Archduke Friedrich

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Feldmarschall Dr. h. c. Archduke Friedrich

Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen (German: Friedrich Maria Albrecht Wilhelm Karl Erzherzog von Österreich, Herzog von Teschen; b. 4 June 1856 in Groß Seelowitz, Moravia, Austrian Empire; d. 30 December 1936 in Wieselburg-Ungarisch Altenburg, Kingdom of Hungary) was an Austrian Field-Marshall, a German Generalfeldmarschall and the supreme commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army (German: k.u.k. Armee) during World War I.

Life

Archduke Friedrich talking to the Bürgermeister of Soča (Slovenia) 31 October 1915. A girl waits patiently behind with flowers for the Archduke.
Feldmarschall Friedrich, Erzherzog von Österreich, Herzog von Teschen (1856-1936).jpg
Archduchess Isabella with her son Albrecht, Archduke of Austria and Duke of Teschen

Friedrich was born at Schloss Gross-Seelowitz near Brünn in the Austrian Crown lands of Moravia, the son of Karl Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his wife Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria.

His siblings included Queen Maria Cristina of Spain, Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria, a candidate for the Kingdom of Poland, and Archduke Eugen of Austria. When their uncle Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen died in 1895, the brothers each inherited large estates. Friedrich owned properties at Ungarisch-Altenburg (now Mosonmagyaróvár in Hungary), Belleje, Saybusch (now Żywiec in Poland), Seelowitz (now Židlochovice) and Frýdek in Bohemia, and Pressburg (now Bratislava in Slovakia). His Vienna residence, the Palais-Albrecht, housed the Albertina art collection which he owned and which the new socialist government in Austria confiscated without compensation in 1919. Likewise all the other properties suffered the same fate with the exception of the Kingdom of Hungary. However, in 1929 he won a court case for compensation from the Czechoslovak government.[1]

World War I

In World War I he was, as grandson of the victor of the Battle of Aspern, Archduke Charles, and as nephew of the victor of the Battle of Custoza, Archduke Albert, the predestined head of the armed forces of Austria-Hungary; and on 11 July 1914 Friedrich was appointed supreme commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army by Emperor Franz Joseph I. He thought it his duty to accept this heavy responsibility, but, modestly underestimating his own powers, left the actual exercise of the command to his Chief-of-staff, Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf. In the performance of ceremonial duties, and as mediator for the settlement of the conflicting demands of the military, civil and allied elements, his services were undeniable. In addition he was a likeable and popular figure. He was promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall on 8 December 1914. In February 1917 Emperor Karl I himself took over the supreme command, constantly flying (he was a pilot) from place to place with great energy; the Archduke, although still the Emperor's representative at various times, happily stepped back.

Death

Friedrich died at Ungarisch-Altenburg (Magyaróvár, now Mosonmagyaróvár) in Hungary in 1936. His death was the biggest royal event for Hungary since the coronation of King Karl in 1916. The funeral and burial in the parish church in Mosonmagyaróvár was attended by his nephew, Alphonso XIII, the exiled King of Spain; by numerous Habsburg Archdukes; by all the surviving Austro-Hungarian Field-Marshals; by personal representatives of Hitler; by members of the House of Savoy; by the Diplomatic corps; by a son of exiled German Kaiser Wilhelm II; by representatives of the governments of Germany, Italy and Austria, and by Hungary's Royal Regent, Miklós Horthy and his wife. There were members of the Hungarian government and delegates of the Austrian in attendance as well. Entire battalions of the Royal Hungarian Army were present to pay their last respects to their former supreme commander.

Family

On 8 October 1878 Friedrich married at Château de l'Hermitage in Belgium, Princess Isabella of Croÿ (1856–1931), daughter of Rudolf, Duke of Croÿ, and his wife Princess Natalie of Ligne. They had nine children together.

  • Maria Christina, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (17 November 1879 - 6 August 1962) she married Prince Manuel of Salm-Salm on 10 May 1902. They have four children.
  • Maria Anna, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (6 January 1882 - 25 February 1940) she married Elias, Duke of Parma on 25 May 1903. They have eight children.
  • Maria Henrietta, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (10 January 1883 - 2 September 1956) she married Prince Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingfurst on 3 June 1908. They have three children.
  • Natalie, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (12 January 1884 - 23 March 1898)
  • Stephanie, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (1 May 1886 - 25 August 1890)
  • Gabriele, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (14 September 1887-15 November 1954)
  • Isabella, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (17 November 1888 - 6 December 1973) she married Prince Georg of Bavaria on 10 February 1912 (marriage dissolved).
  • Maria Alice, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (15 January 1893 - 1 July 1962) she married Friedrich Heinrich Carl Maria Baron Waldbott von Bassenheim, son of Friedrich Lothar Baron Waldbott von Bassenheim and Hedwig Baronin von Beust, on 8 May 1920. They have six children.
  • Albrecht Franz, Archduke of Austria-Teschen (24 July 1897 - 23 July 1955) he married Irene Lelbach on 16 August 1930 and they were divorced on 1 June 1937. He then married Katalin Bocskay de Felsö-Banya on 9 May 1938 and they were divorced in 1951. They had two daughters. He remarried, again, Lydia Strauss-Dorner after 1951. They had one son.

Promotions (day, month, year)

  • 14.3.1871 Leutnant
  • 23.4.1873 Oberleutnant
  • 1.4.1875 Hauptmann
  • 1.5.1877 Major
  • 15.9.1878 Oberstleutnant
  • 23.10.1879 Oberst
  • 1.11.1882 Generalmajor
  • 1.11.1886 Feldmarschalleutnant
  • 1.5.1894 Feldzeugmeister
  • 14.6.1910 General der Infanterie
  • 8.12.1914 k. u. k. field marshal
  • 22.6.1915 Generalfeldmarschall of the Prussian Army and therefore of the Imperial German Army

Awards, decorations and honours (excerpt)

August von Mackensen and Archduke Friedrich

WWI

Friedrich Erzherzog von Österreich (awards, decorations and honours in German)

Honours

  • The battleship SMS Erzherzog Friedrich (1907 launched) was given his name.
  • An Honorary Doctorate from the Universität für Bodenkultur Wien

Further reading

  • Heiszler, Vilmos, Szakács, Margit, & Vörös, Károly, Hause Habsburg, published by Böhlau Verlag, Wien, Köln & Graz, 1989. ISBN: 3-205-051971

References

  1. ↑ "Papa Friedrich Preferred". Time. (18 February 1929).
  2. ↑ Jørgen Pedersen (2009). Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009 (in da). Syddansk Universitetsforlag, 472. ISBN 978-87-7674-434-2. 
  3. ↑ (1918) "Real y distinguida orden de Carlos III", Guía Oficial de España (in es), 210. 
  4. ↑ Shaw, Wm. A. (1906) The Knights of England, I, London, p. 204
  5. ↑ (in sv) Svensk rikskalender, 1909, p. 613, http://runeberg.org/rikskal/1909/0697.html, retrieved 6 January 2018 
  6. ↑ Foreign Pour le Mérite Awards: Foreign Awards During World War I.
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