Franz Rohr von Denta

Franz Rohr von Denta

Place of birth: Arad, Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire
Place of death: Vienna, Austria
Allegiance: Austrian Empire Austria-Hungary
Service/branch: Army
Years of service: 1876 - 1918
Rank: Field Marshal
Commands held: 1st Army 10th Army Army Group Rohr
Battles/wars: Isonzo Tirol Offensive Kerensky Offensive

Franz Rohr von Denta (30 October 1854 - 9 December 1927) was an Austro-Hungarian Field Marshal and field commander who served as the last commander of the Austro-Hungarian first army.

Early life

Born in Arad, Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire (modern-day Romania), in 1854 as Franz Denta, son of a non-commissioned officer, he became a lieutenant in the 3 Galizisches Uhlanen-Regiment Erzherzog Carl in 1876 on graduating from the Theresan Military Academy in Wiener-Neustadt. Having attaining the rank of Colonel he was appointed Chief of Staff to II Corps in September 1897, a position in which he served until April 1901. By 1903 Denta was officer commanding the 73 Landwehr-brigade at Pressburg/Pozsony (modern day Bratislava) and in 1909 he was made General Inspector of military educational establishments. In 1911 he was further promoted to the rank of General der Kavallerie and appointed commander of the Hungarian Landwehr (Honved) in 1913.

War career

Responsible for the task of defending the southwestern frontier and historic heartlands of the Empire following the Itialian declaration of war on May 23, 1915, he was appointed commander of Armeegruppe Rohr on May 27, and took charge of all troops in from Graz to Innsbruck.

Having overseen the successful defense of the Corinthian frontier, Rohr was promoted to the rank of Generaloberst on January 1, 1916 and made commander of the new 10th army following the dissolution of his army-group in anticipation of the Tyrol Offensive. With the halting of all offensive operations on the Italian front by the Imperial army in the face of the Brusilov Offensive, the Tyrol effort was prematurely brought to an end and Rohr was switched to take charge of the 11th army, also in the Trento district in June 1916.

In February 1917, and with the promotion of General Arz von Straussenberg to the position of Chief of the General Staff, Rohr took charge of the 1st Army and for the first time served as a commander on the Eastern Front

On April 14, 1917 Rohr was raised to the nobility taking the rank of Baron and the title Rohr von Denta.

Promoted to the position of Field Marshal on January 30, 1918, Rohr continued in command of the 1st army until its disbandment following peace with Romania on April 15, 1918.

Retirement

Retiring from command at the war’s end, Rohr was nevertheless appointed Field Marshal in the army of the newly separated Hungary. Freiherr Rohr von Denta died in the village of Rodaun, near Vienna, on 9 December 1927.

Honours & Decorations

Military Service Cross 1st Class
Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold
Knights' Cross 1st Class of the Order of the Iron Crown
Captain of the Hungarian Trabantenleibgarde (Life Guards)

Selected Service Record

1876 Leutnant (3.Galizisches Uhlanen-Regiment Erzherzog Carl)
1896 Colonel (General Staff)
1903 Major general (73.Landwehr-IBrig. at PrexŸburg)
1909 General Inspector of military educational establishments
1911 General der Kavallerie
1918 Feldmarschall

Sources

Italian Campaign (World War I)
Eastern Front (World War I)

More aircraft.

Source: WikiPedia