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Hermann Kövess von Kövessháza

The Last Supreme Commander Freiherr Hermann Kövess von Kövessháza was born in 1854.   As of June 1911, FML Kövess was in control of the XII. Corps.  He held this important command until September 1915.  At the outset of WWI, he was ranked General der Infanterie and his Corps was in the II. Army, led by General Böhm-Ermolli.   His Corps was the II. Army's only representative on the Eastern Front, as the rest of the army was in transit from the Vojvodina Front.  As it turns out, Kövess' Corps was assigned to defend against the entire Russian III. Army under General Russky—see orders of battle below for details and narrative.  Kövess accepted the command of the III. Army, replacing General Tersztyanszky, who took command of Army Group Tersztyanszky for the purpose of invading Serbia.  (As for the XII. Corps, it was taken over by FML Johann Ritter von Henriquez.)  The III. army then was situated in the Vojvodina, and what followed was the tremendous defeat of the Serbians in autumn 1915.  Following the surrender of the Montenegrin army after being harried by three Austrian Corps,  Kövess was the military governor for the tiny state from 17 January 1916 until 26 February, when he turned the reigns of government over to FML Viktor Weber. (Kövess would be named to this governorship in late October 1918, but he was also handed many other important titles that amounted to little at such a late date.) Kövess transferred the III. Army into the Tirol in March 1916 to prepare for the Tirol Offensive.  Kövess was given the rank of Generaloberst in May 1916, most likely for the successful occupation of Serbia by January 1916.  He transferred from the III. Army on 20 October 1916, being replaced by GdK Kirchbach. He took command of the VII. Army on the same day, replacing GO Pflanzer-Baltin who had led the army for two years.  He held this command until January 16, 1918.  After this, he asssumed command of Army Front Kövess, which encompassed the whole Moldavian Front from the Dobruja to Galicia.  This was eliminated on 5 April 1918.  He then commanded Army Group Kövess, formed on 1 October 1918, which controlled the whole Balkan Front.  This Front was stretching as the Entente invaded Serbia following Bulgaria's surrender on 28 September 1918.  Kövess' final ascension was at the last hour:  Kaiser Karl appointed him supreme commander in his own stead on 1 November 1918; Karl asked for an armistice the same day, and recognised Hungary's independence as well.  This left Kövess in a strange situation, since he was a Hungarian. Nevertheless, he accepted the honour knowing full well that time had run out for both the monarchy and the K.u.K. Army.  He was annoyed to learn on November 3 that the Italian Armies violated the armistice agreement by claiming their translation allowed for advance movement one extra day; that is, after the Austrians had stacked their rifles in anticipation of peace, Italian units moved forward and assaulted them, taking many prisoners and leaving many casualties.  Kövess likened the situation to the Italians' misinterpretations of the Alliance with Ethiopia [that led to a humiliating defeat for Italy at Adowa in 1896] by claiming that the Italians were "always mistranslating treaties" to their benefit. Much as his comrades FM Conrad, GO Hazai, and GO Pflanzer-Baltin had to suffer, Kövess also lost a son in the first campaigns in Galicia in 1914.  FM Hermann Freiherr Kövess von Kövessháza died in Vienna on 22 September 1924, and his body was buried in Budapest GWS, 1/01

Orders of Battle:  Galician Front, end of Summer 1914 Immediately preceding the invasion of Russian Poland in August 1914 II. Armee, General der Kavallerie von Böhm-Ermolli Army Group Kövess (Note:  III., IV., and VII. Korps were in transit throughout early August and did not assist Kövess' XII. Korps until later in the month)      XII. Korps, Gen. d. Infanterie Kövess von Kövesshaza           XVI. inf. div., Feldmarschalleutnant. Paukert           XXXV. inf. div., Generalmajor Hauninger           XXXVIII. Honved inf. div., Feldmlt. Karg von Bebenburg

Orders of Battle:  Eastern Front, May 1915 Immediately preceding the Dunajec offensive Armee Woyrsch, preuß. Generaloberst v. Woyrsch     Chief of Staff, preuß. Obstlt. Heye    Army Group Kövess (XII. Korps), Gen. d. Inf. v. Kövess     Chief of Staff, Oberst Frh. Zeidler-Daublebsky v. Sterneck        35. inf. div., Genmj. v. Podhoranszky                69. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Baitz                 70. inf. brig., Genmj. Edl. v. Salmon                 35. field art. brig., Genmj. Gröschl         16. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Schariczer                 inf. reg. 2, inf. reg. 31                 16. field art. brig., Feldmlt. v. Dobler         9. kav. div., Gen. d. Kav. Frh. v. Hauer                 1. kav. brig., Genmj. Ostermuth                 9. kav. brig., Oberst Frh. v. Sessler                 32. IBrig. (Gruppe) Genmj. Goldbach          7. kav. div., Genmj. Ritt. v. Micewski                 11. kav. brig., Genmj. v. Mold                 20. kav. brig., Genmj. v. le Gay

