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Blasius Schemua

Blasius Schemua was born on 2 January 1856, at Klagenfurt in Carinthia. General Franz Conrad was dismissed as Chief of the General Staff in 1911 after a final disagreement with Kaiser Franz Josef over a possible war with Italy.  He was replaced by Blasius Schemua, but only for a short period.  The onset of the Balkan Wars in late 1912 caused the Kaiser to reappoint Conrad at Archduke Franz Ferdinand's insistence.  J.H. Verdun's timeline summarizes his military career: 1874 graduated from Maria Theresa Military Academy, lieutenant in 7 Inf Regiment 1879-1881 member of Austrian mission to Persia (duties not explained) 1882-1884 at Franz Josef Military Academy in Vienna 1887 captain at the General Staff 1894-1897 taught at Maria Theresa Military Academy (courses not specified) 1898 colonel 1902 Cdr 66 Inf regiment 1905 major general, Cdr LV. Inf Brigade 1908 Cdr XVIII. Inf Div 1910 Section Chief at War Ministry (doesn't say which section) 1911-1912 replaced Conrad as Chief of Staff briefly 1912 FML, Cdr XVI. Corps in Ragusa 1914 Cdr II. Corps March 1915 "pensioned" FML Blasius Schemua went from chief of the general staff down to commander of the XVI. Corps in December 1912, replacing GdI Lothar Edler von Hortstein. Schemua fulfilled his duty and remained in command of this Corps until February 1914, when he was succeeded by FML Wenzel Wurm. FZM Schemua replaced GdI Alfred Ritter von Ziegler as commander of the II. Corps in April 1914, but he held this position only until September of that year.  He was replaced by FML Johann Freiherr von Kirchbach. Blasius Schemua died on 21 November 1920 in Klagenfurt. GWS, 11/01 [rev. 11/04]

Orders of Battle:  Polish Front, August 1914 IV. Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Moritz Ritter von Auffenberg II. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Schemua   IV. inf. div., Feldmlt. Stöger-Steiner von Steinstätten   XXV. inf. div., Feldmlt. Erzherzog Peter Ferdinand   XIII. Schützen div., Feldmlt. von Kreysa