Uncategorised Post WW1 awards of Austro-Hungarian decorations

[Valter]

Recently I had a conversation with fellow collector about awarding of Austro-Hungarian awards years after the end of WW1. At first I though it's unlikely that imperial awards of dissolved empire could be awarded years later in Austrian republic, but I was directed to this page

http://www.austro-hungarian-army.co.uk/mmto.htm

where many awards of Maria Theresia orden are listed as awarded in 1920's and as late as 1931.

Who, on what basis and by which criteria awarded these once-imperial awards in republic? Are these considered official awards, equal to WW1 period awards, or were these awardings unofficial, by some veteran organisation or... ? What kind of decorations were awarded in 1920's, imperial era left-owers or newly produced? Was there a ceremony or something?

[Ian]

Valter,

Basically a commission (Kommission Oberst Heller) was set up after the war to review and recommend awards of the MMThO and Bravery Medals (Gold and Large Silver) to deserving Officers and soldiers who had not had there awards processed prior to the cessation of hostilities in 1918.

There were some 10 awards of the MMThO made between 1920 and 1931 and approx 162 GTM in the same period to Officers. Many awards of the GTM and Large STM were made to soldiers at the same time.

The awardss would have been from stock held and the remainder would have been from orders placed with those remaining medal manufactures still in business (Roth of Vienna etc). These Orders and Decorations were made from the original dies.

GTM: Goldenen Tapferkeitsmedaille

MMThO: Militär Maria Theresien Orden

Those with more knowledge than me will hopefully correct or add to my comments.

[Dave Danner]

My understanding is that the Heller Commission did not make any new award recommendations, but merely evaluated recommendations made before November 1918 to deserving soldiers which had not been acted on in time. Since it was were merely a confirmation of an imperial award, there was no challenge to republican sensibilities.

Also, as I understand it, the commission was not limited to the MMTO and Gold and Silver Bravery Medals, but could confirm any imperial award recommendation.

Some examples:

• The later-General der Gebirgstruppe Franz Böhme received the silver clasp (2nd award) with swords to the Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with War Decoration in 1920, based on a 1917 recommendation (Staatsamt für Heereswesen Abt. 1 Z1.20.616/1917 von 1920).

• Erich Wawersich received the Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with War Decoration in 1921 (Abt. 1.000/7951/1921).

• Rudolf Berghofer received the Order of the Iron Crown 3rd Class with Swords and War Decoration on 13 December 1919.

• Franz Hintermayer received the Order of the Iron Crown 3rd Class with Swords and War Decoration in 1920, dated back to 1918.

• Karl Daum received the Order of the Iron Crown 3rd Class with Swords and War Decoration on 13 January 1921.

There were also a number of awards of the Karl-Truppenkreuz and the Laeso Militi (Wound Medal) after November 1918, but I do not know if these required commission approval.

[Valter]

Ian, Dave, thank you very much for these explanations. This certainly makes sense - approval of orders already recommended durign the war yet unsolved at the end of hostilities (and empire).

I found this article in the official gazette of Austrian budesheer:

http://www.bundesheer.at/truppendienst/ausgaben/artikel.php?id=917

However, the article states that comission only worked between 1919-22. On what basis were then made orders of MMThO in 1929, 1931 etc?

[tifes]

Hi Valter,

All MMTOs had been always awarded by so-called MMTO Order Chapter. It was body or ad hoc institution which was in the charge of evaluation of all requests for MMTO. Request for MMTO had to be always submitted by the candidate himself. This officer has been usually encouraged by the commanding officers to do so and they usually provided the evidence for his bravery. There was no exemption of this rule if we do not count the decisions of the Emperor to award MMTO without any consultation with Order Chapter. It happened time to time. Emperor, as the highest Sovereign, could do it but still even after such decision of the Emperor, the Order Chapter officially declared the award in the particular Promotion. Order Chapter was presided by the Emperor, other members had been chosen army officer. All of them had to be MMTO recipients. When the War ended there were still too many proposals on the table and Order Chapter summoned 12 times (1921 to 1931) to make its decisions about them. Feldmarschall Conrad von Hoetzendorf was acting as the President interim of the Order Chapter, this function was taken over by Erzherzog Joseph later on. After the dead of former Emperor the situation deteriorated and even new proposals had been submitted for evaluations. Some of the MMTO awards of those times are really doubtful. Officers of the new Bundesheer had been in mutual competition. Altogether 75 MMTO awards had been adopted by the Order Chapter in the period of 1921 to 1931 and all of them had been Knight Crosses. There wasn´t any award ceremony held and any certificate issued. Recipient was just informed, he came to the Order Office in Vienna and the decoration with written evidence was given to him. Between 1922 to 1926 all recipients got just the simple notification that they had been awarded by MMTO Knight cross but they didn’t receive any decoration. They bought it usually privately in gilded silver/bronze from Rothe und Neffe. This practice was changed after 1926 when official state authorities agreed to provide MMTO knight crosses from the deposit of Arsenal (Heergeschichtliches Museum) where the MMTO decorations had been stored since 1886. All of them are returned pieces as it was the duty after the dead of recipient. One more information. When the Order Chapter didn’t find enough evidence or just assumed that there was act of bravery but not enough for MMTO award, it could also decide to award the recipient by any other decoration. Golden Bravery Medals for officers “served” usually as a “lower substitute” for MMTO knight cross. Majority of them had been awarded after 1918. This wasn’t the rule and sometimes even other decoration had been awarded instead of MMTO knight cross, usually Leopold Order – knight cross, Order of the Iron Crown III. Class or even Silver Bravery Medal for officers. Last MMTO knight crosses and other decoration had been officially awarded in 1931, 13 years after the end of the Empire.

Regards,

Tifes

Edited October 15, 2013 by tifes

[Valter]

Tifes, thank you very much for such a detailed explanation! Great information and historical background.

[Trooper_D]

Tifes, thank you very much for such a detailed explanation! Great information and historical background.

What Valter said x 2. These are wonderful insights into a very interesting area of study, Tifes. Thank you to you and the other contributors to this fascinating thread.