“My gentlemen, we’re going to manoeuvers!” Preparation of motorized troops of the Austro-Hungarian army for the war

Abstract

When motor vehicles appeared within the range of interest of the army elites, a whole array of activities aiming at introduction of those vehicles to military service commenced. The procedure itself was similar to any other army, the difference, however, consisted in its intensity. Upon initial tests and personnel trainings, the most important trial was using automobiles and motorcycles during manoeuvres. Manoeuvres were what could most thoroughly check the vehicles themselves, as well as the personnel training level and their cooperation with non-motorised units.

In the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the first automobile tests were carried out as early as late 19th century. In 1896, a passenger car was tested, while in 1898, long-standing trials of the first lorry took place. Following those initial tests, motor vehicles began to participate in manoeuvres of various level on a yearly basis. Obviously, the largest number of motor vehicles appeared on the imperial manoeuvres organised each year.

The driving force behind the motorisation of the Austro-Hungarian Army was Robert Wolf, an artillery officer transferred in 1904 to manage the newly established Automobile Department at the Military Technical Committee. On his initiative, tests of the most crucial technical solutions took place. They were: automobiles equipped with cable winches invented by Wolf, so-called road trains, all-wheel drive vehicles and the first armoured vehicle constructed in Vienna Daimler works.

Despite all those efforts, the Austro-Hungarian Army eventually entered the Great War campaigns in 1914 without any properly motorised units. The reasons for this were numerous, however, the basic one seemed to be aversion to motor vehicles felt by a considerable part of the army elites, as well as high cost of purchase and operation of the vehicles.