Anton Freiherr von Lehár | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1876-02-21)21 February 1876[1] |
| Died | 12 November 1962(1962-11-12) (aged 86) Vienna, Austria |
| Buried | Buried atKlosterneuburg[2] |
| Allegiance | .svg) Austria-Hungary.svg) Kingdom of Hungary |
| Years of service | 1893–1921 |
| Rank | Generalmajor[3][4] |
| Awards |
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Antal Freiherr von Lehár (bornAntal Lehár; 21 February 1876 – 12 November 1962; known sometimes asBaron Antal Lehár) was an Austrianofficer of Hungarian descent, who reached the pinnacle of his service afterWorld War I when he supported the former EmperorCharles I of Austria's attempts to retake the throne of Hungary. His brother was composerFerenc Lehár.[8]
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Lehár was born in Ödenburg (nowSopron),Austria-Hungary, as the younger son of abandmaster in theInfantry Regiment No. 50 of theAustro-Hungarian Army. He attended schools in Preßburg (Pozsony, todayBratislava),Prague and Vienna.[9] He entered cadet school in Vienna to become a professional officer, finishing in 1893 top of his class. Following a posting to his father's regiment, he was promotedLeutnant in 1894 andOberleutnant in 1898. Between 1897 and 1899 Lehár attended theKriegsschule (war college) in Vienna, after which he was attached to the general staff and served in a number of training positions untilWorld War I.
Following the outbreak of World War I, Lehár, now with the rank ofMajor, was put in command of the 2ndbattalion of theHonvéd-Landsturm Infantry Regiment No. 13, which he led in September 1914 during battles atChodel south ofLublin. His battalion was part of the Army group "Kummer" and served next to the unit ofGeneral Viktor Dankl.[3][10] For his conduct there, Lehár would later be decorated with theKnight's Cross of theMilitary Order of Maria Theresa (see below). While still fighting near Lublin, Lehár was severely wounded.
After leaving hospital he was reassigned to the War ministry in Vienna and in September 1915 he served in the Tyrolean Defence Command.[3][10] Following promotion toOberstleutnant in September 1915, Lehár returned to fighting, this time on the Italian front. There he commanded the Heeresgruppe "Lehar" in the Etschtal-Rovereto sector of the Italian front, which consisted of TyroleseStandschützen andBosniaks.[3][11] In June 1916 he was transferred back to the technical Military committee and became head of the department for infantry and cavalry weapons.[3][6] Assignments to the Eastern front[3] and to the office ofHermann Kövess von Kövessháza followed.[6] Later he was transferred to the newly raised Infantry Regiment 106 and commanded this unit in the battles on the Piave. He served in the Infantry Regiment 106 until the end of the war.[3][12] In May 1918 he was promoted toOberst and received the Golden Bravery Medal for Officers.
In August 1918 Lehár was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa in recognition of his services during the battles at Chodel south of Lublin in September 1914. In accordance with the statutes of this order, Lehár became abaron in his country's nobility and was thereafter styled "Freiherr von Lehár", while his brotherFranz remained a commoner.
At the conclusion of hostilities of World War I, Lehár was able to move his regiment, without any casualties or desertion, back to Steinamanger (nowSzombathely, Hungary).
After the dissolution of theAustro-Hungarian Empire, Oberst Anton Freiherr von Lehár decided to remain in Hungary and to fight again for the monarchy, in several roles and at various theatres of war. He played an important role in the counterrevolution in Hungary.[13][14] In August 1919 he became themilitary commander of Western Hungary and was promoted toMajor General byRegentMiklós Horthy.[3]
When the former KingCharles IV tried toreturn to the Hungarian throne, Lehár joined his troops, but the mission failed.[15][16][17][18][19] While the former monarch was transported into exile, Lehár escaped from Hungary and fled throughCzechoslovakia to Germany where he hid with friends of his brother.[3]
When the political turmoil had calmed down, Anton's brother Franz Lehár organized for the former general a job as director of theSociety of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers in Berlin in 1926. With the rise of theNational Socialist Party, Freiherr von Lehár was, as a dedicated Austrian-Hungarian monarchist, soon considered suspect. When the National Socialists assumed power in 1933 (Machtergreifung), he had to leave Berlin.[3][20]
Back in Vienna, Lehár founded theChodel Music Publishing Company, but after it did not prosper, he decided to hand over the business to his brother in 1935. He then moved to the countryside, becoming a farmer inTheresienfeld nearWiener Neustadt inLower Austria. When Germany occupied Austria in March 1938 (Anschluss), Lehár was ordered to move to Vienna, where theGestapo could keep a closer eye on him and his wife for much ofWorld War II.[3][21] After Franz Lehár's death in October 1948, the former general became the administrator of his estate and spent the rest of his life guarding the rights and promoting the popularity of his brother's music.
Anton Freiherr von Lehár died in Vienna in 1962, aged 86.
Sources
Media related toAnton Lehár at Wikimedia Commons