Alexander Freiherr von Krobatin

Alexander Baron von Krobatin was born in Olmütz (Olomouc) in Moravia on the 2nd September 1849. His father had risen within ten years from private soldier to a highly decorated major and on the award of the Knights' Cross of the Order of Leopold had been raised to the nobility with the title of Ritter. Consequently this hereditary title was also granted  to his two sons; Friedrich and Alexander on 24th April 1881. Alexander Krobatin attended the artillery academy at Mährisch-Weißkirchen and on graduation was commissioned as a Leutnant in Festungs-Artillerie-Bataillon 3 (fortress artillery battalion). He attended the higher artillery course as well as a course for technical chemistry at the technical university in Vienna from 1871-1876. He was promoted Oberst in 1895 and appointed to the command of a corps artillery regiment. He was promoted to Generalmajor on the 6th November 1900 and saw service as president of the 7th department of the war ministry. In 1912 he was appointed war minister with consequent responsibility for the equipping and mobilisation of the armed forces of the monarchy. The General was raised to the rank of Baron on the 15th December 1915 and received a field appointment in April 1917 as commander of the 10.Armee on the Italian front. He was promoted to Feldmarschall on the 5th November 1917. Among his other appointments, Baron von Krobatin was the Inhaber or regimental colonel of FAR 108, an honorary doctor of the technical university of Vienna and a life member of the house of lords. He held the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Stephen, the Military Service Cross 1st Class, the Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold and the Knights' Cross of the Order of the Iron Crown 2nd Class (seen at the Baron's throat in the accompanying photograph). Feldmarschall  Alexander Baron von Krobatin died in Vienna on the 27th December 1933.

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