Avictory title is anhonorific title adopted by a successful military commander to commemorate his defeat of an enemy nation. The practice is first known inAncient Rome and is still most commonly associated with the Romans, but it was also adopted as a practice by many later empires, especially the French, British and Russian Empires.
Victory titles were suffixed to the commander's name and were usually the name of the enemy defeated by the commander. Some victory titles became hereditarycognomina, while others were personalagnomina and not carried on by later family members. Names likeAfricanus ("the African"),Numidicus ("the Numidian"),Isauricus ("the Isaurian"),Creticus ("the Cretan"),Gothicus ("the Goth"),Germanicus ("the German") andParthicus ("the Parthian") expressed the triumphal subjugation of these peoples or their territories, or commemorated the locations of general's successful campaigns, equivalent to modern titles likeLawrence of Arabia, and were not indicators of origin.
The practice of awarding victory titles was established in theRoman Republic. The most famous grantee of a Republican victory title wasPublius Cornelius Scipio, who for his great victories in theSecond Punic War, specifically theBattle of Zama was awarded by theRoman Senate the title "Africanus" and is thus known to history as "Scipio Africanus" (his adopted grandsonScipio Aemilianus Africanus was awarded the same title after theThird Punic War and is known as "Scipio Africanus the Younger"). Other notable holders of such victory titles includeQuintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus, who was replaced byGaius Marius as command-in-chief of theJugurthine War; Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus, who commanded Roman anti-pirate operations in the eastern Mediterranean (and was father ofJulius Caesar's colleague in his secondconsulate);Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus (in 48 BC); whileMarcus Antonius Creticus, another anti-piracy commander (and father of Caesar'smagister equitum,Mark Antony) actually lost in Crete and was calledCreticus mockingly, as it also meant "made of chalk". Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis received his title posthumously from those glorifying his suicide, rather than defeat, at Utica.
The practice continued in theRoman Empire, although it was subsequently amended by someRoman Emperors who desired to emphasise the totality of their victories by addingMaximus ("the Greatest") to the victory title (e.g.,Parthicus Maximus, "the Greatest Parthian"). This taste grew to be rather vulgar by modern standards, with increasingly grandiose accumulations of partially fictitious victory titles.
In a broader sense, the term victory title is sometimes used to describe therepeatable awarding of the invariable style ofImperator (Greek equivalentAutokrator; see those articles), which is the highest military qualification (as modern states have awarded a non-operational highest rank, sometimes instituted for a particular general), but even when it marks the recipient out for one or more memorable victories (and the other use, as a permanent military command for the ruler, became in fact the more significant one), it does not actually specify one.
After the fall ofWestern Rome, the practice continued in modified form.
Charlemagne, the first Carolingian emperor of the Franks, styled himselfDominator Saxonorum ("Dominator of the Saxons") after subduing the largest pagan people of the Empire, transforming the duchy into a vassal of theHoly Roman Empire.
Byzantine EmperorBasil II (r. 960–1025) — "the Bulgar-slayer"
The term "victory-title" occurs in English from as early as 1938.[1]
Modern monarchs awarded titles in commemoration of major military victories, but in the guise of a feudal aristocratic title, often hereditary, but only in appearance: an actual fief was not required, indeed they often were granted in chief of a battlefield where the awarding monarch simply had no constitutional authority to grant anything validly under local law.
This new form was even more specific than the Roman practice. Instead of naming the enemy — which could well need to be repeated — it linked the name of a battle, which was almost always unique. A further level of protection was available by naming a nearby place, such as 'Austerlitz' which Napoleon declaredsounded better than the alternative.[citation needed]
Furthermore, similar titles were awarded for comparable non-military services to the empire, e.g. in 1858 —Amursky for anotherNicholas Muravyov, who had negotiated a new border between Russian and China along theAmur River under theTreaty of Aigun.
GeneralWrangel awarded the last victory-title in Russia (Krymsky – "Crimean") unofficially after the abolition of the monarchy: to theWhite Lieutenant-GeneralYakov Aleksandrovich Slashchov in August 1920 for his defence of the Crimea in 1919–1920.
Napoleon I, the founder of the Bonaparte dynasty and only head of theFirst French Empire, owed his success — both his personal rise and the growth of his empire — above all to his military excellence, and he bestowed elaborate honours on his generals, especially those raised to the supreme army rank ofMarshal of the Empire.
