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Géza Lukachich von Somorja

Geza Lukacich was born on 29 March 1865 in Kassa, Hungary. He was a student at the Cadet School in Temesvar, and afterward joined I.R. No. 62 in 1883. Later, Lukachich moved from regiment to regiment, served briefly on the General Staff, and was teacher at the Mraria Theresa Military Academy. He also served in the Honvéd Ministry. On 20 July 1911, Lukachich was promoted to Oberst. He became the commander of I.R. No. 38 in December 1911, and remained there up to the beginning of WWI. In September 1914 he was appointed commander of the 1. Mountain Brigade. In 1915, Lukachich fought in seven of the Isonzo battles with his brigade. He was promoted to Generalmajor on 10 March 1915.  Then Lukachich was commanded to lead the 20. Landwehr Division in mid-1916.  After nine months on the Eastern Front, Lukachich was ordered back to the Isonzo Front where he successfully defended the battle-scarred heights of Monte San Gabriele. The 20. Honvéd Infantry Division, which had been previously commanded by GM Paul Edler von Nagy. Lukachich maintained his command of this force for nearly three years, surrendering it in February 1918 to GM Viktor von Mouillard.  From early 1918, he was in charge of garrisons throughout the kingdom of Hungary. His noble predicate, Somorja, was named after a Hungarian town with one of the largest prisoner of war camps in the Empire.  He was promoted to Feldmarschalleutnant on 9 March 1918.  His final months of the war were spent in an effort pacify Hungary, where deserted troops were stirring up red propaganda and anti-war sentiment.  On 1 November, revolution broke out.  Lukachich informed the Archduke Josef, then the greatest authority in Budapest, that he did not even bother to send his troops into the streets to quell the revolution, because of the unreliable nature of the men stationed there.  Geza Lukacich died in Budapest on 23 December 1943. GWS, 6/01 [rev. 6/04]

Orders of Battle:  Italian Front, late May 1915 Immediately following Italy’s declaration of war against the Empire Southwestern Front, Generaloberst Erzherzog Eugen V. Army, Gen. d. Inf. v. Boroevic        57. inf. div., Feldmlt. Heinrich Goiginger                    2. mtn. brig., Genmj. v. Lukachich                    6. mtn. brig., Oberst v. Hellebronth                    57. field art. brig., Genmj. Adolf Aust Orders of Battle:  Isonzo Front, October 1915 V. Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Boroevic von Bojna (Küstenland) VII. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. Erzherzog Josef   XX. Honved inf. div., Genmj. von Lukachich Orders of Battle:  Isonzo Front, March 1916 V. Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Boroevic von Bojna II. det., VII. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. Erzherzog Josef   XX. Honved inf. div., Genmj. von Lukachich Orders of Battle: Isonzo Front, August 1916 V. Armee, Generaloberst Boroevic von Bojna VIII. Korps, Gen. d. Kav. Erzherzog Josef   XX. Honved inf. div., Genmj. von Lukachich Orders of Battle:  Volhynian Front, July 1917 Linsingen Army Group, Gen. d. Inf. von Linsingen Buzany det., ?   XX. Honved inf. div., Genmj. von Lukachich Orders of Battle:  Isonzo Front, November 1917 Boroevic Armee Group, Generaloberst von Boroevic II. Isonzo Armee, Gen. d. Inf. von Henriquez IV. Korps, Gen. d. Kav., Fürst Schönburg-Hartenstein   XX. Honved inf. div., Genmj. von Lukachich