The formation and allegiance of the Romanian - UCL Discovery

412 Pages·2009·2 MB·English

by  I. Marin

The Formation and Allegiance of the Romanian Military
Elite Originating from the Banat Military Border

Ph.D. Thesis

Ph.D. Candidate: Irina Marin
Supervisors: Professor Dennis Deletant
Dr Zoran Milutinović

University College London
School of Slavonic and East European Studies

2009

1
I, Irina Marin, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is
my own. Where information has been derived from other

sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis.

2
Abstract

The present thesis examines the formation and loyalties of the Romanian officers
originating from the Banat Military Border who reached the rank of general in the
Austro-Hungarian army between 1870 and 1918. As such, it covers an important
blind spot in English-, German-, and Romanian-language historiography as, on the
one hand, it contributes a multiple case study, based on extant personal testimonies,
to the historical literature on the Habsburg officer corps and, on the other hand, it
validates and brings together into a coherent narrative the snippets of historical
evidence invoked in Romanian bibliography on the topic. The thesis goes beyond the
above-indicated time span and follows the development of the Banat Military Border
from its establishment in the eighteenth century to its dissolution at the end of the
nineteenth century. Particular emphasis is placed on the formative environment of
the military elites under discussion, whether this means historical or legal precedent,
official stereotypes, or community identity and symbolism. The Border generals are
presented in their relationships to the state (in its various instantiations), the army
and civil authorities, as well as in their relations with the Romanian intelligentsia of
the Empire. The main goal of the thesis is to account for their sense of identity and
allegiance: who were these generals? to whom were they loyal?

3
Table of Contents

Page Number
1. Introduction (cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133).(cid:133)(cid:133). 9
2. Imperial and National Literature on the Banat Military Border (cid:133)(cid:133).. 42
3. Conceptual Framework (cid:133)...(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)...76
4. Romanians in Imperial Discourse(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)...95
5. The Romanian Military Elite of the Banat Military Border(cid:133).(cid:133)...(cid:133). 129
6. Military Elite Status within a Social-Cultural Context (cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)..(cid:133)(cid:133)...163
7. Professions of Allegiance (I): GM Trajan Doda (cid:133)..(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)...189
8. Professions of Allegiance (II): GM Michael von Trapsia,
FML Nikolaus Cena, GM Alexander Lupu(cid:133)(cid:133)..(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133).(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)...218
9. Romanian Border Generals
Between the Imperial and the National Army (cid:133)..(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)....(cid:133)(cid:133)..258
10. Conclusions(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)..(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133).(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)..302
11. Appendices (cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)..(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133)(cid:133).312

4
Abbreviations of primary sources
OeStA (cid:214)sterreichisches Staatsarchiv (Austrian State Archives, Vienna)
KA Kriegsarchiv (War Archives, Vienna)
KM Pr(cid:228)s Kriegsministerium Pr(cid:228)sidium
MKSM Milit(cid:228)r Kanzlei Seiner Majest(cid:228)t des Kaisers
K(cid:220)A (MK/KM) Kriegs(cid:252)berwachungsamt
HHStA Haus-, Hof- und Staatsarchiv

MAE Arhiva Ministerului Afacerilor Externe (The Archive of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Bucharest)
ANIC Arhivele Naţionale Istorice Centrale Bucureşti (The Central Historical
National Archives, Bucharest)
ANCS Arhivele Naţionale Caraş-Severin (Caraş-Severin National Archives,
Caransebeş)
ANCN Arhivele Naţionale Cluj-Napoca (Cluj-Napoca National Archives)
ANS Arhivele Naţionale Sibiu (Sibiu National Archives)
ANBN Arhivele Naţionale Bistriţa-Năsăud (Bistriţa-Năsăud National Archives)
ANT Arhivele Naţionale Timiş (Timiş National Archives, Timişoara)
PRO formerly the Public Record Office, now The National Archives, London

