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Description: | obverse design: General Baron Conrad von Hötzendorf, bust, left profile, in uniform. Positioned to right of bust
text
obverse text: "CONRAD VON HÖTZENDORF"
reverse design: General Baron Conrad von Hötzendorf, standing, facing left, wearing full plate armour, except helmet, holding the hilt of a
sword, point grounded, in his extended right hand and supporting a large shield, bearing the arms of Austria-Hungary, with his left. Facing
the armoured figure is a dragon whose enormous tail winds into the distance between gently sloping hills. At the base of the design the
dates "1914-1915"
First World War portrait medal by Arnold Hartig commemorating in extravagantly heroic fashion General Baron Franz
Conrad von Hötzendorf (1852-1925), one in a series of patriotic medallic tributes to senior Austro-Hungarian political and military figures
produced by the artist during the war. Conrad served as Austrian Chief of Staff and Commander in Chief between 1906 and 1917. Despite his
imaginative and vigorous pre-1914 schemes for reform and modernisation the performance of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces was poorly
managed from the very outset of hostilities. Conrad's over-confidence in his armies and underestimation of his enemies (notably Serbia and
Russia) resulted in severe military reverses with significant political consequences. This was especially true in 1916 when the Russian
Brusilov offensive savagely mauled the Austrian Army. Conrad's poor working relationship with the new Emperor Karl I, resulted in his being
dismissed in March 1917. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | First World War & 1914 = 1915 Hötzendorf portrait / personification Franz Conrad von AH.A | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Hartig, Arnold | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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