Original scientific paper
THE PEOPLE OF LIKA IN ‘THE GREAT WAR’ The Winter Battle for the Carpathians, January - April 1915
NIKOLA TOMINAC
Abstract
This paper is dedicated to the hundredth anniversary of the First World War and the members from Lika of the 79th Infantry Regiment Joint Forces from Otočac (K.u.K. Otočaner Infaterieregiment Graf Jellačić Nr. 79., abbreviated: IR 79), known as the “Jelačićevci”. It was complemented from the regions of Karlobag, Primorje, Gospić, Udbina, Gračac, Zavalje - Korenica, Otočac, Brinje and Slunj. As it contained mostly men from the Lika region it was given the title of “The Lika Regiment”. In the paper is described its participation in the Winter Battles for the Carpathians from 1915, one of the most horrific battles of that war. At the same it is also a tribute to the great sacrifices of this regiment in these bloody operations. Before their arrival at the Carpathians and Galicia the “Jelačićevci” led a bloody battle in Serbia during 1914. The “Jelačićevci” fought in the Austro-Hungarian 7th Infantry Division / Gruppe Szurmay as part of the 3rd army under the command of General Svetozar Borojević. As part of this army one other Croatian general from the Lika region had a very important command function: Pavao pl. Puhalo od Brloga.
The paper was written on the basis of available literature, mainly on the modern war study of Graydon Tunstall Blood on the Snow: the Carpathian Winter War of 1915, which he processed the so far poorly researched archives of Gruppe Szurmay which is located in the War Archive in Budapest, and the standard work for the research of the First World War - Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, 1914-1918. (abbreviated to: ÖULK). During the research original materials from the holdings of the Austrian State Archives - Österreichisches Staatsarchiv (ÖeStA) – Kriegsarchiv (KA) were used, primarily operational documentation, battles reports, lists of losses, and other available archive materials. The military terminology is adapted to present official Croatian terminology, and where it was not possible the comparative Croatian and former Austro-Hungarian terms are given, especially for military ranks and formations.
Keywords
Croatian military history; First World War; Winter Battle for the Carpathians; 79th Infantry Regiment Joint Forces “Grof Josip Jelačić” Otočac (K.u.K. Otočaner Infaterieregiment Graf Jellačić Nr. 79 – IR 79.); K.u.K. 7. infantry division (K.u.K. 7 ID), Gruppe Szurmay, K.u.K 2nd army; K.u.K 3rd army, German Southern Army (deutsche Südarmee); brigadier (Oberst) Franz Schöbl
Hrčak ID:
169248
URI
Publication date:
25.11.2016.
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