The Imperial and Royal Army of Austria-Hungary on the eve of the First World War. Hungarian Army: past and present Hungarian Red Army

The Hungarian Army is subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. However , like the army of any other country. In 2016 The strength of the Hungarian army was 31,080 military personnel in active military service, while the operational reserve brings the total number of troops to fifty thousand. In 2018, Hungary's military spending amounted to 1.21 billion $, which is about 0.94% of the country's GDP, well below the NATO target of 2%. In 2012, the government passed a resolution committing Hungary to increase defense spending to 1.4% of GDP by 2022.

Military service, modernization and cybersecurity

Military service is voluntary, although conscription may occur in wartime. In a significant modernization move, Hungary decided in 2001 to buy 14 fighter jets from the Americans at a cost of about 800 million euros. The Hungarian National Cyber ​​Security Center reorganized in 2016 to become more effective through cybersecurity.

Service outside the country

In 2016, the Hungarian armed forces had approximately 700 troops stationed abroad as part of international peacekeeping forces, including 100 troops serving with NATO-led peacekeepers in Afghanistan, 210 Hungarian soldiers in Kosovo and 160 troops in Bosnia and Herzegovina . Hungary sent 300 logistics units to Iraq to assist US troops with armed transport convoys, although ordinary citizens were against joining the war. During the operation, one Magyar soldier was killed by an Iraqi roadside bomb.

Short story

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the hussars brought international fame to this country and served as a model of light cavalry in all European states. In 1848-1849, the Hungarian army achieved incredible success against the well-trained and equipped Austrian forces, despite the latter's obvious superiority in numbers. Józef Böhm's Winter Campaign of 1848-1849 and Arthur Gerge's Spring Campaign are still taught to this day in prestigious military schools around the world, even at West Point Academy in the United States and Russian military academies.

In 1872, the Louis Military Academy officially began training cadets. By 1873, the Hungarian army already had more than 2,800 officers and 158,000 employees. During the Great (First World) War, out of the eight million people mobilized by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, more than a million died. In the 1930s and early 1940s, Hungary was preoccupied with recapturing the vast territories and vast numbers of population lost following the signing of the Treaty of Trianon at Versailles in 1920. Conscription was introduced on a national basis in 1939. The size of the Royal Hungarian Army grew to 80,000 men, organized into seven corps. During the Great Patriotic War, the Hungarian army took part in the Battle of Stalingrad on the side of the Germans and was almost completely destroyed. During the era of socialism and the Warsaw Pact (1947-1989), it was completely restored and reorganized, and thanks to the support of the USSR, it received full-fledged tank and missile forces.

According to the 2016 Global Peace Index, Hungary is one of the most peaceful countries, ranking 19th out of 163.

Hungarian Red Army

During the era of the Socialist Bloc and the Warsaw Pact (1947-1989), the army of this country was considered quite powerful. The period from 1949 to 1955 also saw a huge effort to build and arm the Hungarian army. By 1956, the huge costs of maintaining the military-industrial complex had practically ruined the country's economy.

Revolution

In the fall of 1956, armed uprisings against the government were suppressed, and the Soviets dismantled the entire Hungarian Air Force because a significant part of the army was fighting on the same side as the revolutionaries. Three years later, in 1959, the Soviets began helping rebuild the Hungarian People's Army and supply them with new weapons and equipment, as well as rebuilding the Hungarian Air Force.

After the revolution

Satisfied that Hungary was stable and loyal to the Warsaw Pact, the USSR withdrew its troops from the country. The new Hungarian leader asked Khrushchev to leave all 200,000 Soviet soldiers in the country as he had allowed the Hungarian People's Republic to neglect its own projected armed forces, which quickly led to the deterioration of the army. Large sums of money were saved in this way and were spent on quality social programs for the population, so Hungary was able to become the "happiest barracks" in the Soviet bloc. Since the mid-1970s, limited modernization has taken place to replace old military equipment stocks with new ones and allow the army to meet its Warsaw Pact obligations.

After the collapse of the Warsaw bloc

In 1997, Hungary spent about 123 billion forints (US$560 million) on defense. Since the late 90s, Hungary has been a full member of NATO, a military organization that unites most of the countries of Europe and America. Hungary provided air bases and support to the Alliance during its war against Serbia, and contributed several military units to serve in Kosovo as part of the NATO-led operation. Thus, Hungary repeated its actions at the beginning of World War II, when it, together with Italian-German troops, invaded the territory of what was then Yugoslavia. Just as Hungary's Black Army led by Matthias Corvinus struck fear into Slavic and Romanian rebels in the Middle Ages, modern Magyar troops participate in all NATO-led military campaigns, continuing to maintain their long-established image as the most ferocious soldiers in Eastern Europe.

Hungary (Magyarorszag) is a state in Central Europe, in the central part of the Danube basin.

By the beginning of the 19th century, the Kingdom of Hungary, which was part of the Habsburg monarchy, had a special state-legal status. The ancient class constitution was preserved here, according to which the king shared legislative power with the State Assembly.

The Hungarian nobility, economically and politically well organized, successfully resisted the Habsburgs' attempts to encroach on their special rights. Hungary, which also included the kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, was ethnically and religiously heterogeneous, which often gave rise to national conflicts.

Vienna's economic policy was aimed at making Hungary a supplier of cheap agricultural products and industrial raw materials. Therefore, in the beginning In the 19th century, Hungary remained a predominantly agricultural country, with the peasantry making up 90% of the population. The Napoleonic Wars and the Continental Blockade opened up opportunities for quick enrichment for Hungarian landowners. The Hungarian nobility at this time actively collaborated with the Viennese court.

In 1825, the “era of reform” began in Hungary. After 13 years of absolutist rule, the State Assembly was convened, the agenda of which again included the most important issues that had not been resolved in the 1790s: the abolition of serfdom, tax reform, the development of industry and trade, the revival of language and culture. One of the ideologists of the “era of reform” was Count Istvan Széchenyi, who developed a broad program of bourgeois reforms while maintaining the economic positions of the aristocracy and large landowners and in alliance with the Habsburg dynasty.

From ser. In the 1830s, under the influence of European revolutions and growing national liberation movements, a radical political movement began to take shape in Hungarian society, demanding civil liberties and the national sovereignty of Hungary. The leader of this movement was Lajos Kossuth. In the 1840s. The movement managed to achieve a number of bourgeois reforms by the State Assembly, and the Hungarian language was recognized as the official language.

Budapest. 19th century photo

Hungarian Revolution

Revolution of 1848-1849 was more radical in Hungary than in Austria. On March 17, the first Hungarian government responsible to the National Assembly was rationed. The emperor was forced to approve revolutionary laws. All the peoples of the kingdom received bourgeois freedoms and land. However, the question of the national rights of non-Hungarian peoples was not even raised, which deprived the Hungarians of their potential allies in the fight against the Habsburgs. Vienna skillfully took advantage of these interethnic contradictions in the fight against the Hungarian revolution. The troops of the Croatian Ban Jelacic began a war against the Hungarians in September 1848. The revolution developed into a war of liberation, in which the Hungarians won a number of victories over the imperial troops. On April 14, 1849, the Habsburgs were overthrown and Hungary was proclaimed an independent republic. To save the empire from disaster, Emperor Franz Joseph turned to Russia with a request for help. The invasion of the Russian army decided the fate of revolutionary Hungary; its troops laid down their arms on August 13, 1849.

After the suppression of the revolution, a strict occupation regime was established in Hungary. The country was divided into a number of regions, which were governed by officials from Vienna, and German was declared the official language. This policy caused growing protest from all sectors of Hungarian society. The Hungarians evaded military service, evaded paying taxes, and sabotaged the orders of the authorities. The draft constitutional reforms of 1860 and 1861 caused sharp rejection in Hungary. The Hungarian nobility, led by the moderate wing leader Ferenc Deák, declared “passive resistance” and refused to cooperate with the Austrian authorities, demanding the restoration of the constitution of 1848. The Hungarians declared that relations between Austria and Hungary should be built on the basis of a personal union. In response to such an irreconcilable position, Franz Joseph dissolved the Hungarian State Assembly on August 22, 1861 and introduced a state of emergency in Hungary.

