Franz Rohr von Denta

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Franz Rohr von Denta
October 30, 1854(1854-10-30) – December 9, 1927 (aged 73)

Rohr as General of Cavalry, 1911
Place of birth Arad, Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire
Place of death Vienna, Austria
Allegiance Flag of Austrian Empire Austrian Empire
Flag of Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary
Service/branch Army
Years of service 1876 – 1918
Rank Field Marshal
Commands held 1st Army
10th Army
Army Group Rohr
Battles/wars Isonzo
Tirol Offensive
Kerensky Offensive

Franz Rohr von Denta (30 October 1854 – 9 December 1927) was an Austro-Hungarian Field Marshal and field commander who served as the last commander of the Austro-Hungarian first army.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Born, in Arad, modern day Romania, in 1854 as Franz Denta, son of a non-commisioned officer, he became a lieutenant in the 3 Galizisches Uhlanen-Regiment Erzherzog Carl in 1876 on graduating from the Theresan Military Academy in Wiener-Neustadt. [1] Having attaining the rank of Colonel he was appointed Chief of Staff to II Corps in September 1897, a position in which he served until April 1901. By 1903 Denta was officer commanding the 73 Landwehr-brigade at Pressburg (modern day Bratislava) and in 1909 he was made General Inspector of military educational establishments. In 1911 he was further promoted to the rank of General der Kavallerie and appointed commander of the Hungarian Landwehr (Honved) in 1913.

[edit] War career

Responsible for the task of defending the southwestern frontier and historic heartlands of the Empire following the Itialian declaration of war on May 23, 1915, he was appointed commander of Armeegruppe Rohr on May 27th, and took charge of all troops in from Graz to Innsbruck. [2]

Having overseen the successful defense of the Corinthian frontier, Rohr was promoted to the rank of Generaloberst on January 1st, 1916 and made commander of the new 10th army following the dissolution of his army-group in anticipation of the Tyrol Offensive. With the halting of all offensive operations on the Italian front by the Imperial army in the face of the Brusilov Offensive, the Tyrol effort was prematurely brought to an end and Rohr was switched to take charge of the 11th army, also in the Trento district in June 1916.[3]

In February 1917, and with the promotion of General Arz von Straussenberg to the position of Chief of the General Staff, Rohr took charge of the 1st Army and for the first time served as a commander on the Russian Front

On April 14, 1917 Rohr was raised to the nobility taking the rank of Baron and the title Rohr von Denta.

Promoted to the position of Field Marshal on January 30, 1918, Rohr continued in command of the 1st army until its disbandment following peace with Roumania on April 15, 1918. [4]

[edit] Retirement

Retiring from command at the war’s end, Rohr was nevertheless appointed Field Marshal in the army of the newly separated Hungary. Freiherr Rohr von Denta died in the village of Rodaun, near Vienna, on 9 December 1927. [5]

[edit] Honours & Decorations

  • Military Service Cross 1st Class
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold
  • Knights' Cross 1st Class of the Order of the Iron Crown
  • Captain of the Hungarian Trabantenleibgarde (Life Guards)

[edit] Selected Service Record

  • 1876 Leutnant (3.Galizisches Uhlanen-Regiment Erzherzog Carl)
  • 1896 Colonel (General Staff)
  • 1903 Major general (73.Landwehr-IBrig. at Preßburg)
  • 1909 General Inspector of military educational establishments
  • 1911 General der Kavallerie
  • 1918 Feldmarschall

[edit] Sources

  1. ^ Franz Rohr Freiherr von Dénta. Austrian Commanders. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
  2. ^ "Franz Baron Rohr von Denta". Who's Who of the first world war. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
  3. ^ Franz Rohr Freiherr von Dénta. Austrian Commanders. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
  4. ^ "Franz Baron Rohr von Denta". Who's Who of the first world war. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
  5. ^ "Franz Baron Rohr von Denta". Who's Who of the first world war. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.

[edit] See also