Alfred Edler von Schenk
Alfred
Schenk was born in Laibach (Ljublanja) on the 5th of July 1863 as the son of a
retired senior civil servant. After studying at both the Gymnasium and Cadet
School in Prague he entered the 21st Infantry Regiment Freiherr von Mondel in
July 1880 then based at Prague. Commissioned as a Leutnant in Infantry Regiment
Nr.91 Ritter von Fröhlich on the 1st May 1884 he was promoted to Oberleutnant on 1st of November 1888.
After attending the General Staff Course at the War School he was attached to
the General Staff of the 9th Infantry Brigade at Olmütz on the 1st of November
1889 until the 24th of November 1891. A promising Staff Officer, Schenk
was promoted early to Captain 1st Class in the General Staff Corps on the 5th of
May 1892 with a further staff appointment to the 2nd Mountain Brigade at
Trebinje and in November 1892 until April 1895 to the staff of the 12th Army
Corps at Hermannstadt. From the 1st of May 1895 to May 1896 he studied the
Russian language at Kazan followed by an assignment to the Intelligence Bureau
of the General Staff. Promoted to Major on the 1st of November 1898 he was
assigned as Chief of Staff of the 16th Infantry Division followed by a promotion
to Lieutenant Colonel on the 1st May 1902 and service with the 1st Bosnian
Herzegovinian Infantry Regiment. He assumed command of the regiment on April
13th 1907 having been promoted to Colonel on the 27th of November 1905. He was
raised to the Austrian Nobility assuming the title of Edler von Schenk in
February 1911 followed by his promotion to Generalmajor on the 11th of May of
the same year.
In February 1914 he was commanding the 97th Infantry Brigade in
Vienna and with the coming of war against Russia he was an army rear
area commander but was appointed to command 15.ID in late August 1914 followed
by promotion to Feldmarschalleutnant on November 1st 1914. Appointed to command
the 9th Infantry Division he saw further service in Italy and especially on the
Isonzo Front as the Sector Commander of "Abschnitt" or Sector IIIb
which included his own Division as well as the 24th Landsturm Mountain Brigade,
59th Infantry Brigade and 43rd Artillery Brigade. Sector IIIb covered the
Southern end of the Carso to the East of Monfalcone and was subsequently renamed
as Group Schenk and finally became on the 1st of November 1916 the XXIII Army
Corps. On the 23rd of June 1917 he assumed command of the XIII Army Corps in
Generaloberst Terszyánszky's 3rd Army on the Stanislau Sector of the Russian
Front. Promoted finally to General der Infanterie on the 1st of February 1918
with seniority from the 28th of that month he assumed command of the IX Army
Corps on the 21st of February. The collapse of the Monarchy found General von
Schenk as the Military Governor of Zagreb after which he retired on the 1st
January 1919 after 44 years service. Among his many decorations the General was
a Knight First Class of the Order of the Iron Crown (with War Decoration and
Swords), holder of the Military Merit Cross Second Class (With War Decoration
and Swords) and a Knight of the Order of Leopold (with War Decoration and
Swords). Alfred Edler von Schenk died on the 12th of October 1952 in Vienna.
In the photograph above, Feldmarschalleutnant Alfred Edler von
Schenk; Commander of XXIII Army Corps is speaking to Kaiser Karl I during a
visit to the Isonzo Front in March 1917. Also pictured from left to right are
Generaloberst Svetozar Boroević von Bojna; Commander of the 5th Army, Feldzeugmeister
Wenzel Wurm; Commander of Sector or Abschnitt III and his Chief of Staff Oberst
Theodor Körner (later President of Austria).
Many thanks to Felix G Game for supplying much of the
biographical information relating to General von Schenk.
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