Orders of Battle:  Galician Front, early January 1915 Immediately preceding the battles for the Carpathians Army Group Woyrsch, Öst. II. Armee, Gen. d. Kav. von Böhm-Ermolli    Öst. XII. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Kövess von Kövesshaza           XVI. inf. div., Feldmlt. Schariczer           Deutsch XXXV. res. div., Generalleutnant von Schmettau           III. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Brudermann           VII. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Korda           IX. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Hauer

Orders of Battle:  K.u.K. forces assigned to the German armies, Aug. 1915 Immediately following the summer offensive against the Russians To Army Group Woyrsch:  XII. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Kövess von Kövesshaza           XXXV. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Podhoranszky           XVI. inf. div., Genmj. R. Krauss

Orders of Battle:  Serbian Front, end of September 1915 Immediately preceding the Quadruple Alliance's invasion of Serbia in October 1915 III. Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Kövess von Kövesshaza           LXII. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Kasler           Streith Group, Genmj. Streith           Sorsic Group, Feldmlt. von Sorsic      XIX. Korps, Feldmlt. Trollmann           LIII. inf. div., Genmj. von Pongracz      XXII. Deutsch res. Korps, Gen. Falkenhayn           XLIII. inf. div., Genmj. von Runckel           XLIV. res. div., Genmj. von Dorrer           XXVI. (I. k. Württemberg) inf. div., Genlt. Herzog Wilhelm von Urach      VIII. Korps, Feldzeugmeister von Scheuchensteuel           LVII. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Goiginger           LIX. inf. div., Feldmlt. Snjaric

Orders of Battle:  Serbian Front, October 1915 Amidst the Quadruple Alliance's invasion of Serbia in October 1915 Mackensen Army, Gen. August Mackensen III. Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Kövess von Kövesshaza           LXII. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Kasler           Streith Group, Genmj. Streith           Sorsic Group, Feldmlt. von Sorsic      XIX. Korps, Feldmlt. Trollmann           LIII. inf. div., Genmj. von Pongracz      XXII. Deutsch res. Korps, Gen. Falkenhayn           XLIII. inf. div., Genmj. von Runckel           XLIV. res. div., Genmj. von Dorrer           XXVI. (I. k. Württemberg) inf. div., Genlt. Herzog Wilhelm von Urach      VIII. Korps, Feldz. von Scheuchensteuel           LVII. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Goiginger           LIX. inf. div., Feldmlt. Snjaric

Orders of Battle:  Albanian Front, January 1916 Following the Quadruple Alliance's defeat of Serbia and Montenegro and invasion of Albania III. Army, Gen. d. Inf. Kövess von Kövesshaza      XIX. Korps, Feldmlt. Trollmann                Schieß brigade                Streith brigade           XLVII. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Weber      Support:  LXII. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Kasler      VIII. Korps, Feldz. von Scheuchensteuel           LIII. inf. div., Genmj. von Pongracz           LIX. inf. div., Feldmlt. Snjaric           LVII. inf. div., Feldmlt. Goiginger

Orders of Battle:  Tirol Front, May 1916 Immediately preceding the Tirol Offensive Army Group Archduke Eugen, GO Archduke Eugen      Chief of Staff, Feldmlt. Alfred Krauss III. Army, GO Hermann v. Kövess      XVII. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Karl Kritek           18. Inf. Div., Genmj. Stracker           2. Mtn. Brig., Obst. Panzenböck                8. Mtn. Brig., Genmj. Wossala                181. Inf. Brig., Genmj. Kindl      I. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. Karl Frh. v. Kirchbach           10. Inf. Div., Feldmlt. Edler v. Mecenseffy           34. Inf. Div., Feldmlt. Rudolf Krauss           43. Schützen Div., Genmj. Tunk      XXI. Korps, Feldmlt. Fhr. V. Lütgendorf           Kaiser Schützen Div., Genmj. Englert           44. Schützen Div., Feldmlt. Nemeczek