The bestowing of a victory title (French:titre de victoire), commemorating a specific victory, was an ideal form of honour, and many incumbents were victorious marshals (or posthumously, in chief of the widow).
The highest of these titles referenced four nominalprincipalities, in most cases awarded as a "promotion" to holders of ducal victory titles:
Marshal Lefebvre,duc deDantzig – 28 May 1807 (extinct 1820) – Danzig was then still a city republic, which became part of Prussia after Napoleon's defeat, and subsequently Gdańsk in Poland
General Junot,duc d'Abrantès – 1808 (extinct 1859 but extended in female line in 1869, again extinct 1985)
Marshal Marmont,duc deRaguse – 1808 (extinct 1852) – present-day Dubrovnik, on the Croatian coast; conquered as part of Napoleon's own Italian kingdom, soon to become part of France's imperial exclave theIllyrian provinces (1809–1816)
In the interest of insinuating a continuation of hisuncle's empire, to prove legitimacy during his early reign,Napoleon III reestablished many titles that Napoleon I had issued during his own reign. During his long rule, Napoleon III also created new titles rewarding his generals for victory. Examples include:
Lieutenant-General SirArthur Wellesley (later the 1st Duke of Wellington), victor of theBattle of Douro, was in 1809 createdBaron Douro as the subsidiary title granted to him with the Viscountcy of Wellington (see below). He was later, in 1814, createdMarquess Douro as the subsidiary title granted to him with theDukedom of Wellington.
Admiral LordLouis Mountbatten, who oversaw the recapture of Burma from the Japanese, was createdViscount Mountbatten of Burma in 1946 andEarl Mountbatten of Burma in 1947.
Often the victory is commemorated in theterritorial designation rather than the peerage itself. Examples include:
Rear Admiral SirHoratio Nelson, victor of theBattle of the Nile, was createdBaron Nelson, of the Nile and of Burnham Thorpe in the County of Norfolk, in 1798, and (by this time a Vice-Admiral) was further createdViscount Nelson, of the Nile and of Burnham Thorpe in the County of Norfolk. He was createdBaron Nelson, of the Nile and of Hilborough in the County of Norfolk in August 1801. After his victory and death at theBattle of Trafalgar, his brother was createdEarl Nelson, of Trafalgar and of Merton in the County of Surrey, andViscount Merton, of Trafalgar and of Merton in the County of Surrey, in 1805, in his honour.
Rowland Hill, victor of theBattle of Almaraz (1812), was createdBaron Hill, of Almaraz and of Hawkestone in the County of Shropshire in 1814 andBaron Hill, of Almaraz and of Hardwicke in the County of Shropshire in 1816.
SirJohn Keane, commander at theBattle of Ghazni (1839), was createdBaron Keane, of Ghuznee in Affghanistan and of Cappoquin in the County of Waterford in 1839.
SirJohn Lawrence, who served as Chief Commissioner of the Punjab during the Indian Mutiny of 1857-1859, was createdBaron Lawrence, of the Punjab and of Grateley in the County of Southampton in 1869.
SirFrederick Roberts, victor of theBattle of Kandahar (1880), was createdBaron Roberts, of Kandahar in Afghanistan and of the City of Waterford in 1892. Following theBattle of Diamond Hill nearPretoria in 1900, he was further createdEarl Roberts, of Kandahar in Afghanistan and of Pretoria in the Transvaal Colony and of the City of Waterford in 1901.
Major-General SirHerbert Kitchener, in recognition of his victory in theBattle of Omdurman (1898), was createdBaron Kitchener, of Khartoum and of Aspall in the County of Suffolk (Khartoum being the less obscure but relatively nearby capital of theAnglo-Egyptian Sudan), in 1898. In 1902 (by this time a full General) he was further createdViscount Kitchener of Khartoum, of Khartoum and of the Vaal in the Colony of Transvaal and of Aspall in the County of Suffolk (having been Administrator ofTransvaal and of theOrange River Colony in 1901). In June 1914 (having achieved the rank of Field Marshal in 1909) he was further createdEarl Kitchener of Khartoum and of Broome, of Khartoum and of Broome in the County of Kent.
Admiral of the Fleet SirDavid Beatty, theFirst Sea Lord (1919-1927) and formerly Commander-in-Chief of theGrand Fleet (1916-1919) during the last years of the First World War, was, as one of the subsidiary titles granted to him with theEarldom of Beatty, createdBaron Beatty, of the North Sea and of Brooksby in the County of Leicester, in 1919.