5
Military and historical abbreviations

FM (cid:150) Feldmarschall
FZM - Feldzeugmeister
FML (cid:150) Feldmarschalleutnant
GM (cid:150) Generalmajor
k.k. (cid:150) kaiserlich-k(cid:246)niglich (after 1867 used in reference to institutions pertaining to
Cisleithania)
k.u.k. (cid:150) kaiserlich und k(cid:246)niglich (after 1867 used in reference to the common
institutions of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, with the exception of the army,
which became k.u.k. after 1888)
k.u. (cid:150) k(cid:246)niglich ungarisch (used in reference to Hungarian institutions post
Ausgleich)

Note on the use of place names and proper nouns

For the sake of clarity, consistency, and historical accuracy I have made the
following choices:

(1) Given that the timespan of the present thesis does not go beyond 1918, I have
opted for the spelling of place names which was in official use at the time (i.e.
TemesvÆr instead of Timişoara, Hermannstadt instead of Sibiu). Where necessary, I
provide in between brackets the Romanian or German counterpart. In quotations I
retained the author(cid:146)s choice of spelling. In the case of Caransebeş, there being so
many spelling variations (KarÆnsebes, Karansebes, Caransebes, Caransebesiu), I
have chosen the most frequent spelling used by the Border Generals, i.e. Caransebes.

(2) As regards the names of the generals under consideration, throughout this thesis I
use the German spelling or, where documentary evidence is available, the spelling
which they themselves used. The appended list of generals specifies all
metamorphoses of their names, including their current Romanian spelling.

6
Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my supervisors, Professor Dennis Deletant and Dr Zoran
Milutinovic, Mr Trevor Thomas (SSEES), Professor Martyn Rady (SSEES), Colonel
Liviu Groza, Dr Michael Hochedlinger (Kriegsarchiv Wien), Dr Antonio Schmidt-
Brentano, Professor Şerban Papacostea (Institutul de Istorie Nicolae Iorga), Ms
Renate Domnanich (Kriegsarchiv Wien), Ms Marijana Iosipović (Kriegsarchiv
Wien), Dr Elisabeth Sch(cid:246)ggl-Ernst (Steierm(cid:228)rkisches Landesarchiv, Graz), Mrs
Voichiţa Biţu (Astra Library, Sibiu, Romania), Dr Adrian Onofreiu (Bistriţa-Năsăud
National Archives, Romania), Professor George Cipăianu (Babeş-Bolyai University,
Cluj-Napoca, Romania), Dr Ioan Ciupea (The History Museum of Transylvania,
Cluj-Napoca), Dr Virgil Ţ(cid:226)rău (Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca), Dr Susan
Morrissey (SSEES), Dr Felix Ciută (SSEES), Ms Eszter Tarsoly (SSEES), WO
Martin Pickle (Wiener Neustadt Military Academy), Ms Maria Meitz (Wiener
Neustadt Military Academy Library), Ms Sigrid Kampichler (Wiener Neustadt
Military Academy Library), Professor Lothar H(cid:246)belt (Institut f(cid:252)r Geschichte,
Universit(cid:228)t Wien), Mr Daniel Brett (SSEES), Mr Andrew Gardner (SSEES), General
Major Dr Mihail Ionescu (Institute for Political and Defense Studies and Military
History, Bucharest), Dr Sergiu Iosipescu (Institute for Political and Defense Studies
and Military History, Bucharest), Professor Nicolae Bocşan (Babeş-Bolyai
University, Cluj-Napoca), Dr Sorin Mitu (Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca),
Dr Tibor Balla (Kriegsarchiv Wien), Dr Tamara Scheer (Institut f(cid:252)r Zeitgeschichte,
Universit(cid:228)t Wien), Dr Karl Fischer (Magistrat der Stadt Wien Archiv), Dr Susanne
Pils (Magistrat der Stadt Wien Archiv), the Raţiu Family Foundation, SSEES and
UCL Graduate School.
7
Motto:
The Unknown Citizen And that his reactions to advertisements
were normal in every way.
(To JS/07 M 378
Policies taken out in his name prove that
This Marble Monument
he was fully insured,
Is Erected by the State)
And his Health-card shows he was once
in hospital but left it cured.
He was found by the Bureau of Statistics
Both Producers Research and High-Grade
to be
Living declare
One against whom there was no official
He was fully sensible to the advantages of
complaint,
the Instalment Plan
And all the reports on his conduct agree
And had everything necessary to the
That, in the modern sense of an old-
Modern Man,
fashioned word, he was a
A phonograph, a radio, a car and a
saint,
frigidaire.
For in everything he did he served the
Our researchers into Public Opinion are
Greater Community.
content
Except for the War till the day he retired
That he held the proper opinions for the
He worked in a factory and never got
time of year;
fired,
When there was peace, he was for peace:
But satisfied his employers, Fudge
when there was war, he went.
Motors Inc.
He was married and added five children
Yet he wasn’t a scab or odd in his views,
to the population,
For his Union reports that he paid his
Which our Eugenist says was the right
dues,
number for a parent of his generation.
(Our report on his Union shows it was
And our teachers report that he never
sound)
interfered with their education.
And our Social Psychology workers
Was he free? Was he happy? The
found
question is absurd:
That he was popular with his mates and
Had anything been wrong, we should
liked a drink.
certainly have heard.
The Press are convinced that he bought a

