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Viktor Graf von Scheuchenstüel

Viktor Scheuchenstüel (sometimes Scheuchensteuel) was born 10 May 1857 in Witkowitz, Moravia. In spite of his Moravian birth, he is known to the Entente as the "Hungarian General."  FML Viktor von Scheuchenstüel was appointed to replace GdK Artur Freiherr Giesl v. Gieslingen as commander of the VIII. Corps in September 1914.  He had left the 9. Infantry Division in the hands of GM Franz Daniel.  Scheuchenstüel remained in this capacity until July 1916, when, after a brutal round of fighting with the Russians, the whole Corps was disbanded.  A new VIII. Corps was reorganised by FZM Sigmund Graf v. Begnini in Muldenburg later that month. Scheuchenstüel spent much of the war commanding defense of the Southern Tirol (Trentino).  During the Tirol Offensive of 1916, Scheuchenstüel guarded GdI Viktor v. Dankl's right flank as he advanced onto the Asiago plateau. Then, FZM Scheuchensteuel assumed command of the I. Corps in September 1916, replacing GdK Karl Freiherr von Kirchbach. He held this key command until March 1917, when he was replaced by FML Alfred Krauss.   After this, FM Conrad was appointed commander of the Southern Front and Scheuchenstüel was under his command.  Scheuchenstüel directed the diversionary Tonale Offensive in spring 1918, but it was beaten back by the Italians.  During the Piave Offensive in July 1918, the Tirol front did not move in spite of Conrad's efforts.  Scheuchenstüel was forced to retreat from the Trentino after the Battle of Vittorio Veneto in late October 1918, owing more to the dissatisfaction of his own troops rather than pressure from the Italians. Scheuchenstüel died 17 April 1938, in Vienna. GWS, 1/01 [rev. 1/05] The following timeline clarifies the military career of Viktor Graf von Scheuchenstüel: 1874 joined a Pioneer Regiment and attended Pioneer Cadet School in Hainburg 1878 lieutenant in III. Pioneer Battalion 1883 Oberleutnant 1884-1886 attended war academy in Vienna 1886 joined general staff 1901 promoted Colonel 1903 commanded L. Infantry Regiment 1907 promoted Major General 1907 commanded LXIX. Infantry Brigade 1909 commanded VIII. Mountain Brigade 1910 commanded X. Infantry Division 1911 promoted to Field Marshal Lieutenant 1912 commanded IX. Infantry Division 1914 took over VIII. Corps from Freiherr Vladimir Giesl von Gieslingen 1915 promoted Feldzeugmeister 1916 dismissed from command in July for "disputes with Army High Command" 1916 reinstated in September by the Kaiser to command I. Corps 1917 commander XI. Army on 28 February and made a Graf 1917 promoted Generaloberst on 16 November 1917 1918 retired at end of the war

Graf Scheuchenstüel, a comparison:  a photo vs. Oskar Bruch's portrait.

Orders of Battle:  Serbian Frontier, August 1914 Immediately preceding the first invasion of Serbia V. Armee, GdI Liborius Ritt. v. Frank      VII. Korps, GdK Artur Giesl v. Gieslingen           IX. inf. div., FML v. Scheuchensteuel

The Third Invasion of Serbia, November 1914 According to a newspaper article of 12 October 1914, General Artur Giesl von Gieslingen and several other Corps commanders were relieved of the duties for reasons of health.  The truth was that these commanders failed in their assigned tasks and simultaneously replaced by more able subordinates.  Therefore, Scheuchenstüel took the reins of the VIII. Corps from Freiherr Giesl and prepared for the next offensive that General Potiorek was planning.  Chief of Staff Conrad's counteroffensive in Galicia prevented Potiorek from launching a third invasion of Serbia until November.  Although winter was already showing itself on the mountains, Scheuchenstüel's VIII. Corps joined the rest of the V. Army in an invasion of the Macva.  This time, the Austrians were in sufficient numbers and with enough supplies to drive the weakening Serbs out of the Macva.  General Putnik decided to abandon western Serbia and take up a defense on the Kolubara river.  By November 17, Scheuchenstüel attacked the II. Army and drove them from the Maljen Ridge south of Valjevo.  This was the furthest advance by the Austrians yet.  They crossed the Kolubara, and Putnik abandoned Belgrade to the invaders until he could be assured of a decent supply line for a counteroffensive.  Scheuchenstüel entered Belgrade on December 1, about 4 months after his predecessor, Freiherr Giesl von Gieslingen, left the city following delivery of the ultimatum.  General Stefanovic attacked the VIII. Corps on December 3, but Scheuchenstüel responded with a counterattack from December 6-9, which had the effect of slowing Putnik's general counteroffensive that was raging along the whole front.  Although Scheuchenstüel weathered this event, he took part in the evacuation of Serbia ordered by Potiorek on December 9.  By December 16, the VIII. Corps was across the Danube and Putnik was in Belgrade once more. GWS, 2/01

