FML Czibulka started the war as commander of the 36. Infantry Division, which he held for a year before handing it over to FML Franz Ritter Schreitter von Schwarzenfeld. In January 1915, FML Czibulka was given the opportunity to organise his own Corps, and he led this force until August. In that month, Czibulka Corps was redesignated the new XVIII. Corps, to replace the one that had been disbanded earlier in the month by GM Rudolf Ritter von Willerding. Czibulka was the long-time commander of the XVIII. Army Corps, which he inherited from GdI Alfred v. Ziegler in spring 1915. See below for battle narratives for the Lutsk Offensive, Russian General Alexei Brussilov's masterpiece of war that surprised the world in the summer of 1916. After coping with this disaster, he led the Corps all the way to March 1918, when he surrendered command to FML Ferdinand Kosak.
GWS, 4/01 [rev. 10/04]
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V. Armee, General der Infanterie L. Ritter von Frank
XIII. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. von Rhemen zu Bärensfeld
36. inf. div., Feldmlt. Czibulka
Orders of Battle: Polish Front, January 1915
Deutsch Südost-armee, Gen. d. Inf. von Linsingen
Pflanzer-Baltin Army Group, Gen. d. Kav. von Pflanzer-Baltin
XIII. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. von Rhemen
36. inf. div., Feldmlt. Czibulka
Orders of Battle: Polish Front, Febuary 1915
Amidst the Battles for the Carpathians
Pflanzer-Baltin Army Group, Frh. v. Pflanzer-Baltin
Korps Czibulka, Feldmlt. v. Czibulka
36. inf. div., Feldmlt. Ritt. v. Schreiter
15. inf. div., Feldmlt. Ritt. v. Benigni
Lilienhoff Brig.
Once Army Group Pflanzer-Baltin was reinforced by Czibulka Corps and the XIII. Corps of GdI Rhemen, the Russian Dniester Group retreated from their advanced positions in northeastern Hungary and the Bukovina. Czibulka’s divisions in particular recaptured the snowy passes leading toward Kimpolung in the Bukovina. However, the Dniester Group was reinforced by the powerful Russian 9. Army of Gen. Lechitski at this time, and quickly counterattacked, not in the Bukovina but further west, focusing on the Polish Legion. Pflanzer-Baltin ordered the XIII. Corps to rescue the Legion, and Czibulka Corps was to guard the XIII’s right flank. This was made easier as Czibulka’s cooperation with the Papp and Lilienhoff brigades succeeed in recapturing all of the Bukovina and Czernowitz as well.
By 19 February 1915, Czibulka had shifted even further west in support of the XIII. Corps, and was now approaching Stanislau, the big city in southeastern Galicia. A week later, and Stanislau was in Czibulka’s control, but his divisions under Benigni and Schreiter were being fiercely contested by the Russian II. Cavalry Corps and the XXX. Infantry Corps. The whole front was taken a convoluted shape, with Czibulka’s Corps in a bulge far to the north of everyone else. Gen. Lechitski forced his XI. Corps to make an attack on Rhemen’s left on 2 March, which provoked a crisis. Pflanzer ordered his two Corps backward as the Russians brought six corps against these two; Czibulka yielded Stanislau without much fighting, and the Pflanzer ordered Gen. Marschall’s Corps east of Nadworna to support Czibulka. The front remained tense but static just above Nadworna for the rest of the spring.
[rev. 4/04]
Orders of Battle: Eastern Front, May 1915
Immediately preceding the Dunajec offensive
VII. Armee, Gen. d. Kav. Frh. v. Pflanzer-Baltin
Korps Czibulka, Feldmlt. v. Czibulka
Chief of Staff, Obstlt. Hermann v. Langer
36. inf. div., Feldmlt. Ritt. v. Schreiter
13. inf. brig., Oberst Boleslav Wolf
72. inf. brig., Genmj. Edl. v. Luxardo
36. field art. brig., Oberst Joseph Edl. v. Müller
15. inf. div., Feldmlt. Ritt. v. Benigni
29. inf. brig., Oberst v. Stanoilovic
30. inf. brig., Oberst Leide
15. field art. brig., Oberst Latka
Orders of Battle: Volhynian Front, September 1915
2. Armee, Gen. d. Kav. von Böhm-Ermolli
VIII. Korps, Feldmlt. Czibulka
31. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Lütgendorf
32. inf. div., Genmj. von Willerding
1. kav. div., Genmj. de Ruiz
Orders of Battle: Volhynian Front, June 1916
1. Armee, Generaloberst von Puhallo
XVIII. Korps, Feldmlt. Czibulka
1. Landsturm brigade, FML Bandian
7. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Micewski
46. Schützen div., Genmj. von Urbanski
25. res. inf. div., Genmj. von Boog
Czibulka's XVIII. Corps was unknowingly sitting in a hotspot in early June 1916. The Corps was the sole representative of the I. Army, and the even the Corps was understrength thanks to troop requisitions for the Tirol Offensive. Part of his manpower included a less experienced reserve force. Czibulka's position was in the Dubno sector, a prime objective of General Alexei Brussilov of the Russian VIII. Army. Brussilov launched his famous offensive on 4 June and General Kaledin, commander of the Russian VIII. Army, occupied the town of Dubno on 9 June 1916 with great fanfare. Meanwhile, Czibulka had to scrape together what remained of his stunned troops following this embarrassment, as the Russian XVII. and VII. Corps pushed beyond their defensive line on the River Ivka. This slow-moving stream emptied into the Styr, the main defense of the more northerly IV. Army under the Archduke Josef Ferdinand.
[rev. 10/01]
Orders of Battle: Volhynian Front, July 1916
Army Group Linsingen, Gen. d. Inf. von Linsingen
1. Armee, Generaloberst von Puhallo
XVIII. Korps, Feldmlt. Czibulka
7. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Micewski
46. Schützen div., Genmj. von Urbanski
25. res. inf. div., Genmj. von Boog
Czibulka was still fighting a retreat a month after the Russian breakthrough. He had lost a significant portion of his forces, but these were built up with troops from the Tirol and also the timely arrival of Linsingen's forces. However, General Sakharov of the Russian XI. Army attacked Brody, on Czibulka's southern flank, resulting in a breach that caused the XVIII. Corps to fall back even further. Czibulka's defensive line as of September 1916 lay on the right side of the River Styr.
[rev. 10/01]
Orders of Battle: Volhynian Front, August 1916
2. Armee, GO von Böhm-Ermolli
XVIII. Korps, Feldmlt. Czibulka
25. inf. div., Genmj. von Boog
Orders of Battle: Moldavian Front, November 1916
2. K.u.K. Armee, Generaloberst von Böhm-Ermolli
XVIII. K.u.K. Korps, Feldmlt. Czibulka
2. Deutsch kav. div., Genmj. Guenther v. Etzel
1. Landsturm inf. div., Genmj. von Soretic
106. Landsturm inf. div., Genmj. Karl Kratky
25. inf. div., Genmj. von Boog
Orders of Battle: Volhynian Front, July 1917
2. Armee, Generaloberst von Böhm-Ermolli
XVIII. Korps, Feldmlt. Czibulka
15. Deutsch Landwehr div., Genlt. Sack
25. K.u.K. inf. div., Genmj. von Boog