The Start of Something Spectacular:  The Tirol Offensive, May 1916 Fresh from a victorious campaign against Austria's hated enemy Serbia, General der Infanterie Kövess was tapped by GdI Franz Conrad and the theatre commander, Archduke Eugen, to put his battle-winning III. Army to the ultimate test:  bringing down Austria's traditional enemy, Italy.  For this, Kövess was dispatched to Trient and then to his HQ at Levico in March 1916.  But here, he realised the difficulty of the terrain.  The Dolemite peaks in winter were no place for assembling an army.   Almost no preparations could be made when many higher passes were blocked with sixty feet of snow.  The lower passes were guarded by avalanche-prone heights and slick slopes.  Kövess' III. Army formed the left punch to this offensive, ranged from the Val Sugana with the town of Borgo as the first objective, to the Val d'Astico with Arsiero as the focal point of Gruppe Vissodic (situated between the 22. Infantry Division and the XIV. Corps of the XI. Army).  Because of the horrendous weather even for the Dolemites, Conrad was forced to move his offensive ahead on the calendar by two weeks.  The initial bombardment was launched by the XI. Army on 14 May 1916, and lasted all day.  The next morning, both armies advanced across the whole front of the campaign.   The first success for Kövess occurred when the Armentara ridge overlooking the Brenta river was secured.  With these heights under their control, the III. Army proceeded to pound the Italian lines and force passage to Borgo.  This locale was within Austria's pre-war frontiers and an important town in the Val Sugana.  To be continued... GWS, 3/02

Orders of Battle:  Eastern Front, August 1916 Following the Brussilov Offensive and Roumania's declaration of war against the Empire III. Armee, Generaloberst Kövess von Kövesshaza      VIII. Korps, Feldz. von Benigni           LIX. inf. div., Genmj. Kroupa           XLIV. Schützen div., Feldmlt. Nemeczek      I. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. von Kirchbach auf Lauterbach           XXX. inf. div., Genmj. Jesser           XLII. Honved inf. div., Feldmlt. Snjaric           LI. Honved inf. div., Genmj. Foglar      Hadfy Group, Feldmlt. von Hadfy           XXI. Schützen div., Genmj. Podhajsky           V. Honved kav. div., Feldmlt. von Apor      Deutsch Kräwel (Deutsch) Group, Genlt. von Kräwel           VI. K.u.K. kav. div., Genmj. von Schwer           CXIX. Deutsch div., Genmj. von Behr           CV. Deutsch div., Genlt. von Kraewe      K.u.K. Group, Genmj. Leide      Reserve:  V. inf. div., Genmj. von Felix A fresh counteroffensive was set for two weeks later than the counteroffensive in the north; that is, in the third week of August.  It was made by fresh reinforcements in the Südarmee, and the Austrian III. Army had arrived in the east from the Tirol.  By the end of August, Lechitski was forced to cede some ground.  But the earlier successes of General Lechitski against the VII. Army convinced Roumania to declare war on Austria-Hungary.  General Pflanzer-Baltin was relieved of his command and temporarily retired.  The successes of Lechitski withered soon after that.  The Germans scrambled to fight the Roumanians, allowing Kövess and his III. Army to proceed unabated against the Russian IX. Army.  All of the territory was recaptured by mid-October, and Kövess traded commands on 20 October 1916 with Karl Graf von Kirchbach auf Lauterbach, who had taken Pflanzer-Baltin’s place in the VII. Army. GWS, 9/03

Orders of Battle:  Roumanian Front, November 1916 Following the Quadruple Alliance's counteroffensive and invasion of Roumania Army Front Erzherzog Karl, Generaloberst Karl Franz Josef VII. K.u.K. Armee, Generaloberst Kövess von Kövesshaza       XI. Korps, Feldmlt. von Habermann       I. Korps, Feldz. von Scheuchensteuel       Deutsch Karpathen Korps, ?       XXV. Deutsch res. Korps, Genlt. Suren       Reserve:  Brudermann kav. Korps, Feldmlt. von Brudermann

Orders of Battle:  Eastern Front, July 1917 Immediately preceding Brussilov's second offensive (Kerensky Offensive) Army Front Erzherzog Josef, Generaloberst Erzherzog Josef VII. Armee, Generaloberst Kövess von Kövesshaza       Krauss Group, Feldmlt. von Krauss       support:  CXVII. Deutsch inf. div., Gennmj. Seydel       XI. Korps, Feldmlt. von Habermann             LI. Honved inf. div., Genmj. von Benke             LXXIV. Honved inf. div., Genmj. Grallert       Apor Group, Feldmlt. Apor             V. Honved kav. div., Feldmlt. Apor             VI. kav. div., Genmj. von Schwer       Pichler Group, Feldmlt. Pichler             XI. Honved kav. div., Genmj. von Jony             LIX. inf. div., Feldmlt. Pichler       Deutsch Karpathen Korps, Genlt. von Conta             XL. Honved inf. div., Genmj. von Nagy             I. Deutsch inf. div., Genmj. Paschen             CC. Deutsch inf. div., Genlt. Böß       XVI. K.u.K. Korps, Feldmlt. von Fabini             VIII. kav. div., Genmj. von Dokonal             XXXIV. inf. div., Genmj. von Luxardo             XXX. inf. div., Feldmlt. Jeßer