Field Marshal SirHerbert Plumer, commander in theBattle of Messines (1917), was createdBaron Plumer, of Messines and of Bilton in the County of York, in 1919 andViscount Plumer, of Messines and of Bilton in the County of York, in 1929.
Field Marshal SirHenry Wilson, a senior British general in theSecond World War, was createdBaron Wilson, of Libya and of Stowlangtoft in the County of Suffolk, in 1946.
In theAustrian Empire titles of nobility could be amended with territorial designations, the so-calledpredicates. These were usually named after the estates of the family in question, but sometimes theHabsburg rulers of Austria also granted victory titles. This happened particularly during World War I. Examples include:
Colonel GeneralJosef Roth, who played a decisive role in theBattle of Limanowa in 1914, when theAustro-Hungarian Army repelled a Russian breakthrough, was ennobled as Freiherr (baron) in 1918 with the style ofFreiherr Roth von Limanowa-Lapanów.
Major GeneralIgnaz Trollmann, whose XIX. Corps helped to conquer theLovćen mountain nearKotor in 1916, was ennobled as Freiherr (baron) in 1917 with the style ofFreiherr Trollmann von Lovcenberg.
The system used in theKingdom of Hungary by theHabsburgs resembled the one employed in Austria. Titles of nobility could be amended with territorial designations, the so-calledpredicates. These were usually named after the estates of the family in question, but sometimes also specific victory titles were granted. Examples include:
Colonel GeneralStefan Sarkotić, the Commanding General in Bosnia and Herzegovina during World War I, was ennobled as a Hungarianbaron and the style ofBaron Sarkotić von Lovćen in early 1917 after Trollmann's XIX. Corps had conquered theLovćen mountain nearKotor.
During theRegency of Hungary after World War I, theRegentMiklós Horthy was not authorized to grant titles of nobility, but conferred theOrder of Vitéz which sometimes but necessarily also carried noble predicates. Initially membership was restricted to men who had served with special distinction in the war. Examples commemorating military action include:
The Spanish crown has awarded similar titles such asAdelantado which was used as a military title held by some Spanishconquistadors of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Subsequently, further victory titles were awarded. Examples include:
AdmiralHoratio Nelson was createdDuke of Bronte. This is not a true victory title, as the duchy was granted in 1799 byFerdinand IV, with the title of Duke — which in England sounds better than the others — as he wrote in a note to his minister, to Admiral Horatio Nelson in recognition of his military actions to safeguard the Kingdom of Naples. In fact, no battle took place in Bronte; the inscription "Heroes Immortals Nile" was engraved on Nelson's castle, as the victory achieved in the 1798 Battle of the Nile confirmed the superiority of the British navy over Napoleon's.
General SirJohn Stuart, commander of a British expeditionary force at theBattle of Maida to counter Napoleon's army, was created Conte di Maida (Count ofMaida) byFerdinand IV for his victory there on July 4, 1806. The Battle of Maida was the first victory of theBritish Army since the beginning of theNapoleonic Wars on the European continent. In his homeland, John Stuart was known asHero of Maida.
General Johann Maria Philipp Frimont, commander-in-chief of the Imperial Austrian Army in the Kingdom of Naples, was created Prince of Antrodoco (Royal Decree of November 30, 1821) for his victory at the Battle of Antrodoco against the Neapolitan insurgents led by General Guglielmo Pepe during the uprisings of 1820-1821.
AdmiralPaolo Thaon di Revel, created 1stDuca del Mare ("Duke of the Sea") in 1922. He had been the Chief of theItalian Naval Staff (1913–1915 and 1917–1919) during World War I.
CommodoreLuigi Rizzo, created 1stConte diGrado e diPremuda for his services as naval commander in World War I during which he also sank the Austrian battleshipSMSSzent István.
^Nibley, Hugh (1938).The Roman Games as the Survival of an Archaic Year-cult. University of California, Berkeley. p. 164. Retrieved2016-06-06.The Imperator was necessarily the victorious leader, his title was awarded with his triumph, and, as Prof. Nesselhauf has recently shown, his rule was simply in the last analysis a protracted triumph: it was not the proconsular title which he chose to express his military power, but the victory-title of Imperator.
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