Maribor in poveljstvo jugozahodne fronte med prvo svetovno vojno : doktorska disertacija

slovenian

doktorska dela

2018

Univerza v Mariboru, Filozofska fakulteta

This doctoral dissertation presents main moves of the Austro-Hungarian Command of the South West Front during its stay in Maribor. The Command was accommodated in Maribor after the Kingdom of Italy had entered into the First World War, i. e. from May 1915 until March 1916, and from March 1917 until November 1917. This dissertation on one hand presents key military and political moves of the Command, and on the other hand investigates how the presence of the Command had influenced on everyday life in Maribor. The Command was an intermediate military body between the armies on battlefields and the supreme military command. It carried out important tasks in supplying battlefields with everything that solders needed, and it was responsible for maintaining order and peace in the hinterland of the front. The Command with its seat in Maribor carried out a wide range of operations on an area that ranged from the Swiss-Italian-Austro-Hungarian border to the estuary of the Timavo River that flows into the Adriatic Sea. Taking into consideartion the battlefield together with the hinterland, it can be clearly seen that the Command with its seat in Maribor was very important military - political body of Austro-Hungary. Maribor soon became the headquarter of the most important military body which had a permanent seat in present times Slovenia back then. With the arrival of the Command of the South West Front to Maribor the life of people who lived in the city changed dramatically. According to the law, they were forced to welcome soldiers into their homes. The Command had on average 300 employees and it soon became a burden for the city population. Some of civil buildings were turned into military facilities. The Scherbaum Villa near the city park became the seat of the Command, the building of today's First High School Maribor accommodated officials of the Command, while the officers of the command were daily dining in the Pivovarna Götz Hall (today's Union Hall). The Command also rented many other buildings in the city. Thus, the city centre of Maribor was full with military buildings in which employees worked and the city's image was entirely changed. This way, the Command of the South West Front strongly influenced the daily life of many citizens, and at the same time, it was an important military body, which also commanded on Battles on Isonzo. The dissertation thus pays great attention to this aspect because of the great importance to Slovenes. The events along the Isonzo River are placed in the broader context of the organization of the southwestern battlefield. Special attention was given to the relationship between the 5th Army, which fought on the Isonzo Front, and the Command of the South West Front. At the same time, the attention was also given to the relationship between the Command of the South West Front and the command of the 5th Army towards Slovenian political intelligence. Archduke Evgen and Svetozar Boroevic are presented as key military commanders on the Southwestern battlefield and the Isonzo Front.

08.08.2023