Kerensky:  "This is our Last Chance!" General Kornilov was ordered to prepare the Russian Army for yet another summer offensive.  He entrusted the task to General Brussilov, whose 1916 summer offensive had begun so spectacularly.  Tapped for the effort was the the XI. Army under General Erdelli, the VII. Army under General Belkovich, and the VIII. Army under General Kornilov.  Kövess' VII. Army was opposite Kornilov, holding the Carpathian passes.  Brussilov launched the offensive on 1 July 1917, and, as before, the successes were initially brilliant.  Kövess' centre and left flank caved before the Russian attacks, and fell back a dozen miles in the first day.  Hard fighting occurred in the passes and all along the escarpments of the mountains.  Further north, the III. Army under General Tersztyanszky folded even worse, causing Kövess to wonder whether he would be circled from the left by the advancing Russian VIII. Army.  But, like the offensive in 1916, Brussilov's endeavour soon withered as the supplies ran low and the enemy's resistance stiffened. General Hoffmann, in charge of the entire Eastern Front, quickly drew up a plan of counterattack, and this was entrusted to the German Süd Armee about 100 miles to the north.  Their success from 19 July was great enough to cause Kornilov to allow a strategic retreat.  This soon turned into a flight as Kövess poured pressure on the Russians' rearguard.  Before the month was out, the Austrian VII. Army reconquered the Bukowina for the final time (Czernowitz, entered by elements of the III. and VII. Armies, changed hands for the eleventh time in the war). GWS, 12/00

Enemy Portrait:  General Lavr Georgevich Kornilov

Kornilov was born in 1870, and fought in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905.  During WWI, he was captured by the Austrians during the siege of Przemysl and flown by them out of the fortress to a POW camp.  Kornilov managed to escape back to Russia in 1916.  After the March 1917 Revolution, he was appointed Russia's Commander-in-Chief by Kerensky.  His main task was to bring discipline to the demoralised troops.  He designed the so-called "Kerensky Offensive" (interesting to note that contemporaries called the action the "Kornilov Offensive").  Following the collapse of Russia's last effort in WWI, the whole governmental structure was on the verge of collapse. In September of 1917, he sent troops to Petrograd to force Kerensky to take his orders. Kerensky replied by dismissing Kornilov and, following refusal, had him arrested on charges of treason and conspiracy to overthrow the government.  After the bolsheviks' November Revolution, Kornilov escaped from Petrograd and joined  General Alexeev in southern Russia.  He had trouble keeping his anti-bolshevik army together, especially after the Germans seized Rostov in mid-1918 and caused the Don Cossacks to rebel against him.  The Volunteer Army of Kornilov was anti-bolshevik and anti-German, and appealed to the Entente for support.  However, there was no way for them to give aid, and therefore 1918 was a difficult year for the anti-bolshevik Whites.  Kornilov was killed in action while trying to take the town of Ekaterinodar in late summer 1918.  He was succeeded by General Denikin. GWS, 1/01

Orders of Battle:  Balkan Front, October 1918 Following the Entente's defeat of Bulgaria and invasion of Macedonia Kövess Army Group, Feldmarschal Kövess von Kövesshaza XI. Deutsch Armee, Gen. d. Inf. von Steuben       XI. K.u.K. Korps, Feldzm. von Habermann             IX. inf. div., Feldmlt. Greiner von Madonna             XXX. inf. div., Genmj. Phelps             XXXIX. Deutsch res. Korps, Genlt. von Staabs       Deutsch Alpen Korps, Genmj. von Tutschek             CCXIX. Deutsch inf. div., Genmj. von Kotsch             LIII. Deutsch gen. kom., Genlt. Limbourg             CCXVII. Deutsch inf. div., Genmj. von Gallwitz             VI. Deutsch res. div., Genmj. Dietrich       To Kövess Army Group, LIX. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Pichler             IV. kav. div., Genmj. Lubienski