Back to the Austrian Commanders page

Josef Freiherr Roth von Limanowa-Lapanów

Josef Roth was born on 21 October 1859 in Triest.  The following timeline summarizes Roth's military career: 1879 Promoted to Leutnant 1879 Soldiers’ Office of Feldjägerbattailon No. 21 until 1886 1884 Promoted to Oberleutnant 1886 Part of the General Staff until 1900 1889 Promoted to Hauptmann, 1st Class 1895 Promoted to Major 1898 Promoted to Oberstleutnant 1900 Soldiers’ Office for the Infantry Regiment No. 76 until 1901 1901 Promoted to Oberst 1901 Part of the General Staff until 1908 1908 Commanded Infantry Brigade No. 94 1908 Promoted to Generalmajor 1908 Commanded 98. Infantry Brigade No. 98 until 1910 1910 Commanded the M. Theresa Military Academy in Wr. Neustadt until 1914 1912 Promoted to Feldmarschalleutnant 1914 Commanded 3. Infantry Division until 1915 1915 Commanded XIV. Corps until 1916 1915 Promoted to General der Infanterie 1916 Commanded the Tirol Defense Force until 1917 1917 Commanded XX. Corps 1918 Promoted to Generaloberst FML Roth started the war in command of the 2. Infantry Division.  This was surrendered to GM Ernst Horsetzky Edler von Hornthal in October 1914.  In that month, Roth was appointed to replace the Archduke Josef Ferdinand as commander of the XIV. Corps, after the latter had been dispatched to command the IV. Army.  General Josef von Roth played a key role in turning the Russian tide at the battle of Limanowa on 8 December 1914.  For this, he was conferred the honourable predicate of Limanowa by Kaiser Franz Josef. Roth dutifully served in this capacity until March 1916, when the whole force was disbanded.  Almost a year later, the XIV. (Edelweiss) Corps was completely rebuilt under the tutelage of GdK Alois Fürst von Schönburg-Hartenstein. In July 1916, GdI Roth organised his own Korps Roth, which he led until Janury 1917.  He took control of Defense Command Tirol on 14 March 1916, replacing General Dankl, who took command of of the newly formed XI. Army.  The Defense Command Tirol was disbanded on 28 July 1916, and its sector was taken over by the XI. Army.  At the time of the formation of a new XIV. Corps in January 1917, GdI Roth redesignated his force as the new XX. Corps, and led them until February 1918.  Then, he surrendered its leadership to GdI Franz Kalser Edler von Maasfeld. Josef Freiherr Roth von Limanowa-Lapanów died on 9 April 1927. GWS, 10/01 [rev. 2/05]

Orders of Battle:  Volhynian Front, August 1914 Immediately preceding the Austrian invasion of Poland III. Armee, General der Kavallerie Rudolf Ritter von Brudermann      XIV. Korps, Gen. der Infanterie Erzherzog Josef Ferdinand           III. inf. div., Feldmarschalleutnant. Roth

Orders of Battle:  Polish Front, January 1915 Immediately preceding the Battles for the Carpathians IV. Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Erzherzog Josef Ferdinand      XIV. Korps, Feldmlt. Roth           III. inf. div., Feldmlt. Horsetzky           VIII. inf. div., Feldmlt. Fabini           Deutsch XLVII. res. div., Genlt. von Besser Roth’s XIV. Corps did invaluable work by guarding the approaches from Tarnów, regarded as the key to Krakau.  Though the Russian IX. Corps succeeded in crossing the Biala River (which meets the Dunajec at Tarnów) in early February, Roth did not shy from responding with bitter attacks of his own.  He lent two divisions to GdI Arz in late February, and by this was Arz able to capture Gorlice, 40 km south of Tarnów.  Positions were unchanged through March, but in April, the Germans began to arrive, and great preparations were being made for an offensive against the entire Russian army, particularly in Roth’s sector.  Gallwitz Corps was already assembling in the rear, and would work with the XIV. Corps once the great guns opened the offensive. [rev. 5/04] Orders of Battle:  Eastern Front, May 1915 Immediately preceding the Dunajec offensive IV. Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Erzherzog Josef Ferdinand    XIV. Korps, Feldmlt. Roth    Chief of Staff, Oberst Göttlicher        Gruppe Oberst Morgenstern        8. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Fabini                    96. inf. brig., Genmj. Ritt. v. Rziha                    8. field art. brig., Oberst Petersilka        3. inf. div., Feldmlt. Edl. v. Horsetzky                     5. inf. brig., Genmj. Richard Müller                     15. inf. brig., Oberst Gustav Fischer                     3. field art. brig., Feldmlt. Edl. v. Sellner       Reinforcements:                        31. inf. brig., Genmj. v. Szende                        11. Honvéd kav. div., Feldmlt. Gf. Bissingen

Orders of Battle:  Volhynian Front, September 1915 Immediately following the summer offensive against Russia IV. Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Erzherzog Josef Ferdinand      XIV. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Roth           II. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Sellner           III. inf. div., Feldmlt. Horsetzky           XXI. Schützen div., Genmj. Podhajsky

Orders of Battle:  Tirol Front, October 1915 Immediately following the Italian invasion of Austria Rayon III, Südtirol/Trentino:      IX. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Roth

Orders of Battle:  Tirol Front, May 1916 Immediately preceding the Offensive against Italy Army Group Archduke Eugen, GO Archduke Eugen      Chief of Staff, Feldmlt. Alfred Krauss Landesverteidigungskommando in Tirol (Tirol Defense), Gen. d. Inf. Roth      Rayon I (Stilfserjoch), Obst. Fhr. v. Lempruch      Rayon II (Tonale), Genmj. Edler v. Steinhart      Rayon III (Südtirol), Feldmlt v. Können-Horák      Rayon IV, 90 Inf. Div., Feldmlt. Edler v. Scholz      Rayon V (Pustertal), Feldmlt. L. Goiginger

Orders of Battle:  Tirol Front, August 1916 Immediately following Roumania's declaration of war on Austria-Hungary XI. Army, Generaloberst Rohr      Rayon III:  Feldmlt. von Können-Korak      Roth Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Roth

Oskar Bruch's official lithograph of General Roth, 1915