Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 52. (2007)

FRIED, Marvin Benjamin: Feldmarschall Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf: A Memoir Analysis

this was actually the case is less important to our point than the realization that Conrad attempts, in the traditional imperial Austrian style, to pit the different nationalities of Austria-Hungary against each other so as to remove the blame and responsibility from the ruling and dominant Austrian side. Nevertheless, Conrad refutes any claim that there was any resistance for the national and cultural development of the different non-German nationalities, and attacks the “enemy propaganda,”61 which portrayed the Habsburg dynasty as one which “represses its peoples.”62 Conrad maintains the traditional Austrian view, as we will see based on his racist ideology, that it was Austria’s patronizing role to keep “the little ones in check”63 and to keep the Balkan peoples away from a potential “bloody conflict” of “all against all.”64

Feldmarschall Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf

Conrad on Austria-Hungary Internationally

(i) Turning to the international spectrum, it is important to note how Conrad, who was so closely tied to his allies at the German OHL,65 has so much criticism for the German government, military, and Germany’s overall handling of the war. Although Conrad acknowledges that the Germans began speaking about being ‘allied to a corpse,’ there is hardly anything more condescending and almost comic as his scathing accusations of German inability to perform adequately. His critique of Germany was so harsh that his praise of Austria-Hungary’s policies placed them “sky high above the policies of Germany.”66 He counters the corpse analogy by stating (suitably) that Germany had, “thanks to its policies[,] absolutely no other ally but us [Austria-Hungary],”67 yet Germany continued to behave with Austria “not as an ally, but as a vassal.”68 Hence Conrad’s disappointment when this self- confident nation failed to achieve the “final victory”69 which he had “counted on.”70 Conrad argues that while Germany behaved with “naïve self-confidence,”71 it was led by a “foresightless, indecisive [...] politics contenting itself with quasisuccesses”72 which in turn led to the “underestimation of all others.”73 Conrad does

61 Conrad von Hötzendorf, Franz: Private Aufzeichnungen, Pg. 159.

62 Ibid, Pg. 159.

63 Ibid, Pg. 171.

64 Ibid, Pg. 159.

65 Oberheeresleitung or OHL (German General Staff).

66 Conrad von Hötzendorf, Franz: Private Aufzeichnungen, Pg. 153.

67 Ibid, Pg. 139.

68 Ibid, Pg. 218.

69 Ibid, Pg. 215.

70 Ibid, Pg. 215.

71 Ibid, Pg. 141.

72 Ibid, Pg. 146.

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