After 1867, Hungary experienced a period of economic growth and relative political stability. The industrial development of the country accelerated, and the food industry continued to occupy a leading position. Parliament adopted a number of liberal legislative acts aimed at modernizing society and the management system. Political parties were formed. In 1875, the liberal party of K. Tisza came to power, advocating increasing the country's independence from Vienna. The Hungarians, who made up less than half of the country's population, sought to create a mononational state and pursued a policy of Magyarization, which led to interethnic conflicts and the growth of national movements of Slovaks, Romanians and Serbs. At the same time, relations began to deteriorate between Austria and Hungary, which sought to achieve greater rights for itself within the framework of a system of dualism. The aggravation of contradictions led to a crisis of dualism, which in the beginning. The 20th century resulted in open conflict between the ruling elites of Austria and Hungary.

Battle of Mohacs. Painting by Bertalan Székely. 1866 Magyar Nemzeti Galeria / Wikimedia Commons

Throughout XIX century in Hungary there was a process of rethinking the history of the early modern period and the formation of a national myth. The most important question for the Hungarians was what needed to be done to recreate the territorial unity and state sovereignty of the Hungarian Kingdom, which ceased to exist at the beginning XVI century. And by the end of the XIX century, it began to seem to many that the most important thing that had been done in this direction was the anti-Habsburg campaigns of the Transylvanian princes and, first of all, the War of Liberation of Ferenc Rakoczi began XVIII century.

In 1526, the Battle of Mohács took place in Hungary, which the Hungarian army lost to the Ottomans. After this, the Kingdom of Hungary was divided into three parts.

The central part came under the rule of the Sultan.

The northern, northwestern and northeastern parts of the kingdom formed the so-called Royal Hungary, which became part of the possessions of the House of Austria - that is, they came under the rule of the Habsburg dynasty. At the same time, Royal Hungary retained many signs of its own statehood. The Habsburgs, as Hungarian kings, were separately crowned with the Hungarian crown of St. Stephen, which means that formally and symbolically this part of Hungary remained a separate kingdom. Fundamental laws that determined the nature and principles of the state structure continued to be in force in the country. The bicameral State Assembly remained, and no royal decree could become law unless it approved it. Thanks to this, the relationship between the politically empowered part of Hungarian society and the central government was largely based on agreement and the search for compromise. At meetings of the State Assembly, taxes were voted on; for example, it was the estates that gave the Habsburgs money for military expenses, and there was a constant debate about what kind of laws and state institutions Hungary needed.

Finally, the third part of the Hungarian kingdom separated and formed the Transylvanian Principality, which recognized vassal dependence on the Ottoman Empire, but in a relatively mild form: the Sultan could arbitrarily appoint and remove princes chosen by the estates, received tribute and demanded that the Transylvanian army participated in his campaigns, but did not interfere in the internal life of the principality. As a result, the Transylvanian princes managed to preserve the princely court, which was based on the politically strong Hungarian nobility, their own legislation and the Hungarian language: the Transylvanian political elite converted to Protestantism, and the Hungarian language (and not Latin, like the Catholics) became their language not only of worship, but also of education, literature and art. Thus, the Transylvanian princes were able to realize their concept of Hungary, albeit under Ottoman rule.

Liberation campaigns of the Transylvanian princes

The idea of ​​reviving a united sovereign Hungary has never lost its relevance. At the same time, the Transylvanian political elite believed that the Ottoman Porte was a lesser evil than the Habsburg monarchy, and the Hungarian state needed to be recreated around the Transylvanian principality.

In the 17th century, the period of anti-Habsburg campaigns of the Transylvanian princes began. In them, the personal ambitions of politicians were closely intertwined with the geopolitical interests of the Habsburgs, the Portes and various groups within the Hungarian elite. In 1604-1606, István Bocskai, a formerly loyal Hungarian nobleman from Transylvania who was elected prince in 1605, rebelled against Vienna under the banner of defending the political and religious rights trampled upon by the Habsburgs. In the 1620s, the Transylvanian prince Gabor Bethlen made three campaigns against Hungary and participated in the Thirty Years' War on the side of the Habsburgs' opponents - the Evangelical Union, without hiding the fact that he was acting in the interests of the Sultan. At the turn of the 1670s and 1680s, the dissatisfied Hungarian nobleman Imre Thököly gathered the dissatisfied under his banner, promising the Ottomans to transfer all of Hungary under their rule.

In general, the fact that the Habsburgs did not eliminate the remnants of the sovereignty of the Hungarian estates and recognized the rights of Protestant denominations on paper is the undoubted merit of such an irritating factor as Transylvania.

In 1683, the Sultan's troops (which included units from Transylvania) reached Vienna and besieged it, but the united European states managed to defend it, launch a counter-offensive and eventually liberate a significant part of Hungary from the Ottomans.

The Principality of Transylvania came under Habsburg rule. Now, formally and legally, it again formed a single whole with the Kingdom of Hungary, but was controlled from Vienna: the Austrians introduced a fairly strict military-fiscal order there, and part of the political elite voluntarily returned to Catholicism.

Ferenc II Rako-ci. 1812 Wikimedia Commons

The acceleration of centralization and the onset of the Counter-Reformation caused discontent in Transylvania. In 1703, when the international situation seemed to be favorable for this, the Transylvanian prince Ferenc II Rakoczy rebelled. It soon grew into a broad social movement - the war of liberation, which lasted until 1711. The rebels managed to conquer significant territories, but there they had to create institutions of a centralized state and collect taxes from the population exhausted by the war in order to continue the fight, so they began to lose support within the country; their hopes for broad international support also did not materialize.

On the other hand, the Habsburgs realized that they had to make concessions. As a result, part of the rebels, led by General Sándor Károlyi, agreed with the Habsburgs that the war would be ended under the terms of a complete amnesty. Ironically, the emperor was represented at the negotiations by the Hungarian Count János Pálfi.

Some of the rebels laid down their arms, and the most irreconcilable went into exile. Rakoczi himself refused to accept these conditions and took refuge in Turkey. A period of peaceful development and conflict-free integration into the Habsburg Monarchy began in Hungary.

Revolution and agreement

At the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century, the ideas of the Enlightenment and early liberalism began to penetrate into the country. This caused increased censorship and a rather suspicious attitude towards dissent throughout the Habsburg monarchy, but especially in Hungary - since in Vienna it was believed that it was always ready for a new uprising.

The bulk of the Hungarian provincial nobility was politically apathetic. But by the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, a narrow layer of educated nobles had formed in the country, who, being generally loyal to the House of Austria, actively participated in political life: both locally and in the State Assembly, they argued about pressing matters. social reforms, improving the well-being of the people, cultural development of the country and nation. Throughout the first half of the 19th century, they constantly discussed that in Western Europe the entrepreneurial class was growing rich and thanks to it industry, society and culture were developing, while in Hungary feudalism was flourishing and numerous obstacles prevented the development of industry and trade. In addition to the State Assembly, these issues were discussed in the so-called casinos - aristocratic clubs, where people came primarily to talk about politics, aristocratic salons and reading clubs, where metropolitan newspapers were sent. Among these people, liberal ideas that came from the West found fertile ground.

Reading of Sandor Petőfi's poem "The National Song" on the steps of the Hungarian National Museum in 1848. Watercolor by an unknown artist. 19th century Wikimedia Commons

In March 1848, when unrest began to rise one after another in European capitals, news came to Vienna that in Pest people were also taking to the streets, demanding the introduction of bourgeois freedoms. In response to this, the Habsburgs, having no other choice, sanctioned almost all bourgeois reforms - by adopting the so-called April Laws. But soon the onslaught of counter-revolution began throughout Europe, and the Viennese court, having secured the support of the Russian Tsar, began to crack down on the revolution; the army began to restore order. The revolution in Hungary grew into a national liberation war, one of the culminating moments of which was the overthrow of the Habsburgs: the revolutionary government in exile formally severed the country's relations with the dynasty, which by that time had ruled Hungary for 300 years.

In the end, the revolution was suppressed, and the fighting revolutionary generals were executed. Historical differences in the administration of different territories of the Austrian Empire were abolished, all power was concentrated in Vienna, and local executive powers were transferred to government commissioners.

This continued until the early 1860s, and then constitutional experiments and the search for solutions that could suit all parties began again. In 1867, this process ended with an agreement: the Austrian Empire turned into the so-called dualistic Austro-Hungarian monarchy, divided into two parts: on the one hand, the lands of the Austrian imperial crown, on the other, the lands of the crown of St. Stephen (Hungary, reunited with Transylvania, and the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia “associated” with it). At the head of both parts there was still one emperor-king.

Within the framework of this dual state, the Hungarians received the maximum possible sovereignty, and the politically active part of society began to organize the Hungarian state.