paper every day
From Another Time by W. H. Auden

8
Chapter 1. Introduction

The present Ph.D. thesis was initially meant to be an examination of
inceptive Romanian national discourse. Such a topic had eventually to be qualified
and narrowed down for two reasons: the sheer extent of the cultural and social space
to be covered and, more importantly still, the heterogeneous nature of Romanian
national discourse itself. With a few exceptions, present-day Romanian
historiography presents a unitary, monolithic view of Romanians as a teleological
national entity in an evolutionary movement of coalescence, converging slowly but
surely towards a Romanian unitary state. Following the 1918 Union, whereby
Transylvania, the Banat, Bukovina, and Bessarabia joined the existing Romanian
state (formed in 1859 through the union of Wallachia and Moldavia), attempts were
made to solidify the new political and state unity by stressing cultural commonalities
(language, ancestry, etc.) and smoothing out administrative and institutional
differences. Traditional Romanian history writing reflects this centripetal process of
consolidation by sometimes anachronistically reading national awareness and
purpose into events and characters(cid:146) actions that do not warrant this. What is not very
often mentioned is that this apparently seamless unity has existed for less than one
hundred years and that the present-day Romanian unitary state is the result of a
conglomeration of provinces with widely divergent historical legacies and a complex
pattern of loyalties.
Of all the Romanian-inhabited territories that went into Greater Romania in
1918, I chose to stop at the Banat of TemesvÆr, the former Habsburg, and
subsequently, Hungarian province, given its borderland location in relation to both
its former as well as its current polity and, in particular, given the combination of
9
similarities and dissimilarities with Transylvania, the neighbouring province, which
has received the lion(cid:146)s share of scholarly attention. While compiling the preliminary
synopsis of historical literature on the Banat, I came across a number of
contributions on the Banat Military Border. Its extraordinary social, administrative
and even political peculiarities as well as its close connections with the imperial
centre and the postulated staunch loyalty of the militarized population led me to
further narrow down the scope of my thesis to focus on this part of the Banat. By
virtue of this gradual process of bibliographical whittling down, I arrived at the final
topic of my thesis: an examination of the process of identity and allegiance
formation among the military elites of a community whose development has been
relegated to the periphery of Romanian historiography as well as being
underrepresented in other historiographies: the militarized population of the Banat
Military Border.
The present thesis will, therefore, provide an analysis of the genesis and
loyalties of the Romanian military elite originating from this segment of the Austrian
Military Border. For methodological purposes I have opted for a concept of military
elite confined to the Romanian officers who reached the rank of General in the
Austro-Hungarian army between 1870 and 1918. The notion of elite is defined here
in a double sense: in reference to the military hierarchy, it designates the highly
skilled, decorated and, in some cases, knighted Romanian officers promoted to
important positions as part of the Austro-Hungarian military apparatus; in relation to
the Romanian community out of which these officers emerged, the notion of elite
refers to the educated and politically aware officers, who, on several occasions,
became the mouthpiece of the community before the authorities and promoters of
cultural and economic reform.
10