Hungarian War of Independence
1848-1849

Army Organization:
Austrian Imperial

By William W. Haggart

The purpose of this article is to provide information for gaming the Hungarian War of Independence 1848-49. It is focused primarily on the Hungarian army as it has very little written about it in English, but also because information on the Austrian and Russian armies of the period are readily available from a number of books listed in the references.

THE AUSTRIAN IMPERIAL ARMY

The army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire of 1848 had changed little since the end of the Napoleonic wars in organization, doctrine, or uniforms. The one uniform change was that all arms now wore light blue pants with their white coats. The one modern addition to their arsenal was the 1842M Augustin-type cartridge-fuse smoothbore musket. Both the Austrians and Hungarians would fight with this weapon. An early percussion cap innovation, it proved far more reliable than the flintlock, which both the insurgents and Russian regulars still used. However, in most ways the Austrian army was backward compared to the other Continental powers. Its budget had been cut by a third in the years following 1815 and many battalions existed at 60% strength or less. Only General Radetsky in Italy ever carried out division and Corps-level maneuvers. Each infantryman was given ten cartridges per year for firing practice. In some ways the Austrian Imperial regulars would be learning how to fight the war right along with the Hungarian Honved army.

An Austrian soldier's loyalty was to the Emperor and then his regiment, not the state. As the last continental holdout for the medieval practice of regimental proprietors, the army was still in many ways an extension of the nobility. This army culture would generate severe conflicts of conscience for Imperial soldiers in fighting on both sides of the Hungarian War. It would also be one of the reasons Austria nearly lost--unlike the Hungarians, their soldiers weren't fighting for a cause. Once beaten, it was difficult to reanimate their fighting spirit.

The Austrian armies that fought in the Hungarian War were organized much as they were throughout the Nineteenth Century. Two or three brigades made up a division, and two divisions made up a corps. Cavalry was organized as a division attached to a corps, but more often parceled out to infantry brigades in squadrons or organized as a brigade within a division. There was no real uniformity between corps as each was cobbled together to meet the needs of the moment. For instance, Josip Jellacic's I Armee Korps contained two infantry divisions and one full cavalry division in March of 1849, made up mostly of Grenz battalions. While most Austrian Korps contained about 11000 men, Jellacic's could boast 18,000 total. If there was anything unique about the Austrian armies of 1848-49, it was that they contained a large number of Grenz battalions fighting as regular infantry as well as more cavalry than normal for the period. The Grenz were seen in large numbers because they had proven loyal and fought well against the Hungarians, being made up of the various ethnic groups hostile to Hungary's independence. An increased proportion of cavalry were added to the Austrian forces in an effort to counter the superior quality of the Hungarian Hussar regiments. A Order of Battle for Windisch-gratz's army at the time of the battle of Isaszeg has been provided.

ORDERS OF BATTLE

(General Corps and division Leader quality is listed as well as exceptional brigades)

Austrian Main Army, April 1849: Furst Windischgratz commanding (Fair)

I Armee Korps Feldmarschcall-Lieutenant Jellacic (Fair)

1st Division FMI. Hartlich (Fair)

    Brigade Gramment
      5th Feldjager btn., 3rd btn/1st Liccaner Grenz, 2nd btn/8th Gradiscaner Grenz. Battery #6--six 616 guns

    Brigade Rastich

      1st.2nd btns/2nd Ottochaner Grenz. 3rd btn/3th Oguliner-Szluiner Grenz. 3rd btn/lst Banal Grenz Battery #1--six 6 lb guns

2nd Division FMI. Schulzig (good)

    Brigade Kleinberger
      3rd btn/2nd Banal Grenz, 3rd btn/7th Brooder Grenz 3rd btn, 3rd Erzherzog Carl Regt. Battery #5--six 6lb guns

    Brigade Dietrich

      4th btn/2nd Banal Grenz, 4th btn/5th Warasdiner Grenz Echert composite Battalion, 2nd btn/ 4th Szluiner Grenz Slavonain Battery #1--six 6lb guns

Cavalry Division FML Ottinger (Fair)

    Brigade Sedehmayer
      6th Wallmoden Cuirassiers (6 sqns) 7th Hardegg Curiassiers (6 sqns) Cav. Battery #10--six 6lb guns

