The post-Napoleonic political system in the first half of the nineteenth century produced individual Arenberg family lines based in the various states including Belgium, Prussia, Hanover and France where the Arenberg family now possessed...
moreThe post-Napoleonic political system in the first half of the nineteenth century produced individual Arenberg family lines based in the various states including Belgium, Prussia, Hanover and France where the Arenberg family now possessed landed estates.
However, the Arenbergs had never possessed significant links to the Hohenzollern and Welf dynasties, and they neither identified with the constitutional monarchy in Belgium nor with the Republic of France. In the context of this crisis of political identification and loyalty, three Arenberg princes decided to pursue military careers in the Austrian Empire. All occurring between 1852 and 1870, these three careers are in many ways exemplary of the fundamental changes in the Austrian military in the middle of the century. When the three Arenbergs entered the military, the Austrian army enjoyed a good reputation thanks to its successes in putting down the revolts of 1848. The later defeats at Solferino and Königgrätz fundamentally changed the situation. There was both a professionalization and dearistocratization of the officer corps and a mechanization and industrialization of the army in general. This paper illustrates the consequences of Austrian army reform on the basis of three Arenberg careers, while highlighting the problematic reorientation of the Arenberg family in the nineteenth century.
The brothers Karl and Joseph entered the military as young men in the course of the educational journey they made in 1852 to Vienna. Their careers were highly influenced by the old system of regimental proprietors, who were mostly well-connected nobles with command and organizational authority over their units. Joseph’s advancement was made possible only by the patronage of the Windisch-Graetz family, to which the Arenbergs were related. Their cousin Louis, by contrast, possessed a good education, leadership skills, and scientific interest in military and engineering. His qualifications conformed more to the meritocratic requirements for officers that gained acceptance after 1868. Therefore he stayed in the military after the mandatory eight years of service, embarking additionally on a career as a military attaché. This paper deals with the different career trajectories, demonstrates the importance of traditional chivalry for the nobility and the army in the nineteenth century, describes the daily routine of offices, and elucidates the new challenges and changes for the nobility and the military resulting from the industrialization of warfare, such as advanced training for officers and the requirements of service for military attachés.