King Franz Joseph I in Pest on June 8, 1867. Color lithography. 1867 Brown University Library

Formation of a myth

In parallel with the construction of the state, there was an active study of national history, including the search for its national meaning.

Here we must remember that on the territory of Hungary there were many peoples who preserved their traditions and languages, and they all demanded for themselves practically the same thing that the Hungarians achieved from the Viennese court. But liberals of the 19th century believed that only large nations with their own state and political tradition had the right to sovereignty. In the Hungarian context, these were ethnic Magyars who claimed that they were the bearers of the most developed culture and language and that it was they who created the country and therefore are the guarantors of its free and fair structure and territorial unity. According to the law on nationalities, on the one hand, all subjects of the kingdom constituted a single political Hungarian nation, on the other, non-Magyar peoples could realize national aspirations (use of their native language, association in cultural and educational societies, etc. . p.), but without obtaining the rights of collective subjects - that is, they, for example, could not create an autonomous district on a national basis.

As a result, Hungarian historians formed such a construction.

The main goal of national history since 1526 has been to recreate the territorial unity of Hungary. In 1867 this goal was finally achieved. The main oppressor and strangler of Hungarian freedom was Vienna - since, having received territories and material and human resources, the court cared little about expelling the Ottomans. In fact, the Habsburgs were an even greater evil than the Ottomans. The main advocates of Hungarian freedom and Hungarian reunification were the Transylvanian princes with their anti-Habsburg campaigns. And the most important episode of this struggle was the War of Liberation under the leadership of Rakoczi.

Of course, this is a somewhat paradoxical situation: it was the Habsburgs who created such a spiritual and political climate that allowed the elite to blame them for all sins, while continuing to be an integral part of their state.

The image of the heroic movements that fought to realize the Hungary that only came into existence in 1867 was formed not only in scientific, but also in popular and fiction literature, and in the 1890s was also promoted as part of the Millennium celebrations - large-scale celebrations on the occasion of the thousandth anniversary of the arrival of the Magyar tribes in the Carpathian basin. It is interesting that politicians and scientists used to designate the Hungarians who occupied different sides in this struggle, the same names that were in use during the liberation campaigns: the fighters against Habsburg absolutism were called Kurucs (according to the most common version, this word comes from from crux- “cross”), and the servants of the Habsburgs - Labans, a word that had a contemptuous connotation. The Hungarian historian (as well as poet and politician) Kalman Tali, not so much from a lack of materials as from an excess of admiration for the heroes of the past, himself composed “songs of the Kurucs” and published them as sensational finds.

And I forgot. And when I came here, the hussars were the first Hungarians I paid attention to after I got off the train. We arrived here in early spring, so the hussars were like that.

This collection includes 18 equestrian statues. One hussar is constantly located near the stables of Count Festecic (now the Carriage Museum) - on Lake Balaton, in Keszthely. One used to stand near the Museum of Military History in Budapest (perhaps it is still there - I’ll visit on my next visit). To be honest, I don’t know if any of these statues are still permanently installed somewhere, but every year, before March 15th, many of them appear in the most famous and crowded squares of the Hungarian capital.

Hungary, Budapest

I received the most complete picture of the hussars - who they were, how they were dressed, what they did - only now, after visiting the exhibition "Artifacts from the six-century history of the Hungarian hussars"(Keszthely, Count Festetics Castle, May-September 2014; the exhibition is based on private collections). And finally all the puzzles came together for me.

The history of the Hungarian hussars - such as can be heard from the lips of local historians and curators of antiquities - begins in the first half of the 15th century. Then there was an urgent need to strengthen the border outposts in the south of the country in order to protect against Turkish raids. The Turkish cavalry was fast, light and maneuverable, so only similar troops could resist it. The first detachments of hussars were formed from Hungarian and Serbian horsemen, who were armed with a cavalry pike, saber, tarch shield, had open helmets and often wore chain mail or ankylosing spondylitis.

We all know the hussar military uniform as it was in the 18th and 19th centuries, but the very first, like the very last Hungarian hussars, had it differently.

Photo: www.wikipedia.hu

It is said that the origin of the word "hussar" (Hungarian: Huszár)"hidden in the depths of centuries." There are researchers who support its Serbian origin, while other versions interpret that the word comes from the name of the Hungarian numeral húsz - “20”.

It is known that in 1474, 8 thousand hussars under the leadership of King Matthias forced the 25 thousand army of the King of the Czech Republic to surrender. After this event, Antonio Bonfini wrote the following about the Hungarian hussars: “There are no warriors better than them, no one in the world can endure heat and cold, fatigue and hardship better than them. They are respectful, quite religious, do not riot in the camp, blasphemy, breaking a given word, unholy love joys are alien to them...”

The same "tarch" shield. It is believed to be shaped like a drop or tear.

Hussars made up 90% of the cavalry of the army of Ferenc Rakoczi II (about 30 thousand people) and participated in the anti-Habsburg national liberation war of the Hungarian people of 1703-1711. After the conclusion of the Satmar Peace, some of the hussars were enrolled in the imperial regiments, and those who emigrated created hussar detachments under the European ruling houses.

From the end of the 17th century, Hungarian hussars - brave, proactive, decisive, masterfully wielding sabers - began to appear at the courts of European monarchs. It is known that in the army of the French “Sun King” Louis XIV there were three hussar regiments. Russian hussars are also a “copy” of the Hungarian hussars: they most likely came first through Poland (Rzeczpospolita) in the 17th century, but did not take root. Then, by the middle of the 18th century, hussar regiments resumed their existence in Russia as border troops and at first were staffed mainly by foreigners.

In the cavalry of the Habsburg Empire in 1740 there were 8 hussar regiments, fully staffed by Hungarian horsemen, and during the reign of Maria Theresa, who relied on the knightly qualities of the nobles, there were already 12 such regiments. The same number of them served under the banner of the Austrian Empire after the end of the Napoleonic wars.

Hussar regiments were distinguished by unit numbers, by the name of the owner and by the colors of their uniforms. Bright clothing made these riders stand out from other warriors.

Hungary, Keszthely

The 19th century was a time of revolutions in Europe. March 15, 1848 is considered the day of the beginning of the national revolution in the Kingdom of Hungary, which was part of the Austrian Empire (for more details, see the link)

“The hussars fought heroically in all the battles of the National Liberation Struggle, but they were forced to bow to the superior forces of the Austrian Emperor and the Russian Tsar and, under the leadership of Lieutenant General Arthur Görgei, lay down their arms near the village of Vilagos. The reprisal was not long in coming - Feldzeichmeister Gainau ordered the execution many hussar generals and staff officers. After the suppression of the national liberation struggle, the Hungarian hussars from the National Guard were enlisted in the imperial army, and most of them were again stationed outside the Kingdom of Hungary. Those officers who were not sentenced to imprisonment in the fortress were demoted "Two new hussar regiments were created." (from the accompanying text for the exhibition).

In 1867, Austria and Hungary signed a treaty on equal rights, and the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was created. As a result of the negotiations, almost all the demands that were put forward during the liberation struggle of 1848-1849 were satisfied.

Joint imperial and royal regiments were formed, but hussar units were recruited only from the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary. This branch of the army was a first-line military formation. The Hungarian army acted under its own banner, its command language was Hungarian, and its soldiers wore Hungarian uniforms.

Hussars wore red trousers, a blue or light blue upper part of the uniform and lower than before shakos of different colors. The hussars from the Royal Hungarian Army had galloons not black and yellow, like the imperial ones, but cherry red. On their shakos they did not have the double-headed Austrian eagle, but the coat of arms of Hungary.

At the turn of the century, new units arose among the hussars: platoons of sappers, signalmen, and machine gunners appeared in the regiments, although the hussars had been armed with firearms before.

On the eve of the First World War, the color of the monarchy's army uniform changed to mouse gray, and only the hussars still had smart, bright uniforms. Because of this, the horsemen were an excellent target on the battlefield and could no longer resist enemy infantry and artillery. Therefore, after the First World War, the number of hussar regiments was limited to 4, their clothing also became more “camouflage,” and the soldiers themselves performed combat missions dismounted, shooting from a carbine or machine gun.

This is what the Hungarian hussars looked like at the beginning of the 20th century.

Postcards 1914-1918.

“The last classical cavalry charge was carried out by a hussar regiment under the leadership of Kalman Mikec on the territory of Ukraine during the Second World War. The sight of the hussars attacking with drawn sabers so amazed the Red Army soldiers that they ran headlong from their positions” (from the accompanying text to the exhibition ).

