Page - 179 - in THE FIRST WORLD WAR - and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918

Archduke ‘Fritzl’ Goes to the Front 179 Archduke Friedrich was presented with a codicil to his will, which was signed by himself and by witnesses.426 Only then did they travel on to Chyrów, where the royal military quarters were housed in the Jesuit convent. All kinds of people came with them ; clearly no-one wanted, or was permitted, to be absent when there was war. For example, the Lord Chamberlain of Archduchess Maria Theresia was also present in Przemyśl, and despite suffering from advanced brain disease had joined the Army High Command as a delegate of the Teutonic Knights. Archduke Leopold Salvator came with his chamberlain, Prince August Lobkowitz, together with assigned officers, servants and secretaries, as well as Prince Zdenko Lobkowitz, chamberlain to the heir to the throne, Archduke Karl Franz Josef, and many others. On 23 August, after a mass held in the Chyrów Jesuit convent, martial law was announced ‘with great ceremony’ in three languages : German, Polish and Ruthenian. The following day, a mass was held for Pope Pius X, who had died on 20 August, and on 25 August, a mass was finally held for the Jesuit general who had died in Rome. ‘It starts to become boring, this useless existence’, complained Count Herberstein, the Lord Chamberlain of the Army Supreme Commander.427 Even so, quite a lot was happening. Military trains passed through ceaselessly. It was noted with surprise that so many Landsturm formations consisted of older men who were to be used on the front. The fact that Landwehr infantry regiments were carrying old Werndl and Mauser rifles also indicated that the war was not only to be waged with modern weapons. There were also other sights that were uncommon in Vienna and the surrounding areas, such as a large number of Polish Jews. They had been obliged to cut off their sidelocks, but were still recognisable by their beards. Endlessly long processions of many hundreds of country wagons with forage, field hospitals, sanitary facilities and ammunitions convoys drove past in the heat and dust, and then in the rain. Sometimes, a song could be heard. Tyrolean terri- torial infantry troops appeared somewhat out of place with their mountain equipment. More fitting were the Hungarian Landsturm infantry brigades : ‘Older people with large beards, smoking Hungarian pipes, usually in the old Honvéd uniform.’428 All in all, a confusing picture. In Przemyśl, the Army High Command of course knew how everything fitted to- gether. However, even there, the war had clearly not yet lost much of its character as a huge theatrical spectacle. It was also regarded as a special training ground for the nation. This was in all likelihood the reason why the heir to the throne, Archduke Karl Franz Josef, who since 25 July 1914 was a colonel in Hussar Regiment No. 1 and who came to Przemyśl ‘at the disposal of the Supreme Commander’. He was then to be seen promenading with aides-de-camp, stablemen, detectives and gentlemen of the Imperial Guard mounted squadron, and waiting for news from the Operations Chancellery.