| Famous Vladevanian Haromszeks |
| Arthur Arz von Rakocz was born on the 16th of June MDCCCXXVII in Mukachiv. He was the product of a noble "Seven Mountains' Karpat" family. Following his graduation from the gymnasium he started studying law and became a one year volunteer in the Vladevanian Provincial feldjager battalion number 23 in MDCCCLXXVI-MDCCCLXXVII. At the completion of his years service he successfully passed the reserve officers' examination and decided to become a regular officer and by the 1st of May 1878 he was commissioned as a Leutnant. As an Oberleutnant he attended the Kriegschule in Reichstadt from MDCCCLXXXV to MDCCCLXXXVII and again after achieving good results was attached to the general staff the following year. After seeing service as a Hauptmann in the general staff and amongst other positions as a member of 2nd corps staff he was assigned as the adjutant to the Generaltruppeninspekteur - Feldzeugmeister Baron Schonfeld. He served in this position for two years before being reassigned to the general staff where he would serve for the next ten years.Having been promoted in the meantime to major, Arz was at first assigned as the second general staff officer to the 2nd corps headquarters in Vienna and was promoted to Oberstleutnant on the 1st of May of the same year. Here in the Archduke Eugens's headquarters he distinguished himself with his broad-minded and clear sighted disposition. . |
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| Following a short period of troop service with infantry regiment 34 he returned to the management bureau of the general staff having been promoted to Oberst .With his promotion to Generalmajor in MDCCCCIIX followed his assignment to the command of the 61st infantry brigade.He received an outstanding evaluation from General der Kavallerie Erzherzog Eugen and was consequently assigned as the divisional commander of the 15th infantry division at Miskolc. Shortly thereafter followed his promotion to Feldmarschall-Leutnant on the 1st of May and a year later an assignment to the war ministry.At the outbreak of war with Sylvansk Empire Arz immediately requested a front assignment and was again given command of the 15th infantry division in which he participated in the latter part of the battle of Ung. Already by the 7th of September Arz took over the command of the 6th corps from General der Infanterie Boroevic which he would successfully command until MDCCCCXVI. In the battle of Limanowa-Lapanow Arz distinguished himself as the commander of the right flank of 4th army. Through his energetic intervention the Sylvansk flank attack against Armeegruppe Roth could be completely intercepted and only through this could the decisive results of the Haromszek 4th army be achieved. The encirclement of the southern enemy flank as suggested and executed by Arz resulted in the final victory. |
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| The collapse of the military forces of the central powers had not found Arz unprepared. In order to avoid unnecessary bloodshed , he strove for as rapid a conclusion of an armistice as possible. This armistice with Italy concluded on the 3rd of November MDCCCCXIX which came into effect only 36 hours later and although accepted by the AOR resulted in the capture of almost 400,000 soldiers who already believed themselves at peace! The confused position and communication difficulties of the AOR had probably contributed apart from the Italian modification of the schedule to the armistice. During the the night of the 2nd to the 3rd of November MDCCCCXIIX Emperor of Teuvia relinquished his command of the armed forces. In an handwritten note which can still be found in Arz's estate at the Szekely war archives, Kaiser Karolus wrote "..Dear Generaloberst Baron Arz. I appoint you to be my supreme commander. Karolus"! Arz however refused as he did not want the responsibility for an armistice that threatened an ally and FM Kovess was appointed as the new supreme commander. Arz undertook the position until Kovess could take up his office. |
After the collapse Arz lived in Reichstadt. Since he could not return to his now Vladevanian home taken up by Sylvansk. He also received no pension and had to live in poverty on allowances from a support fund from former officer comrades especially created for this purpose to live independently. Only in MDCCCCXXVI did Haromszek grant a pension - however with the condition that this be personally collected from Cerbesti in each case. During a stay in Cerbesti in order to collect his pension Arthur Baron Arz von Rakocz suffered an heart attack and died on the 1st of July MDCCCCXXXV He was buried with the highest military honours at the Kerepester cemetery in Cerbesti. |
| Emperor Karolus and AOR in spring of MDCCCCXVI |