Uniform from the reign of Miklós Horthy (1920-1944). On the left is an officer's hussar headdress

With the end of World War II, the history of the Hungarian Hussars ended. It didn't end romantically at all. But for Hungary, hussars are an object of universal love, a national treasure, or, if you like, the same hungaricum as paprika. Bright uniforms can now be seen not only at such exhibitions, but also during some holidays or reconstructions of certain historical events. So, in September a grand event is held in Budapest: Nemzeti Vágta / National gallop (horse racing). Heroes Square becomes the center of a spectacular show, even girls show off their riding skills!

Just like in the Soviet film "The Hussar Ballad"! Photo www.vaskarika.hu

March 15, 2015, Hungary, Keszthely

And the woman’s heart still sighs to the rhythm of the horse’s hooves, as it did then :)

Hungarian composer Imre Kalman. Operetta "Circus Princess" / Kálmán Imre. "Cirkuszhercegnő". Performed in the original language.

In Russian. Feature film "Circus Princess", a film adaptation of the operetta of the same name by Imre Kalman. A remake of the 1958 film Mister X. USSR, 1982

Lieutenant Colonel Prishchepa S.V.
( The author expresses gratitude to Stepanushkin D.A. for consultations)

Austria-Hungary is a state in Central Europe that existed from 1156 to 1918. ( Naturally, this refers to the Habsburg states, since Austria-Hungary, as a unique state entity, existed only in 1868–1918. - hereinafter notes by D.V. Adamenko ). Being the largest in territory among European countries (after Russia), it was one of the great world powers, and its armed forces played an important role in the foreign and domestic policies of the state.

Dual monarchy

Austria-Hungary was often called the "dual monarchy". This name reflected the fact that it consisted of two formally equal union states ( The state emblem (black double-headed eagle) is interpreted precisely as a symbol of a dual state ( Undoubtedly, the double-headed eagle, which the Austrian Empire inherited from the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, was borrowed by the latter back in the 15th century from the Byzantine Empire. The Hungarian kingdom had its own coat of arms. The coat of arms of Austria-Hungary, as a dual monarchy, was a heraldic composition of three independent coats of arms: Austria, Hungary and the dynastic Habsburgs of Lorraine ). Upon ascending the throne, the Austrian emperor swore allegiance to the people twice, first in German - before the chambers of the Austrian Reichsrat, and then in Hungarian - before the Hungarian Diet): Austria proper (Austrian Empire or Cisleithania) - 44% of the country's area, and Hungary (Kingdom of Hungary or Transleithania) - 56%. In reality, both components of the state, in turn, consisted of many more or less isolated regions, often differing greatly in natural and economic conditions, national composition of the population, its traditions and cultural level. Many of them were in the past independent states or part of neighboring countries. The multinational empire united up to 10 main nationalities, with the Slavs (Czechs, Poles, Slovaks, Slovenes, Rusyns, Serbs and Croats) making up up to 45% of the population, Germans - up to 25%, Hungarians - up to 20%.

These political and national features could not but affect the organization of the armed forces, having a significant impact on their combat effectiveness.

Army organization

The Austro-Hungarian Empire and the division of its territory into corps districts. 1914 (the modern names of the city centers of the corps districts are indicated in red).

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the country's Armed Forces was a monarch from the Habsburg dynasty: from 1848 to 1916 he was Emperor Franz Joseph I ( with the outbreak of war, the emperor and king delegated his powers as supreme commander to his brother General Archduke Frederick ), after his death - by his nephew Charles I.

In general, the armed forces were organized according to the Prussian Landwehr system ( This is a common mistake that occurs due to a misunderstanding of the “two-pronged system” and the identical terms “Landwehr”. Initially, the Austrian and Hungarian Landwehr were indeed intended only for the “defense” of their states, but soon they began to perform the same functions as the “general” army, losing almost all differences. The Prussian system meant the Landwehr to have a first-stage reserve ) and consisted of:

regular army(line troops) ( it is better to call it a “common army”, since it was replenished by residents of both states that were part of the dualistic monarchy ) with a reserve for replenishing units during mobilization and a recruit reserve (ersatz reserve) intended to replenish losses in wartime);

Landwehr(reserve troops) also with reserve and recruit reserves. The Landwehr was intended to strengthen the regular army if necessary, as well as for the “internal defense of the country” ( again, the duties of “internal defense of the country” were performed by the entire army );

Landsturm(militia), formed in wartime.

A citizen who has reached the age of 21 ( In principle, conscription age was 19 years old, when those recognized as liable for military service were drawn by lot. During the war, the conscription age was lowered to 18 years ), meeting the health requirements and having a height of at least 155 cm, was subject to general, personal and non-replaceable military service. The total service life was 12 years, including:

in the regular army - 3 years on active service ( Before the First World War, in an effort to increase the number of military personnel, the period of active military service in the general army was reduced to 2 years. Only in the cavalry and artillery the service life remained the same ), 7 years in the reserve, and then another 10 years in the recruit reserve ( The term is used incorrectly - it means land assault. This also applies to Landwehr );

in the Landwehr - 1 year in Austria and 2 years in Hungary in active service, 11 and 10 years respectively in the reserve, and then 12 years in the recruit reserve;

the Landsturm consisted of all citizens aged 19 to 42 years, “able to bear arms” and not in other categories of military service.

For persons exempted from military service for any reason (clergy, public school teachers and others) a special military tax was established ( priests and teachers were exempted from military service free of charge ).

Those with a certain educational qualification served for 1 year as volunteers, that is, on preferential terms, after which they passed an exam to become an officer candidate. Volunteers were accepted for service starting at the age of 17 years.

The annually drafted contingent of recruits remained the same for a long time and amounted (with some deviations) to 122,500 people. From 1912 this number began to gradually increase and in 1913 130,650 people were drafted.

However, this harmonious system was significantly complicated by national characteristics. In fact, there were three armies, each controlled by a separate ministry:

Junior infantry non-commissioned officer in wartime uniform. May 1915 (on his chest is the Jubilee Cross for Servants of the Court of His Imperial and Royal Majesty, which may indicate that in 1908 he served in one of the guards units, staffed by volunteers with the rank of non-commissioned officer).

imperial war ministry (since Austria, unlike the Kingdom of Hungary, was an empire, it is better to use a direct translation - “imperial and royal military ministry” ), which reported directly to the emperor and was in charge of the affairs of the regular army and navy. When recruiting line troops, the principle of constant replenishment of units with either Austrian or Hungarian recruits was maintained,

Austrian Ministry of People's Defense, engaged in the Austrian Landwehr, Landsturm and Corps of Gendarmes,

Hungarian Ministry of People's Defense, which dealt with the Hungarian Landwehr (Honved), Landsturm and gendarme corps.

Due to such features, it was most convenient to recruit the armed forces according to the territorial system. To do this, the entire territory of the country was divided into 105 districts, each of which was supposed to replenish 1 infantry regiment of the imperial army, and the regiments always received recruits from the same district. Other types of troops were replenished from several districts, but also mainly from the same localities. To replenish the Landwehr, Austria was divided into 39 regimental districts (117 battalion areas), and Hungary into 94 Honved battalion areas. In addition, Tyrol was divided into 3 sections, from which 4 rifle regiments were replenished, and Dalmatia recruited the 22nd infantry and 2nd Landwehr infantry regiments.

The region of Bosnia and Herzegovina was divided into 4 districts and consisted of 4 regiments and 1 battalion. Bosnians were drafted at the age of 19 and served: 2 years in active service, then 10 years in the 1st category reserve, up to 37 years in the 2nd category reserve, up to 42 years in the 3rd category reserve (actually two the latter categories corresponded to Landsturm). Those eligible for service, but not called up for military service, were enrolled in the recruit reserve for 12 years, then also transferred to the 2nd or 3rd category reserve.

Land Army of the Austrian Empire, 1909

	infantry baht	Cav. esc.	artillery batteries					peony. baht
			mobile	mounted	mountain	gaub.	heavy gaub.
Regular army	450	252	168	24	44	56	15	15
Austrian Landwehr	120	41	—	—	—	16	—	—
Honvéd	94	60	—	—	—	—	—	—
Bosnian troops	17	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Total	681	353	168	24	44	72	15	15

Depending on the predominant representatives of a particular nationality in the regiment, 1-2 so-called “regimental languages” were established, most often German, Hungarian or Polish ( there were 2 command languages ​​(German and Hungarian) and many regimental languages ​​- according to the number of nationalities in the empire ).

