Keiserlik-kuningliku armee mitmekesistest vormipükstest (1867–1918). Sõjaväeline ühtlustamine ja territoriaalse koostöö võimalused [On the Diversity of Pants in the Imperial and Royal Army (1867–1918). Dichotomy of Regional Traditions and State Centralism]

Abstract

This article deals with the process of army reformation during the late Habsburg Monarchy and discusses the role of local military privileges in the state structure, governance and territorial cooperation of the Empire. The late Habsburg Monarchy was a country of permanent modernization that could easily be traced in many aspects of life, the military among them. Starting in 1868, the Habsburgs applied universal conscription for their army and began a long-term programme of reformation and improvement in their armed forces. The main architect of the programme was archduke Albrecht and his main ideas were realized in the army until 1914. Among the most important components of the military reform was following the unification and centralization of the army, cancellation of local military privileges and creation of a single governing body for all the soldiers of the Empire-k. u. k. Ministry of War in Vienna. At the same time, we could see that even after 1868 there were several territories with local military privileges at different levels. The main task of this article is to discuss the real role of such privileges in the imperial military structure and figure out the main reasons for their existence, 1