CONRAD VON HOTZENDORF, FRANZ Austro-Hungarian soldier, was born in Vienna Nov. II, 1852. Con rad was the leading military figure of the old Dual Monarchy, and also one of its most influential politicians. In 2899, as a brigadier in Trieste, his observations on Italian Irredentist propaganda in spired him with a lasting mistrust of the third member of the Tri ple Alliance. Here he made the acquaintance of the heir to the throne, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, whose ideas coincided with his own in many respects. Francis Ferdinand's influence ele vated Conrad to the post of chief of staff in 1906. His predecessor, Gen. Beck, had held this post for some 20 years, in the course of which Beck, who shared the emperor Francis Joseph's optimism, had allowed the army to lag far behind modern progress, in techni cal matters and had paid little attention to the national problems.
Conrad at once began to reorganize the army, especially the artillery. His activities earned him the hatred not only of the German Liberals but also of the Slays and the Magyars, all of whom, if for different reasons, were opposed to an aggressive army policy. His most serious conflict, however, came with the emperor himself and the minister of foreign affairs, Count Aeh renthal. Conrad was convinced that the Monarchy could not avoid a conflict with Serbia ; and further that Italy must be considered not as an ally but an enemy. He believed the only salvation to be in aggressive "preventive" measures. Both before and after the annexation of Bosnia and Hercegovina he urged that the only so lution of the Southern Slav question would be the "preventive" annexation of Serbia. When Italy became engaged in war with Turkey in 1911, he again advocated a "preventive" war against the Monarchy's ally. This last suggestion led to such a conflict of views with Aehrenthal, who believed that peace could be main tained, that Conrad was forced to resign. He was reappointed, however, a few months later, when events in the Balkans again grew critical. Conrad did not overestimate the strength of his army, and, therefore, when war broke out and the attitude of Italy and Rumania grew critical, he urged—vainly—that these former Allies be appeased by territorial concessions. Meanwhile he conducted the .operations of the Austro-Hungarian troops in Galicia with skill and boldness, and later, when they entered the World War, also saved his country from much devastation by his bold strategy. When, however, the young emperor Charles him self took over the command of his army in place of the previous nominal commander, the Archduke Frederick, he took offence at Conrad's assured manner and dismissed him from his post. From March 1917 on Conrad commanded an army group on Austria's Italian Front. No further successes crowned his efforts, and finally the troops under his command disintegrated with the collapse of the Monarchy.
Conrad's political views aroused much controversy. From his own point of view—the maintenance at all costs of the dynastic power of the Habsburgs—they were undoubtedly correct ; he took too little account however of the stronger but more remote influ ence of world politics. As a strategist he was bold and skilful but unlucky. As a personality he was simple and deeply respected; his chief failing was his often faulty judgment of human character. After the downfall of the Monarchy Conrad withdrew entirely into private life and occupied himself with the preparation of his monumental memoirs, Aus Meiner Dienstzeit, the fifth volume of which appeared in 1925. He died at Mergentheim Aug. 26, 1925.
(C. A. M.)