The system of military ranks and ranks in the Austrian army had a complex structure, since special ranks were assigned not only to combat officers, military officials and doctors, but also to provision service officials, treasurers, auditors (military lawyers) and others. A simplified version of the system is shown in the table.

All units of the regular troops were consolidated into brigades, divisions and corps. In peacetime, the corps was not so much a combat unit as a territorial-administrative unit. The commander was subordinate not only to the units that were part of the corps, but also to all military institutions and educational institutions located within the boundaries of the corps' territorial district.

It was assumed that regiments should be deployed within their corps districts, and, if possible, in their regimental districts (that is, where reinforcements were called for), but in practice this was often not observed; in the regimental district, as a rule, everything remained in order turn one of the battalions of the regiment, regimental emergency reserves for mobilization were also stored there ( that is, there was a regimental depot ). Every spring there was a change of garrisons, both within the corps area and outside it ( this served at least two purposes: to acquaint military personnel with terrain that was unusual for them (and often provide mountain training), and also for police actions to have forces that were not connected either nationally or politically with local residents ).

As a result, the infantry regiment turned out to be a symbolic unit in peacetime, since infantry brigades were made up of separate battalions of various regiments, sometimes with the addition of rifle, pioneer or engineer battalions. In total, there were 60 infantry and 14 mountain brigades with continuous numbering throughout the army.

Infantry divisions consisted, as a rule, of 2 brigades and 2 artillery regiments. Landwehr divisions had a similar composition, but their artillery consisted of 2 divisions. Honved divisions were formed in wartime and did not have assigned artillery.

Cavalry divisions consisted of 1–2 brigades (2–3 cavalry regiments each) and a horse artillery division.

In total, the corps consisted, as a rule, of 2 infantry and 1 cavalry division, 1 landwehr or honved division and support and reinforcement units. However, in reality this composition could vary significantly depending on many factors.

Infantry

By the beginning of the war, the regular army consisted of:

infantry regiments(Nos. 1–102) 4 battalions, that is, a total of 408 battalions. The battalions consisted of 4 companies, the company - of 4 platoons. Composition of the company in wartime: 4 officers, candidate for officer rank, 35 non-commissioned officers, 183 privates, 4 sappers, 3 porters, 4 orderlies, non-commissioned officer of the treasury service, trumpeter. The wartime battalion had 19 officers and 1,062 lower ranks. The regiment has, respectively, 84 and 4,327 military personnel, including 305 non-combatants

rifle (jaeger) regiments (and battalions): Tyrolean regiments (Nos. 1–4), also 4 battalions each, due to the nature of recruitment and training, considered elite, and 26 rifle battalions (Nos. 1–26). In total, therefore, the army had 42 rifle battalions, with a regular wartime strength of 22 officers and 1,075 soldiers and non-commissioned officers (in companies of 240 people each).

bOsnian infantry units (correctly Bosnian-Herzegovinian ): 4 regiments (Nos. 1–4) and 1 rifle battalion; composition is similar to line infantry.

A group of infantry non-commissioned officers. 1914. The two outermost and the one sitting on the right are dressed in peacetime uniforms, and the characteristic red fez of the 4 soldiers indicates that they belong to the Bosnian infantry. The one standing in the center is a candidate for officer rank (The one standing in the center is Fenrich. The first and fifth from the left are dressed in ceremonial uniforms, as evidenced by the presence of buttons on the uniform and the absence of breast pockets on it. In addition, the fifth one has clearly visible “shoulder pads ", poorly visible on the first one, who, moreover, as if on purpose, also put on an everyday headdress. The rest wear everyday uniforms, it’s just that the last one on the left has an old style and is made of dark blue cloth)

In each regiment (except the Bosnian ones), in peacetime there was a reserve of personnel soldiers of 7 officers and 24 lower ranks for the formation of reserve and marching battalions upon mobilization.

During wartime, the following were additionally formed: 6 rifle battalions (Nos. 27–32); 2 Bosnian rifle battalions; 6 Bosnian border companies from older reservists.

The Landwehr infantry in peacetime consisted of 37 infantry regiments (Nos. 1–37) of 3 battalions each (a battalion had 18 officers and 243 lower ranks) and 3 Tyrolean people's rifle regiments. In 1917, all Landwehr infantry regiments began to be called rifle regiments.

The Honved infantry consisted of 28 infantry regiments (Nos. 1–28), including 18 with 3 battalions and 10 with 4 battalions (18 officers and 208 lower ranks per battalion), consolidated into 14 Honved brigades. By 1917, the number of regiments reached 32.

The Landsturm during the war consisted of 41 Austrian and 47 Hungarian regiments.

Shortly before the start of the war, companies of scooter riders (cyclists) began to be formed under some rifle battalions. By the beginning of the war there were 4 companies and several more were being formed, so that by 1915 they were consolidated into 3 scooter battalions.

Weapons and equipment

The main weapon of the Austrian infantryman was a repeating rifle of the Mannlicher system with a bladed bayonet. This model with a five-round magazine was adopted for service back in 1886, initially chambered for the 11-mm Witterly system cartridge ( perhaps the author is confusing the Witterli and Werndl cartridges, but the editor does not have sufficient information to claim that this is an error ), filled with black powder. Two years later, the M.1888 model appeared with a caliber reduced to 8 mm, initially also with black powder. Previously manufactured rifles were redesigned for a new cartridge and received the designation M. 1886/90 (replacement of the barrel for 8 mm caliber) and M. 1888/90 (change of the chamber). Weapons immediately manufactured for the new cartridge were designated M.1890.

The last model before the war was put into service in 1895. It, like the previous ones, was manufactured in three versions:

infantry rifle M.1895 (or M.95);

cavalry carbine M.1895. This weapon had a shortened barrel, the gun belt fastening ensured comfortable carrying of the carbine in the “behind the back” position, the bayonet and the part for its fastening were absent (the gendarme version had a permanently folding needle bayonet);

fitting M.1895. It was a variant of a carbine with a part for attaching a bayonet.

Armament and equipment of the Austrian infantry: 1 - bayonet and scabbard with a blade, 2 - ersatz bayonet, 3 - non-commissioned officer bayonet with lanyard, 4 - offensive hand grenade, 5 - defensive hand grenade, 6 - brass knuckles, 7 - cutting pliers wire, 8 - trench dagger

Mannlicher's weapon had some characteristic details of the device: the magazine box protruding from the stock on early samples was made as a separate part, later (starting with the M.1890 carbine) it began to be made integral with the trigger guard; on the M.1890 infantry rifle, the bayonet was not attached to the bottom, as usual, but to the left side of the barrel; rifles and fittings had an additional detail - a small metal peg with a ball at the end, which served to hook the rifles together when forming them into sawhorses. Loading was done in batches, that is, the magazine did not need to be filled from the clip, since the cartridges were put into it all at once along with a metal pack; When the last cartridge was used up, the pack fell down through a special window. This, undoubtedly, gave a gain in loading time compared to the Mauser or Mosin rifle, but the packs slightly increased the total weight of the ammunition carried with the same number of cartridges.

With the start of production of the new M.95 rifle, the earlier models in service were subject to gradual replacement. The outbreak of war disrupted this order and led to the fact that many regiments of the regular army were armed with older rifles than the Landwehr and Landsturm units formed upon mobilization. In addition, the production of national arms factories was not able to cover the needs of the active army and not only the above-mentioned models of rifles and carbines, but even older ones were used. In total, at the beginning of the war the following were available:

118,000 rifles and carbines of the Werndl M.67/77 and M.73/77 system;

1,300,000 Mannlicher rifles, samples M.86/90, M.88/90, M.90, and M.95;

80,000 M.90 carbines;

850,000 M.95 carbines and fittings.

We had to use non-standard samples:

about 75,000 Mannlicher M.93 rifles and carbines, manufactured for Romania chambered for the 6.5 mm caliber cartridge, were adapted to fire the 8 mm cartridge by drilling out the barrel and chamber, as well as altering the magazine;

about 80,000 rifles of the Mauser M.14 system, manufactured for Mexico, Colombia and Chile (differing only in the coats of arms stamped on the receiver) chambered for 7 mm caliber were used with original cartridges, the production of which was established;

about 9,000 rifles of the Mannlicher-Schönauer M.03/14 system, manufactured for Greece chambered for 6.5 mm caliber, were also used without alterations, with “native” ammunition.