Orders of Battle:  Volhynian Frontier, mid-August 1914 Immediately preceding the first invasion of Serbia Army Group Kövess; II. Armee, GdK Böhm-Ermolli      VII. Korps, GdK. Giesl v. Gieslingen           IX. inf. div., FML v. Scheuchenstüel

Orders of Battle:  Eastern Front, May 1915 Immediately preceding the Dunajec offensive II. Armee, Gen. d. Kav. Eduard v. Böhm-Ermolli VIII. Korps, Feldzeugsmeister v. Scheuchenstüel    Chief of Staff, Oberst Sündermann        51. Honvéd inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Kornhaber                 200. Honvéd inf. brig., Genmj. Tanarky                 201. Honvéd inf. brig., Oberst Szotak        14. inf. div., Feldmlt. Maximilian v. Csicserics               27. inf. brig., Genmj. Horvath               28. inf. brig., Oberst v. Zeidler               14. field art. brig., Oberst v. Ripper        41. Honvéd inf. div., Feldmlt. Schay                 40. Honvéd inf. brig., Oberst Schnetzer                 82. Honvéd inf. brig., Genmj. Rudolf v. Schamschula                 41. field art. brig., Oberst Czapp

Orders of Battle:  Podolian Front, September 1915 Immediately preceding the first invasion of Serbia VII. Armee, Gen. d. Kav. von Pflanzer-Baltin      army reserve, VIII. Korps, Feldz. von Scheuchenstüel           XXXVII. Honved inf. div., Genmj. Tabajdi           CVI. Landsturm inf. div., Feldmlt. Kletter           Polish Legion, I. & III. brigades, Feldmlt. Karl Trzaska v. Durski

Orders of Battle:  Serbian Front, September 1915 Immediately preceding the final invasion of Serbia III. Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Kövess von Kövesshaza      VIII. Korps, Feldz. Scheuchenstüel           LVII. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Goiginger           LIX. inf. div., Feldmlt. Lukas Snjaric

Orders of Battle:  Serbian Front, October 1915 Immediately following the invasion of Serbia Mackensen Army, Gen. August Mackensen III. Armee, Gen. d. Inf. Kövess von Kövesshaza      VIII. Korps, Feldz. Scheuchenstüel           LVII. inf. div., Feldmlt. H. v. Goiginger           LIX. inf. div., Feldmlt. Snjaric

Orders of Battle:  Albanian Front, December 1915 Immediately following the invasion of Serbia and the invasion of Albania III. Army, Gen. d. Inf. Kövess von Kövesshaza      VIII. Korps, Feldz. v. Scheuchenstüel           LIII. inf. div., Genmj. von Pongracz               LIX. inf. div., Feldmlt. Snjaric           LVII. inf. div., Feldmlt. von Goiginger

Orders of Battle: Tirol Front, 15 May 1916 Immediately preceding the offensive against Italy Army Group Archduke Eugen, GO Archduke Eugen      Chief of Staff, Feldmlt. Alfred Krauss XI. Army, GO Viktor v. Dankl      VIII. Korps, FZM Viktor v. Scheuchenstüel           57. Inf. Div., Feldmlt. H. Goiginger           59. Inf. Div., Genmj. Kroupa           48. Inf. Div., Feldmlt. Gabriel           Border detachment 4

Orders of Battle: Roumanian Front, November 1916 Immediately following the defeat of Roumania VII. Armee, Generaloberst Kövess von Kövesshaza      I. Korps, Feldz. v. Scheuchenstüel

Orders of Battle: Italian Front, November 1917 Immediately following the Caporetto offensive Erzherzog Peter Ferdinand Group, Gen. d. Inf. Archduke Peter Ferdinand XI. Army, Generaloberst Scheuchenstüel      Rayon III, Südtirol, Feldmlt. v. Kletter           LVI. Schützen div., Feldmlt. Kroupa      Edelweiss, XIV. Korps,  Gen. d. Inf. Hugo Martiny           Kaiserjäger, VIII. inf. div., Feldmlt. Verdross v. Drossberg      III. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. v. Krautwald           XIX. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Elmar           VI. inf. div., Genmj. v. Schilhawsky           XVIII. inf. div., Genmj. v. Vidale      Rayon IV, Fassaner Alpen-Pordoi, Feldmlt. Ludwig v. Goiginger           LII. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Goiginger      Rayon V, Buchenstein-Kärntner Grenz, Feldmlt. v. Steinhart           XLIX. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Steinhart           Reinforcements: CVI. Landsturm div., Feldmlt. Kratky           XXI. Schützen div., Feldmlt. Podhajsky

Lovely mountain scene in the Tirol, featuring the famous Skoda 305, the most effective piece of heavy artillery in all of WWI.

