an adjutant at the headquarters of the Army High Command and was appointed chief of the war yard quarters in Chyrów . Due to the approach of the Russian armies, the army high command had to move to Neu Sandez and the war yard quarters to Nowytarg in mid-September 1914 . On November 7th, Johann Herbert left the war yard quarters, which were dissolved, and was assigned to the army high command in Neu Sandez as chief steward. On December 3, 1914, at his personal insistence, he was appointed commander of the 10th Cavalry Troop Division to the Commander-in-Chief. This large formation consisted of parts of the 11th Honved Cavalry Division, the Landwehr Battalion I / 17, the Infantry Battalion No. I / 59, three Landsturm battalions, the Mountain Battery No. I / 3, the Polish Pilsudski Legion (2 Baons and 1 squadron ) and a honved battalion. On December 7th, he took over command of the division in the Dobra area as part of the XIV Corps (FML Roth ). By December 11, the 10th Cavalry Division was almost wiped out during the Battle of Limanowa-Lapanow , but held the beleaguered lines until the necessary reinforcements arrived. Only then was the decisive intervention of the 39th Honved Division of VI. Corps enabled. On December 12th the enemy was pushed back by more than 50 kilometers, Altsandez, Grybow, Gorlice and Neusandez could be retaken. In the following weeks the Russians could be pushed back as far as Tarnów , the 4th Army came to a halt again at Dunajec . In January 1915 Herberstein's troops were briefly added to the German southern army and from February 18 to the Army group Planter-Baltin in order to cover the planned advance on Stanislau in the Jaroslau area. Counterattacks by the Russians at Chozimierz threw the Austro-Hungarian forces back across the Dniester by March. The constant fighting and the cold forced Count Johann Herbert, who suffered from bronchitis , to spend four weeks in Merano .

On September 10, 1915 he was given command of the newly established Herberstein Cavalry Corps , which in the following battles worked closely with the XVII. Corps of General Karl Křitek near Kolki, Czartorysk and on the Styr . At the beginning of November 1915, Count Johann Herbert was recalled from the field to serve the army commander again. On November 1st he left for Teschen and was appointed adjutant general to Archduke Friedrich. He spent most of the time at his desk or accompanied Archduke Friedrich on his inspection trips. On December 9, he met with Kaiser Wilhelm and the German chief of staff, Falkenhayn , in the Archduke's entourage in Pless . As adjudant general, he accompanied Archduke Friedrich on all inspection trips to the Italian front in 1916.

On May 29, 1917, Count von Herberstein was appointed field marshal lieutenant. Johann Herbert's nephew, the 22-year-old Johann Albert, died on August 11, 1917 as a pilot on the Piave Front. In August 1917, Graf von Herberstein received an active front command again, he was reappointed commander of a cavalry corps in which the 5th, 6th and 11th cavalry divisions and an artillery brigade had been combined. With his corps group he was stationed in the area of Kimpolung and Dorna-Watra on the Romanian front. From December 12, 1917 to January 14, 1918, an armistice was negotiated with the Soviets. Herberstein was recalled from the Romanian border in December in order to serve again as adjudant general to Archduke Friedrich until the end of the war in November 1918. After the collapse of the monarchy, he was passed and officially retired on January 1, 1919.

Family and end of life

The wedding of Count Johann Herbert with Hilda Countess Breuner (* May 2, 1872; † February 17, 1960) took place on April 12, 1896 in Grafenegg Castle. The three sons sprang from marriage:

• Johann Otto (January 20, 1897 - July 31, 1938) ∞ Idella-Maria Scarborough Horsey
• Johann Herbert (November 11, 1898 - June 30, 1969) ∞ Constance Mary O'Mara
• Johann (Hans) (* January 7, 1900; † May 7, 1967) ∞ Sophie Georgine Countess of Thurn and Valsassina

When Count Johann Maximilian's childless brother died in Vienna on November 17, 1935, the Count's eldest son, Johann Otto, was granted inheritance rights by adoption. Since the estate of Count Johann Maximilian was not negotiated until 1937, Johann Herbert managed his brother's inheritance and took over the dominions of Herberstein, Neuberg and Eggenberg in Styria and the associated lands. Busy with the administration of the state's own goods, the Eggenberg Palace was sold to the State of Styria in 1939 . Together with his wife Hilda, he spent the last years of his life at Herberstein Castle . On October 30, 1940, Count Johann Herbert von Herberstein died in the Hansa Sanatorium in Graz at the age of 77.

literature

• Maria Elisabeth Prenner: Life and work of Johann Herbert Graf Herberstein , University of Vienna 2008, Faculty of History and Culture
• War archive: Austria-Hungary's last war, Volume I, Military Science Publishing House, Vienna 1930