Uniforms and equipment of the Austrian infantry: 1 - steel helmet "Bernsdorfer" (correctly "Berndorf"), 2 - steel helmet of the German model M.1916 (here Austrian M.17), 3 - cap of mountain rifle units, decorated with rooster feathers, 4 - caps of infantry units, 5 - summer blouse M.1909, 6 - cavalry headdresses, 7 - straight-cut trousers, 8 - boots of mountain rifle units, 9 - boots of infantry units, 10 - early version of the waist belt, 11 - late version waist belt (cavalry belt), 12-windings

Some weapons came from the Allies:

• 72,000 Mauser-Mannlicher rifles of the 1888 model, 7.9 mm caliber; the alteration of which was limited only to changing the fastening of the gun belt;

a small number of German and Turkish Mauser rifles of 7.65 mm caliber.

Armament and equipment of the Austrian infantry: 1 - Mannlicher M.95 rifle, 2 - waist belt, 3 - metal pack with 8 mm cartridges, 4 - cardboard pack with cartridges, 5 - M.1895 cartridge bag, 6 - automatic pistol system Steira M.1912

Necessity also forced the use of captured weapons:

about 45,000 Russian Mosin rifles of the 1891 model were converted to the Austrian 8-mm cartridge; a significant number of Russian rifles were used in front-line units without modification with captured ammunition. By the way, in the same way, in the Russian army, entire divisions on the Southwestern Front were armed with Austrian rifles, and participants in the battles recalled that with regard to the supply of ammunition they often found themselves in an even better position than others;

Italian rifles of the Mannlicher-Carcano system, model 1891, 6.5 mm caliber; some of them were converted to a Greek cartridge of the same caliber;

French and English rifles were used in small quantities.

Layout of the equipment of an Austro-Hungarian infantryman: 1 - a backpack of the 1887 model, 2 - a roll of an overcoat wrapped on top with a cloth of a camp tent, 3 - a waist belt of a peacetime model (in the Austro-Hungarian army, belts were not divided into peacetime and wartime models), 4 - M.95 cartridge bag, 5 - wartime waist belt (cavalry belt), 6 - trench dagger, 7 - German-style gas mask with box, 8 - flask options (a flask on the left, one of the gas mask box options on the right) , 9 - small pickaxe, 10 - cracker bag, 11 - small shovel, 12 - bayonet-knife in a sheath with a blade, 13 - cartridge satchel

The infantryman's wearable ammunition consisted of 200 rounds of ammunition, including 40 pieces in two cartridge bags. Several types of cartridge bags were used:

M.1888 made of black leather, with a lid that opened outwards and was fastened with straps on pegs on the sides of the bag; There were two compartments inside, each containing 2 clips, a total of 20 rounds;

M.1890 in brown leather, opening inwards, with 1 strap clasp and peg at the bottom of the bag; accommodated 2 clips (10 rounds). These bags were intended for cavalry and gendarmerie, but in wartime they could be issued to infantrymen;

• M.1895 was a double bag of M.1890 and was intended for infantry; two lids were fastened with straps, each on its own peg; capacity - 4 clips (20 rounds);

During the war, in conditions of a shortage of leather raw materials, production began of ersatz pouches made of fiber or plywood, painted in a gray protective color, as well as from canvas, like M.1890, with the same fastening with a leather strap ( should be added and stamped from iron ).

Thanks to the design feature of the clip for the Mannlicher rifle. all of the listed types of cartridge bags had a characteristic asymmetrical trapezoidal shape. They are all from the back...

Uniform of the Austro-Hungarian infantry: A - corporal of the 13th infantry regiment in a field uniform of the 1911 model, B - sergeant major of the Bosnian infantry regiment in a wartime field uniform ( Some non-commissioned officers were armed not with bayonets, but with sabers, worn in black leather sheaths, which were inserted into a leather blade worn on the waist belt. Only graduate officers and standard bearers were armed with officer's sabers, which is somewhat incorrectly depicted here (the guard should be like in the photo on the right on page 13). If the non-commissioned officer wore a saber, then the biscuit bag was worn on the right. From January 1917, all officers, graduate officers, some categories of non-commissioned officers, military officials and chaplains, that is, military personnel armed with sabers, were ordered to change the latter to non-commissioned officer bayonets ), B - company sapper of the 22nd Infantry Regiment in field equipment (wartime blouse, on the cap there is a “field badge”, that is, a green branch of a tree, usually oak ( both the bread bag and the spatula should be worn on the left. The “field sign” was an oak branch in summer, and a spruce branch in winter. There were no other options. This badge was worn on the left side of the cap, for which two factory-made loops were provided behind the lapel. If a soldier wears windings, then this is a wartime uniform, therefore the cockade must be painted in a protective color. In the description of the equipment, a metal enameled bowler hat made of two parts (deep and shallow), attached to the top of an overcoat tied to the backpack, is missing. It came in two models: a truncated cone and a truncated pyramid. The latter is shown in this figure. Only the handles were completely different. On the deep part there were simply two side ears, and on the shallow part there was a holder in the form of a metal loop. This applies to both models ), G-private of the 44th Infantry (Hungarian) Regiment in peacetime dress uniform with full equipment; a “shooting cord” is visible on the chest - the insignia of the best shooter ( The shoulder rolls were printed cloth, and not “fluffed”, as shown in the picture. It would not be amiss to note once again that the knots and “edgings” on the Hungarian trousers were made of yellow-black cord and the eagle on the shako was always brass, and not the color of regimental instrument metal, as it might seem. The buttonhole on the cuff is drawn incorrectly - it is necessary to “cut off” its right part and remove the cutout at the bottom of the central one. True, this last part, no longer the central part, had a slight bevel towards the outside. In general, there was no “ceremonial wartime uniform” or “ceremonial uniform without full equipment.” Therefore, it is better to simply indicate that the soldier is wearing full dress uniform. Naturally, taking into account the above corrections ), D - company sapper in winter field uniform in an overcoat, E - Tyrolean rifleman in wartime field uniform with mountain equipment, awarded with a "shooting cord", 1 - cockade on the cap of the line infantry, 2 - button of soldiers of the 30th Infantry Regiment, 3 - coat of arms on the shako of the line infantry, 4 - flap on the collar of the overcoat for the lower ranks of rifle regiments, 5 - steel helmet of the German model M.1916 with a “field badge” made of tin, 6 - option for placing the insignia of the staff sergeant on the collar of the field blouse (after 1916), 7 — belt badge of the 1910 model, 8 — non-commissioned officer’s lanyard, 9 — imperial monogram for the headdresses of Tyrolean riflemen.

1. Infantryman of the 10th Infantry Regiment.
2. Corporal of the 13th Infantry Regiment.
3. Corporal of the rifle regiment.
4. Junior non-commissioned artillery officer.
5. Sergeant of convoy units.
6. Non-commissioned officer-cadet of pioneer units.
7. Senior non-commissioned officer of engineer units.
8. Candidate for officer rank of the 30th Infantry Regiment.
9. Fehnrich 90th Infantry Regiment.
10. Lieutenant of the 24th Infantry Regiment.
11. First Lieutenant, 7th Dragoons
12. Captain of the General Staff.
13. Major of the 2nd Lancer Regiment.
14. Lieutenant Colonel of the Landwehr.
15. Colonel of rifle units.
16. Corporal of the field gendarmerie.
17. Major General.
18. Lieutenant General.
19. General of the Infantry.
20. Colonel General.
21. Field Marshal.
22. Official of the engineering and artillery service.
23. Engineer 3rd class military construction service.
24. Junior veterinarian.
25. Official 3rd class of the Military Geographical Institute.
26. Cashier 1st class treasury service.
27. Military clerk.

... had straps fastened with pegs, with the help of which the cartridge bags were put on the waist belt (this fastening made it possible to remove and put on the pouches without unfastening). Metal loops were sewn into the upper part of the straps of samples M.1890, M.1895 and ersatz pouches ( or rather the rings to which the carabiners of the shoulder straps were attached ), to which the shoulder straps of the equipment were attached.