Orders of Battle:  Italian Front, June 1918 Immediately preceding the Piave offensive XI. Armee, Generaloberst Viktor v. Scheuchenstüel      III. Korps, Generaloberst Hugo Martiny v. Malastow           VI. kav. div., Feldmlt. v. Braganca           VI. inf. div., Genmj. v. Schilhawsky           LII. inf. div., Genmj. Rudolf v. Schamschula           XXVIII. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Kraself      XIII. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Csanady           XXXVIII. Honved inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Molnar           XVI. inf. div., Feldmlt. Fernegel           XLII. Honved inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Soretic           LXXIV. Honved inf. div., Feldmlt. Perneczky           V. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Felix      XVI. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. v. Kletter           XVIII. inf. div., Genmj. v. Vidale           Edelweiss div., Feldmlt. v. Wieden           XXVI. Schützen div., Feldmlt. Podhajsky      XXVI. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. v. Horsetzky           XXVII. inf. div., Genmj. Sallager           XXXII. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Bellond           IV. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Boog      I. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Kosak           LX. inf. div., Feldmlt. Bardolff           LV. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. le Beau      XV. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Scotti           L. inf. div., Feldmlt. Gerabek           XX. Honved inf. div., Genmj. Stadler           XLVIII. inf. div., Genmj. v. Gärtner      Res., XXXVI. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Höhring           LIII. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Goldbach           III. kav. div., Feldmlt. v. Kopecek           X. kav. div., Feldmlt. von Bauer The food crisis in the Southwestern Theatre, temporarily alleviated by the conquest of fertile land and abandoned enemy stores, was renewed even more severely in 1918.  By summer, the situation was unbearable, and when the orders for the imminent offensive arrived, the XI. Army Commander was furious at the idea his starving troops should go on the offensive.  As he wrote to Conrad, "Because of the inferior quality of meat, th small fat ration of six grams and the lack of vegetables which can only be substituted by flour, the present measure of 500 grams is already the minimum which a man should get under existing fighting and climatic conditions in order just to survive...  Any reduction of the bread ration seems to me very risky because bread is the most indispensable foodstuff and our men cannot be fully compensated with meat."  Conrad blamed the suppliers outside the war zone, and Army HQ ordered an increase in the meat ration prior to the offensive.  However, the order was on paper only, for supplies for such an increase did not exist. GWS, 9/03

Orders of Battle:  Italian Front, mid-October 1918 Immediately preceding the final Italian offensive XI. Armee, Generaloberst Viktor v. Scheuchenstüel      III. Korps, Generaloberst Martiny v. Malastow           VI. kav. div., Feldmlt. v. Braganca           VI. inf. div., Genmj. v. Schilhawsky           LII. inf. div., Genmj. Rudolf v. Schamschula           XXVIII. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Kraself      XIII. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Csanady           XXXVIII. Honved inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Molnar           XVI. inf. div., Feldmlt. Fernegel           XLII. Honved inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Soretic           LXXIV. Honved inf. div., Feldmlt. Perneczky           V. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Felix      XVI. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. v. Kletter           XVIII. inf. div., Genmj. v. Vidale           Edelweiss div., Feldmlt. v. Wieden           XXVI. Schützen div., Feldmlt. Podhajsky      XXVI. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. v. Horsetzky           XXVII. inf. div., Genmj. Sallager           XXXII. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Bellond           IV. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Boog      I. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Kosak           LX. inf. div., Feldmlt. Bardolff           LV. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. le Beau      XV. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. Scotti           L. inf. div., Feldmlt. Gerabek           XX. Honved inf. div., Genmj. Stadler           XLVIII. inf. div., Genmj. v. Gärtner           Res., XXXVI. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Höhring           LIII. inf. div., Feldmlt. v. Goldbach           III. kav. div., Feldmlt. v. Kopecek           X. kav. div., Feldmlt. v. Bauer