Bárkányi Ildikó – F. Lajkó Orsolya (szerk.): A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve 2017., Új folyam 4. (Szeged, 2018)
Történettudomány
Lajos Kakucs Civilian Armed Forces in Banat from 1717 to 1919 Part II in the punitive campaign against the Romanian rebels in alliance with the Turkish. Milleker Felix reports that a Serbian civilian army of 230, followed by another army consisting of German, Hungarian and Serbian civilians marched from Temesvár to disperse the Romanian raiding parties operating around Versec. Because the paramilitary forces of the Banat were insufficient to repel the Turkish army and their Romanian allies invading the region between 1738 and 39, the authorities, under the leadership of Baron Engelshofen, Government Commissioner of the Banat, made plans for the relocation of the Serbian civilian army (Land Miliz] previously defending the Tisza-Maros line to the Northers line of the Danube, from Pancsova to Új Palánk. The relocation of the T isza-Maros border guard to the South was delayed due to the resistance of the Serbian militia, so the authorities established a "Civilian military of Banat” [National-Miliz] consisting mainly of German speaking peasants for the protection of the Danube line and the mining towns on Banat. This battalion-sized unit merged into the border guard regiments of the Banat being organized. Before the establishment of the border guard regiments the Austrian authorities deployed 8 companies of veteran Austrian soldiers to the following settlements along the Danube line: zekerény (Sefkerin], Torontálalmás (Jabuka), Pancsova, Tárcsó (Starcevo), Omlód (Omoljica), Bresztovácz (Aga -BrestoväJ], Kevepallós (Plocicas) and Kevevára (Kovin], The relocation of the Serbian military border patrol guarding the Tisza-Maros line to the Duna line was completed in 1774 with the publishing of the charter of Empress Maria Theresa. This charter granted privileges to the military populace ofthe"Kikinda Area” (Kikindaer Districht], formed from the following military settlements: Nagykikinda, Vrányova, Melencze, Mokrin, Kiskikinda, Kárlova, Kumánd, Taras and Keresztúr. Between 1737 and 1739, free units called "Bergschützen” were recruited mainly from the workers and personnel of mines and furnaces for the protection of the mining area of the Banat. Even after the war between 1738 and 39 Landmiliz units were deployed in the areas of Szászka and Moldova in 1757 due to the ever present Turkish threat and to hold back raiding bands operating near the border. The second "golden age” of the insurgent free units and civilian armies was during the lengthy French wars. Between 1794 and 1815 noble insurgent units participated in the fight against the French, while the civilian armies of the free royal cities protected their settlements. During the chaotic events in Banat between 1848 and 1849 the majority of the civilian units of the bigger towns and mining areas merged into the newly formed national guards, where they often participated in civil war-like armed conflicts. In the paper we discuss the 86 known rifle clubs on the 86 settlements of the historic Banat and present of the activities of Civic guards in detail. The following shall be discusses in greater detail: Fehértemplom: Its first civilian army was formed from the German speaking population settled there in 1738. In 177, One rifle infantry company was formed from the civilians of the settlement earning the right of free military settlement in 1777. Lugos: The core ofthe civil guard - established later on - consisted of those free units that chased away the raiding parties endangering the settlement and its surroundings in 1775. The civilians of the free commercial town formed the civil guard in 1793. This way followed by the formation ofthe "Civil Rifle and Music Association” under the leadership of Adam Reinholz. Nagybecskerek: The town won the right of holding fairs on March 8th, 1769. It is assumed that its civil guard was formed at the same time as well. The guard greeted Count Kristóf Niczky coming to the town with military honors. Oravica: On June 4th, 1738 the civil guard consisting of the German population of the settlement under the leadership of Forest Supervisor Meier successfully repelled the attacks of Romanian insurgent that were allied with the Turkish. The Chamber records from between 1652 and 1763 report of a guard unit called "Werkschütz” consisting of local German miners. 190