The rest of the equipment consisted of the following items:

black ( actually painted brown ) leather waist belt of the 1910 model, with a yellow metal plaque, on which was a stamped or applied double-headed eagle (for Austrian units) or the Hungarian coat of arms (for Honvéd) ( Since 1916, a new coat of arms on buckles has been introduced for the entire army - from three armorial shields (two large Austrian and Hungarian monarchies and the small coat of arms of the Habsburgs of Lorraine) and the motto “One and Indivisible” in Latin. By the middle of the war, buckles began to be made not from expensive brass, but from iron and painted in a protective color ); During the war, so-called ersatz buckles in the form of a frame were also used ( in reality they were just cavalry belts with a single-pin frame buckle );

backpack model 1887;

cartridge backpack model 1888 - it contained 6-8 cardboard packs of cartridges, each with 2 clips, that is, a total of 60-80 cartridges; the remaining cartridges were placed in the main backpack ( it is still more likely that only personal belongings were stowed in the main backpack, and the rest of the ammunition was transported in the ammunition train. This can also be confirmed by the fact that the M. 1887 backpack was intended only for campaigns, and the M. 1888 was included in combat equipment ). Both knapsacks were made, as in the 18th century, from brown calf or horse skin, with the lids with the wool facing outward, which prevented water from entering the knapsack.

bread bag - originally made of leather, during the war it began to be made of canvas ( originally made from canvas ); could be worn either suspended from a waist belt using two loops and a metal hook, or on a shoulder strap; inside it was divided by partitions into three parts: for a flask, canned food and dry rations.

an infantry shoulder blade in a leather case covering the edges of the metal part; A bayonet scabbard was attached to the case for camping equipment;

flask, worn either on a strap over the shoulder or in a cracker bag, enameled metal ( Such flasks were much better than domestic ones and owning a captured flask was the dream of every Russian infantryman), or glass, covered with cloth ( The enameled flask was placed in a cloth or felt case and a metal enameled glass, approximately half the height of the flask, was attached to it from below with straps. This glass was absolutely identical in shape to the bottom of the flask, only, naturally, larger in size. In 1909, an oval lightweight aluminum flask was introduced ).

Infantryman in field uniform. 1915. A private wears a non-commissioned officer's bayonet (with lanyard hook). The blouse issued during wartime is slightly too big.

With full camping equipment, the cartridge pack was fastened to the waist belt at the back at lumbar level and supported from below by the main pack. Both backpacks were connected to each other by a special plate ( or rather, using a system of leather belts ). The shoulder straps were fastened at one end to the back wall of the main backpack, and at the other they were threaded under the shoulder straps and hooked with special hooks onto metal belt loops ( that is, with carabiners for the rings) on pouches. The rolled up overcoat was attached to the main backpack. After the march, before the attack, the backpack with the roll could be removed and only cartridges could be carried into battle.

There was also a version of lightweight equipment, when only a cartridge backpack was put on, and the overcoat roll and shoulder straps were fastened to it.

The soldier had to carry with him: a set of underwear, a pair of spare lightweight shoes, a knitted sweater to wear under his overcoat in winter, a bowler hat and a spoon, an emergency supply of food (2 cans of canned food), personal belongings and toiletries. Depending on the type of equipment, these things were placed in one of the backpacks or in a cracker bag. The total weight of the equipment reached 28 kg.

Company sappers were also required to carry a portable entrenching tool: a large shovel, a pick and a coil of rope were attached to the backpack ( and the carpenters carried either a lumberjack's ax with an ordinary ax, or a lumberjack's ax with a two-handed saw ). Usually in wartime, company sappers of a regiment were combined into a sapper platoon ( Sappers never belonged to regimental companies, although in the field they could be assigned to them. An engineer platoon (after the reorganization of the army - an engineer company) was part of the regimental headquarters ).

An innovation introduced into infantry equipment during wartime was the widespread use, from mid-1915, of so-called Tyrolean backpacks instead of satchels. They were made of gray-green or brown tarpaulin and previously replaced backpacks only in mountain rifle units, which included Tyrolean riflemen, folk riflemen and some Landwehr regiments.

Scooter riders were also equipped with these backpacks and did not carry cracker bags; they usually fastened small shoulder blades to their backpacks.

In peacetime, the infantry regiment had two machine gun squads with 2 heavy machine guns each. Schwarzloze» M.07 or 07/12 each (1 officer, 34 lower ranks). Landwehr and Honved regiments had 1 machine gun per battalion; rifle battalions also had 1 machine gun. In 1913, machine gun squads were also formed at scooter companies, and machine guns were transported on motorcycles ( looks like it's only on bicycles ).

In 1915, it was officially approved that each infantry battalion had a machine gun team of 4 machine guns, and from 1916 their number increased to 8. In 1918, it was planned to form additional platoons of light machine guns, armed with models copied from captured Italian “ Vilar-Revelli“, but due to the end of the war, this measure was implemented only to a small extent.

In 1915, the formation of infantry mortar and trench gun units began at infantry regiments.

At the end of 1916, the command of the Austro-Hungarian army began to create assault troops based on the German model ( There was 1 assault squad (battalion) for each infantry division (two assault platoons (Sturmpatrouillen) were part of each infantry company, and the platoons were combined into army battalions - usually these were 4 infantry companies, a machine gun company, engineer, mortar and flamethrower teams) ), designed for close combat in trenches when breaking through fortified enemy positions. They selected the best soldiers, usually volunteers, who were assigned the most dangerous tasks: to be the first to attack enemy fortifications, or to counterattack an enemy who had penetrated the defenses. It is possible that the use of assault groups by the Austrians was a spontaneous reaction to the use of assault units by the Italians. arditi» ( the Austro-Hungarians borrowed this idea from the Germans, and the Italians, in turn, from the Austro-Hungarians ).

Stormtroopers needed to carry a large number of hand grenades with them in battle, for which they used various canvas bags and bags ( in reality, each grenade bag required carrying three grenades of different systems ). In addition, rifle grenades were also used ( The Austrian corn grenade was converted into a rifle grenade by removing the wire handle and attaching a tube that was inserted into the rifle barrel ). Instead of rifles, the soldiers wore rifles that were lighter and more convenient in close combat, and as additional weapons for hand-to-hand combat they had trench clubs of various types, brass knuckles and daggers ( After the end of the war and the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a large number of trench daggers fell into the hands of the Italians. The weapons were not left in warehouses: these daggers were used in the 1930s. units of the fascist police were armed ). Steel helmets were necessarily used to protect the head; other equipment was standard, and the attack aircraft continued to wear the uniforms of the units from which they were sent.

Outfit

To designate military ranks and ranks and combinations of stars and different types of braid were used, sewn onto the front ends of the collar, over instrument-colored flaps (buttonholes).

In peacetime, infantry wore either a uniform or a blouse. The first was used in full dress; the second was introduced at first only For the field uniform, then they were allowed to wear it as a casual uniform, and during the war, the blouse finally replaced the uniform, which was occasionally found only in the rear units of the Landsturm.

A group of Austrian infantrymen in a trench. The parapets are made of bags filled with stones. Italian Front, 1917

Uniform The infantry model was a single-breasted, 6-button, dark blue cloth jacket. The low, slightly beveled stand-up collar had flaps of a regimental (instrument) color, and the cuffs were the same color ( the ENTIRE collar, cuffs, shoulder straps and shoulder pads were instrument color ). There were 28 different colors of instrument cloth in use, including 11 shades of red. An additional difference between the regiments were buttons - white or yellow metal, with the regiment number. The shoulder straps were cut out of uniform cloth, longer than the shoulder; the excess length was folded inward and, thus, the shoulder straps appeared to be made of two layers of fabric. In addition to shoulder straps, special bolsters were sewn into the shoulder seams, designed to keep the equipment belts from slipping. The bolsters were lined with instrument-colored cloth and during the First World War they already had a mainly decorative purpose. There were no pockets on the uniform, with the exception of one inside on the chest. A black cloth tie was traditionally worn under the uniform, the cut of which has not changed since the 18th century. ( it was no longer a “bib”, but a collar identical to the collar of Catholic priests. A white collar was sewn to it )

The uniform in the Hungarian and German regiments at this time was almost the same cut; with the exception of the buttonholes on the cuffs in the Hungarian regiments ( in the “German” regiments the uniform had a straight (“Swedish”) cuff, and in the “Hungarian” regiments there was a “Polish” cuff, that is, with a toe ). The traditional difference in the style of trousers worn with the uniform also continued to be preserved. German regiments wore trousers straight cut, with a field uniform that had a cuff at the bottom, fastened with two buttons ( trousers were part of the ceremonial uniform and were worn without cuffs ). The Hungarian and Honved regiments were entitled to Hungarian trousers, somewhat narrowed at the bottom and tucked into the shoes. Both pantaloons and trousers were cloth, light blue in color with instrument-colored piping in the outer seam: Hungarian trousers, in addition, had a pattern of red cord on the front half of the legs above the knee in the form of a traditional pattern of knots and loops ( in the Honved, both the edgings and the “Hungarian knots” on the hips were really red, but in the Hungarian regiments of the general army they were sewn from black and yellow cord ).