    Brigade Sternbert

      1st Kaiser Franz Joseph Dragoons (6 sqns) Konig von Sachsen Cuirassiers (6 sqns) Banderial Hussars (6 sqns) (croat) Cav. Battery #5--six 6 lb guns

Corps Artillery

    Twelve 12lb guns, batteries #1 & 2 six 6lb guns, battery #2 Twelve 6lb guns, Cav. batteries #9 and Slavonian #2 six Rockets, Battery # 16

Strength: 11,500 infantry, 5,500 cavalry, 1,560 artillerists, 68 guns Total: 18,060 men and 68 guns

II Armee Korps FML Wrbna (good)

1st Division FML Csorich (fair)

    Brigade Wyss
      four cos 2nd Feldjager btn., 3rd btn/56th Furstenwarter Regt., 1st btn/29th Schonhals Regt. 1st Landwehr btn./59th Baden Regt. battery #2--six 6lb guns

    Brigade Colloredo

      four cos 6th Feldjager btn., 1st & 2nd btns/58th Erzherzog Stephan Regt., four cos 1 st Landwehr/21 st Paumgartten Regt. Battery #8--six 6lb guns

2nd Division FML Furst Schwarzenberg (fair)

    Brigade Schiitte (Elite)
      Fisher Gren., Richter Gren., Vitermann Gren. Btns Battery # 12--six 6lb guns

    Brigade Leibler (Elite)

      Schneider Gren., Martinin Gren., Rattay Gren. Btns. 3rd btn./17th Hohnlohe Regt. Battery #13--six 6lb guns

    Brigade Bellegarde

      5th Auersperg Cuirassiers (6 sqns) 1st Erzherzog Johann Dragoons (4 sqns) 1st Civallart Uhlan Regt. (5 sqns) Cm. Battery #4--six 61h guns

Corps Artillery Reserve:

    Twelve 6lb guns, batteries #10 & I I 'Twelve 12lb guns, batteries #3 & 4 Three 6lb guns, 1/2 cav battery #6 Six rockets, battery # 15

Strength: 10,075 infantry, 2.250 cavalry, 1,260 artillerists and 63 guns. Total: 13,585 men and 63 guns.

III Armee Korps FML Count Franz Schlick (good)

1st Division FML Lobkowitz (fair)

    Brigade Kriegern
      two cos 2nd Feldjager btn.,3rd btn6th Warasdiner St. Geroger Grenz, 1st btn./12th Wilhem Regt. 1st Landwehr btn./24th Parma Regt., 3rd btn./30th Nugent Regt. Battery #36--six 6lb guns

    Brigade Pergen

      3rd btn./5th Warasdiner Kreuzer Grenz, 1st btn./ 12th Wilhelm Regt., 3rd btn./40th Kudelka Regt., 2nd bun./28th Latour Regt. Battery #34--six 6lb guns

2nd Division FML Leichtenstein (good)

    Brigade Fiedler
      3rd btn./57th Erzherzog Stephen Regt., 1 st btn./2nd Ottochaner Grenz, 2nd btn./9th Hartmann Regt., 3rd btn./10th Mazzuchelli Regt. Battery #3--six 6lb guns

    Brigade Parrot

      8th Prinz Karl von Preussen Cuirassiers (6 sqns) 2nd Sunstenau Cuirassiers (2 sqns) 1st Kaiser Chevauxlegers (4 sqns) 7th Kress Chevauxlegers (3 sqns) (Foot)Battery #3--six 6lb guns

Corps Artillery Reserve

    Schlick Battery--six 6lb guns twelve 12lb guns, batteries #5 & 11 six rockets, Galician battery

Strength: 9,000 infantry, 2,250 cavalry, 960 artillerists and 48 guns Total: 12,210 and 48 guns

Army Reserve

    thirty-six 12lb guns, batteries #6-8
    twenty-four 6lb guns, cav. batteries # 1, 7,8, & 11
    eighteen rockets, batteries #132, 17, & 23 six 6lb guns, battery #4

Army Total: 43,855 and 263 guns

More Hungarian War of Independence 1848-1849

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