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Lukas Snjaric

Lukas Snjaric Started the war ranked Generalmajor, and in charge of his own brigade in Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Very quickly he gained a fearsome reputation for cold-blooded cruelty in the first offensive against Serbia.  The brigade, being a supporting force, had little cohesion and much disorder, and Snjaric's inability to enforce order among his men was evident quite early.  He was promoted to Feldmarschalleutnant on 15 November 1914, and was in command of the 59. Inf. Div. during the 1915 offensive against Russia. Then, he was orderd to command the 42. Honvéd Inf. Division in time for the Great Russian summer offensive in June 1916.  The 42. Honvéd Division was known as "the Devil's Division" because of its historically fierce fighting prowess, and the Croatians were allowed to title it their "Domobranstvo" or home-guard division. Snjaric's predecessor's in this division included Generals Josef Salis-Seewis and Stefan Sarkotic. The Russian offensive saw Snjaric's division fold and collapse into total disorder for the first time in its otherwise shining history. Mass desertions in the face of the Russian onslaught in the Bukovina compelled Snjaric to retreat in despair with but few of his men.  The 42. Honvéd was refitted with reserves in the process. Snjaric was promoted to General der Infanterie on 1 May 1918.  In October 1918, he was given command of the military district of Agram, which covered all Croatia-Slavonia.  Order fell to pieces under his leadership as the towns filled with Croatian deserters, in spite of his hard-handed policing techniques.  Snjaric yielded control to the Jugo-Slav council in Agram on 1 November 1918. GWS, 6/04 [rev. 5/05]

Orders of Battle:  Serbian Front, Mid-September 1914 Immediately following the Second invasion of Serbia Southern Front, FZM Oskar Potiorek, Commander 6. Armee, General Potiorek       XVI. Korps, FZM Wenzel v. Wurm             1. inf. div., FML Stefan Bogat v. Kostanjevic                     9 geb. brig., Obst Josef Hrozny                     5. geb. brig., Obst Maximilian Nöhring                     4. geb. brig., GM Theodor Konopicky                     7. geb. brig., GM Otto Sertic                     6. geb. brig., GM Heinrich Goiginger              support, brig. Snjaric, GM Lukas Snjaric Snjaric’s brigade spent three weeks in September 1914 preparing lines of trenches southeast of the Boranja ranges.  After the fourth week of September, FZM Potiorek gave the order for the withdrawal of the XV. and XVI. Corps to this new line, which skirted dozens of hills closer to the Drina and the supply lines in Bosnia. GWS, 9/04 Orders of Battle: Balkan Front, June 1915 Guarding the frontier with Serbia Army Group Tersztyánszky, GdK v. Tersztyánszky     Chief of Staff, Obst Adalbert v. Dani        59. inf. div., FML Snjaric                 9. mtn. brig., GM Edl. v. Hrozny                 18. mtn. brig., GM Skvor Orders of Battle:  Balkan Front, September 1915 Immediately preceding the invasion of Serbia 3. Armee, GdI Kövess v. Kövesshaza        VIII. Korps, FZM Scheuchensteuel               57. inf. div., FML v. Goiginger               59. inf. div., FML Snjaric Orders of Battle:  Balkan Front, October 1915 Immediately following the invasion of Serbia Mackensen Army, GdK August Mackensen 3. Armee, GdI Kövess v. Kövesshaza        VIII. Korps, FZM Scheuchenstuel               57. inf. div., FML v. Goiginger               59. inf. div., FML Snjaric Orders of Battle:  Balkan-Albanian Front, January 1916 Immediately following the conquest of Montenegro 3. Armee, GdI Kövess v. Kövesshaza       VIII. Korps, FZM Scheuchenstuel               53. inf. div., GM v. Pongracz               59. inf. div., FML Snjaric               57. inf. div., FML v. Goiginger Orders of Battle:  Eastern Front, June 1916 Immediately preceding the Russians' Lutsk Offensive 7. Armee, Generaloberst Pflanzer-Baltin    Chief of Staff, Oberst Ritt. v. Zeynek        Czibulka Group, FZM Ritter v. Czibulka          Chief of Staff, Obstlt. Max Frh. v. Pitreich                42. Honvéd inf. div., FML Snjaric                        83. Honvéd inf. brig., GM Bekic                         84. Honvéd inf. brig., GM v. Petkovic                         42. field art. brig., Oberst Scholz Orders of Battle:  Eastern Front, July 1916 Immediately following the Russian offensive 7. Armee, GO v. Pflanzer-Baltin        Hadfy Group, FML Hadfy               30. inf. div., GM Jesser               5. Honvéd kav. div., FML v. Apor               42. Honvéd inf. div., FML Snjaric               21. Schützen div., GM Podhajsky Orders of Battle:  Eastern Front, August 1916 Immediately preceding Roumania's declaration of war Army Group Erzherzog Karl, FML Erzherzog Karl Franz Josef 3. Armee, Generaloberst Kövess v. Kövesshaza        I. Korps, GdK v. Kirchbach               30. inf. div., GM Jesser               42. Honvéd inf. div., FML Snjaric               51. Honvéd inf. div., GM Foglar Roumanian and Eastern Front, November 1916 Immediately following the conquest of Roumania Southern Front, Prinz Leopold v. Bayern Böhm-Ermolli Army Group, GO v. Böhm-Ermolli       3. Armee, GO v. Kirchbach              XIII. Korps, FML v. Csicserics                    42. Honvéd inf. div., FML Snjaric                    36. inf. div., GM Nöhring Roumanian and Eastern Front, March 1917 Immediately following the March Russian revolution 3. Armee, GO  v. Tersztyanszky   Chief of Staff, Obst Frh. v. Salis-Samaden            42. Honvéd Inf. Div.,  FML Snjaric                   83. Honvéd Inf. Brig.,  Obst Minnich                   84. Honvéd Inf. Brig, Obst v. Novakovic                   42. Honvéd Feld Art. Brig., Obst Scholz