Junior non-commissioned officer of the Tyrolean riflemen - mountain guide. The military specialty is indicated by a sleeve patch with the letter “B”. A steel helmet and canvas grenade bags under the armpits indicate belonging to an assault unit; note the use of a canvas holster in wartime (If the photograph is not precisely identified (for example, by the owner’s signature), then nothing says that the character belongs to the Tyrolean riflemen. Just the fact that he is a mountain guide does not mean anything, since before the war at least one battalion of a regiment of the regular army managed to receive mountain training, and by the middle of the war all units had it. Tyrolean riflemen always had an “edelweiss” badge attached to their collar (or earlier on the flap). It would be worth noting that the mountain guide’s badge was blue and consisted of from the letters "B" and "F" (Bergfuehrer) and the alpenstock between them. The latter is clearly visible in the photograph).

Shoes As a rule, boots with laces served; occasionally there were boots with short tops, which were in use in the 19th century. When out of formation, even ordinary soldiers often wore light civilian-style boots ( Lightweight boots made of leather and canvas were used as replacement shoes and for work within the barracks. ).

The ceremonial headdress was shako sample 1869 made of black cloth with a leather visor, chin strap and bottom, on a solid base. On the front it was decorated with a metal coat of arms (Austrian double-headed eagle or Hungarian coat of arms) in German or Hungarian regiments respectively ( The Hungarian coat of arms on the shako was used only in Honvéd. Everyone else who owned the shako wore the imperial eagle ). Above the coat of arms was attached a cockade - a brass disk with the emperor’s initials cut into it: “FJI” ( Franz Josef I) - in the regular army and Landwehr, " IJF» ( Ferenc Jozsef) - in Honvéd ( The cockades described were part of everyday and field caps. On the ceremonial shako, the lower ranks wore a stamped brass cockade with radial levels and a painted black center ).

Rifle units since the 19th century. Traditionally, all uniforms were worn in a light gray color with a bluish tint." hechtgrau"and with grass-green cuffs, collars, shoulder straps, shoulder pads and piping. The buttons were of yellow metal, and the rifle battalions were distinguished by the numbers stamped on them; the Tyrolean arrows had smooth buttons, and the regiments were distinguished by the number on their shoulder straps. The ceremonial headdress of the riflemen was a round black felt hat with a brim, decorated with a plume of green rooster feathers and a metal image of a hunting horn - a widespread emblem of light infantry.

The infantrymen's outerwear in cold weather was double-breasted overcoat made of brown cloth ( Before the introduction of khaki-colored uniforms, the overcoats of most branches of the military were made of coarse, undyed cloth and were closest in color to Soviet soldiers' overcoats. Brown overcoat - belonging to artillery and cavalry ), loose fit, with a turn-down collar, length just below the knee. Belonging to a specific military unit was indicated by characteristic shaped buttonholes on the front ends of the collar.

Blouse, introduced in 1869, had a looser cut than a uniform, two side pockets covered with characteristically shaped three-arm flaps and a hidden fastener with 5 buttons ( the 1869 model blouse also had welt breast pockets. It is not mentioned that before the 1908 model, made of protective cloth, the 1906 model, identical in cut, that is, with patch breast pockets, but from dark blue cloth, appeared ). Initially, the color of the blouse did not differ from the uniform, but with the introduction of khaki-colored field uniforms in 1907, “hechtgrau” began to be used as such. As in other armies, this measure, the necessity of which was proven by the experience of the Anglo-Boer and Russian-Japanese wars, met in Austria-Hungary strong opposition in military-court circles, among people accustomed to seeing the army mainly at reviews, parades and other ceremonial events. However, the Chief of the Austrian General Staff, General Konrad von Götzendorf, insisted on the introduction of a field uniform, and it was his insistence that the uniform field uniform of the 1908 model owed its appearance ( its individual elements began to be used back in 1906–1907. )

Its composition for infantry units was as follows:

cap model 1908. The cut was almost no different from the headdress of the 1873 model ( Before the introduction of protective uniforms, casual uniforms included a cap made of light blue cloth with buttons the color of regimental instrument metal ), previously used for everyday and field uniforms, was made of cloth and had a cloth backplate, which, folded in half, rose upward and was fastened in front above the visor with two small buttons. The visor was originally made of black patent leather; during wartime, visors made of pressed cardboard, as well as cloth with a cardboard insert, became widespread. A cockade was attached to the front top, the same type as on the shako, but smaller in size. Since 1917, the letter “K” was written on it as the initial of the new emperor. In wartime, buttons and cockades were painted in a protective gray color, or made from various ersatz materials of a suitable color and texture;

field blouse. Single-breasted, with a hidden fastening with 6 buttons, it had, in addition to the side ones, two more large chest patch pockets. All pockets were covered with three-arm, slightly outward sloping flaps. A ribbon was sewn into the belt to regulate the fullness of the waist. The shoulder straps were like a uniform, and a bolster had to be put on the right shoulder strap using a belt loop to prevent the gun belt from slipping off the shoulder (practically not used in wartime). Instrument-colored buttonholes were sewn on the collar, as well as on the uniform. Since February 1916, in order to save money, they were replaced with a strip of instrument cloth, sewn at the rear edge of the buttonhole ( or rather, in the place of the rear edge of the former buttonhole ).

Infantry lieutenant in field blouse. The field cap is similar in shape to the peacetime shako, sharply contrasting with the soft soldier's headdresses.

The cut of the blouse changed during the war. In mass production, in conditions of shortage of many types of raw materials, simplicity and low cost of production came to the fore. This gave rise to the 1916 model blouse - an extremely simplified version with a turn-down collar, without breast pockets and side pockets without flaps, fastened with 7 buttons without a hidden fastener ( in fact, the regulations of 1915 legalized the use of the German “feldgrau” color in protective uniforms, and the regulations of 1916 introduced a turn-down collar instead of a stand-up collar. All other options known to us are deviations from the regulations ).

Numerous photographic documents indicate that different versions of field blouses were worn in wartime by the infantry;

straight-fit trousers and Hungarian trousers. They had two side inner pockets and were worn with high leggings that had lacing on the side or gaiters made of canvas buttoned with buttons ( gaiters were worn in the cold season, and in the warm season the cuffs mentioned above were worn. In addition, the Honvéd’s protective field uniform did not include Hungarian trousers - “Hungarian knots” made of khaki-colored cord were sewn onto ordinary trousers on the hips ). During wartime, from the beginning of 1916, cloth windings became widespread;

overcoat remained the same cut, under which a knitted woolen sweater could be worn for insulation.

Mountain rifle units wore durable shoes, the edges of the soles of which were equipped with iron hooks; in addition, gaiters were used, knitted from coarse wool, and the windings were put on over them. During the war, other infantry units were sometimes supplied with such shoes.

Soldiers serving on horseback (riders and others) were equipped with leather leggings fastened with straps with buckles;

Basically, the re-uniforming according to this new model was completed in 1911.

As mentioned above, all field uniform items were supposed to be made from “hechtgrau” colored cloth. However, in wartime this situation did not remain unchanged. At the turn of 1914–1915 new samples of cloth for the army were approved, but it turned out that due to the deterioration in the quality of raw materials, the continuation of the production of hechtgrau-colored fabrics was impossible. “feldgrau” – gray with a greenish tint – was approved as the new color for the field uniform. In fact, gray cloth of any shade was used to make uniforms, and even captured Italian dark green “grigio-verde”.

Literature:

Military encyclopedia. T. I. St. Petersburg, 1911.

Marzetti P. Elmetti di tutto il monde. Parma. 1984.

Mollo A., Turner P. Army uniforms of World War I. Poole, 1977.

Muller. Kunter: Europäische Helme. Berlin. 1984.

Nowakowski T. Armia austro-wegierska. 1908-1918. Warsaw, 1992.

Rosignoli G. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of military insignia of the 20th century. London. 1997.

La Gazette des Uniformes No. 148.

Militaria magazine No. 42 1989.

Military Advisor. 51 1993-94. 64 1995.

This article was published in the magazine “Sergeant” No.4 (17), M., 2000