Vintage Video - Austro-Hungarian Troops Marching, 1914
With Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia at the close of July 1914 the Austro-Hungarian government quickly moved to mobilise her armed forces. Serbia itself was regarded as a minor foe - albeit one that delivered a series of humiliating blows to those Austro-Hungarian forces which attempted to invade Serbia in 1914.
For the Austro-Hungarian government the key military foe was judged to be Serbia's protector, Russia. The brief film footage available here shows a group of Austro-Hungarian soldiers marching off to fight against Russian troops.
Public enthusiasm in support of war was surprisingly high in Austria-Hungary in August 1914. This was in stark contrast to increasing civil strife among the many different peoples which comprised the empire in the years leading up to war. Once the public's initial euphoria settled the slow disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian empire gathered pace.
Overseeing the Austro-Hungarian Army was Conrad von Hotzendorf, the decidedly autocratic Commander-in-Chief.
"Suicide Ditch" was a term used by British soldiers to refer to the front-line trench.
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