Pro tempore, No. 20, 2025.
Pregledni rad
The Legend of the Last Hussar. The Myth of August von Mackensen in Context of the Weberian Categorization of Political Rule
Tamas Rudas
Sažetak
The Legend of the Last Hussar. The Myth of August von Mackensen in Context of the Weberian Categorization of Political Rule Abstract: The analysis of the life and career of August von Mackensen in context of the theory of authority postulated by Max Weber attempts to answer important questions regarding the clash of traditions, charisma and modernity in the Imperial German Army in particular, and its assessment by German society in general. Mackensen was not only one of the most successful military commanders of the First World War, but also a military officer who had the opportunity to witness the development of the new pieces of technology introduced to all armies of the world. Furthermore, as a member of the German General Staff and a commander of large military units, he had a unique opportunity to witness the impact the social changes of the fin de siècle and the Great War had on the customs and conventions of the Imperial German Military. The latter also sheds light upon the evaluation of cavalry as an independent branch of arms within the ranks of the Kaiser’s forces, as Mackensen himself started his career as a cavalryman and retained a considerable degree of affinity for the branch during his entire life. Analysing the career of the so-called Last Hussar using the Weberian categories of authority reveals that although the devotion of Mackensen to the traditional principles and values adhered to by the German military elite, especially the cavalry, and his exploitation of his own considerable charisma certainly contributed to the image the field marshal acquired over the years of war, none of his greatest achievements would have been feasible without the tools and methods of industrial warfare.
Ključne riječi
August von Mackensen; Imperial German Army; Max Weber; First World War; cavalry
Hrčak ID:
349381
URI
Datum izdavanja:
20.9.2025.
Posjeta: 0 *