Theodor von Zeynek

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Theodor Zeynek , until 1919 Knight von Zeynek (born March 5, 1873 in Troppau , † October 6, 1948 in Salzburg ) was an Austrian colonel , head of the quartermaster department of the Army High Command and translator.

Life

Childhood and youth

Theodor Ritter von Zeynek was born as the youngest of three children of the state school inspector for Austrian Silesia Gustav von Zeynek (1837–1901), and his wife Marie von Mocnik (1852–1903); his mother's father was the mathematician Franz von Mocnik (1814-1892). His brother Richard (1869–1945) was a professor of medicinal chemistry in Prague and a pioneer of diathermy , his sister Olga Rudel-Zeynek was a member of the National Council and the Federal Council . After graduating from the Opava State High School in 1891, he decided to become a professional soldier.

military

Theodor Ritter von Zeynek attended the Theresian Military Academy , which he graduated as the best in his class. On the occasion of his retirement on August 18, 1894, he was transferred to Infantry Regiment 3 and promoted to lieutenant. After three years of service in the troops, von Zeynek applied to the kuk war school , was accepted on October 1, 1897 and successfully completed it on October 31, 1899. It was assigned as an orderly officer with Feldzeugmeister Freiherr von Beck and later assigned to the 95th Infantry Regiment in Lemberg . In November 1903 he received the transfer order to Prague to the General Staff of the 9th Infantry Troop Division. Here he met his future wife Alice von Zdekauer. On February 8, 1906, he was transferred to the operations office of the General Staff. The task was to develop various war scenarios, for example against Italy, Russia and even against the German Reich. Von Zeynek also mentions in his memoirs a deployment plan against the Hungarian half of the empire, which the operations office had drawn up in the strictest of secrecy. Under Conrad von Hötzendorf , who was appointed Chief of the General Staff , he worked as a group leader of the Balkan group in 1908, in the Bosnian annexation crisis , war case B (Balkans). Further troop service followed and on November 1 he was promoted to major. On May 1st, von Zeynek was appointed Chief of Staff of the 8th Infantry Troop Division, which was followed in November 1913 by another service with the 2nd Tyrolean Kaiserjäger Regiment .

Shortly before the beginning of the First World War , in November 1913, promoted to lieutenant colonel, at the beginning of the war he was assigned to the 4th Army Command under General von Auffenberg . Subsequently, the corp "East" was commanded for 6 weeks. On March 10, 1915, he took up his new position as Chief of Staff of the 7th Army under General of the Cavalry Baron von Pflanzer-Baltin . On September 1, he was appointed colonel. During the Brusilov offensive , he resigned his post on June 12, 1916, in protest against the classification of General von Seeckt as Chief of the General Staff despite the request of Field Marshal Archduke Friedrich to remain, because, in his opinion, there was only one Chief of Staff could give. Another reason was the increasing influence of the German Supreme Army Command on the Austro-Hungarian Army . He was released, but ordered back on July 1, 1916. General von Seeckt was appointed Chief of Staff of the Army Front Command under Archduke Karl . Theodor von Zeynek only stayed until September 10, 1916, when he was transferred to the operations department of the Army High Command. His task was to work out the basics for creating a Polish army . On January 10, 1917, he was appointed head of the quartermaster's department of the Army High Command. Here he was responsible for the procurement of food, clothing and equipment for the army. Furthermore, the administration of all occupied areas, the management of the medical service in the field as well as the car and horse affairs, the field gendarmerie and the service in the stage area fell into his department . Supplying the army turned out to be very difficult during his time in this office, which he held until the end of the war. In the "Report of the Army Committee on the Reports of the Commission to Investigate Violations of Military Duties in War", Theodor von Zeynek was certified in 1920 that his behavior had been found to be impeccable.

Von Zeynek was a supporter of Conrad von Hötzendorf throughout his life and shared his military and political views.

post war period

Tomb at the Mödlinger Friedhof

After the war, Theodor von Zeynek first lived in his wife's parents' house in Prague, then in Mondsee in the Salzkammergut . Here he re-translated all 37 of Shakespeare's works for the stage, and also wrote the texts and memoirs for the Beethoven sonatas. All works were only published after his death. The tombstone of his family grave in Mödling reminds of him as someone who died in the distance .

Austrian military awards (as of December 31, 1918)

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Theodor Ritter von Zeynek: An officer in the General Staff remembers , p. 123.
personal data
SURNAME Zeynek, Theodor von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Zeynek, Theodor Ritter von; Zeynek, Theodor
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian colonel
DATE OF BIRTH March 5, 1873
PLACE OF BIRTH Troppau
DATE OF DEATH October 6, 1948
Place of death Salzburg