Arthur Arz von Straussenburg
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Arthur Freiherr Arz von Straussenburg (or Straußenburg; June 16, 1857, Hermannstadt, present day Sibiu – June 1, 1935, Budapest) was the last military leader of the Austro-Hungarian Army, until the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following World War I.
Arz served as a corps commander on the Eastern Front at the outbreak of war in August 1914. Following success at corps level, including participation in the Bug Offensive, he was promoted to command of the First army in 1916.
With the accension of Karl as Emperor in 1916 and Conrad's dismissal as chief of staff, Arz was promoted to the army's chief operational rank. Unlike his predesessor, Arz acted as personal advisor to the Emperor on army matters rather than as a driver of his own strategy as had been Conrad's hallmark. His tenure at the head of the army saw increasing German control over all senior Austro-Hungarian positions and although raised to the nobility in early 1918, his ability to control even his field commanders gradually lessened. Failure of his plans to result in success at the Piave River in June 1918 precipitated the disintegration of the Imperial Army itself.
Following the demise of the empire and without political ambition, Arz retired into private life and died in 1935.
[edit] Notes
Regarding personal names: Freiherr is a title, translated as Baron, not a first or middle name. The female forms are Freifrau and Freiin.
[edit] Sources
Pope, S. & Wheal, E. (1997) "The Macmillan Dictionary of the First World War" Macmillan : London
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