Dôstojník v armáde a spoločnosti na prelome 18. a 19. storočia: Imrich II. Zay a jeho kariéra (1765 – 1831)

Officer in the Army and Society at the Turn of the 18th and 19th Centuries: Imrich II. Zay and his Carreer (1765 – 1831)

Autor: KOWALSKÁ Eva

KOWALSKÁ, Eva: Dôstojník v armáde a spoločnosti na prelome 18. a 19. storočia: Imrich II. Zay a jeho kariéra (1765 – 1831)

KOWALSKÁ, Eva: Officer in the Army and Society at the Turn of the 18th and 19th Centuries: Imrich II. Zay and his Carreer (1765 – 1831).

Vojenská história, 19, 2, 2015, pp. 147-160.

In the introduction of the paper, the author outlines the issue concerning the military service and armed homeland defence at the end of the Early Modern Age. As she puts it, this activity represented one of the basic obligations for the members of nobility and was an integral part of the code of noble virtues. However, even for the noblemen, it was not simple and cheap to operate in the army in the command positions as well as to withdraw from the military service. Moreover, many noble families considered carefully whether they would “subscribe” their only son – heir and successor of the family – to the military status and whether the glory of the battlefield would accord with the interest in property development. On the other hand, the military service offered an opportunity to climb up the ladder of military rank not based on prestigious property or antiquity and glory of the family. Of considerable significance was also the relative respect towards non-catholic religion, appreciation of individual merits or fulfilment of the desire for adventure. Taking the example of the Lutheran Imrich Zay, heir of an ancient family and a direct actor of the AustrianTurkish and French conflict as well, the study deals with the analysis of the aforementioned issues. Examining the micro- or personal history, the author strives to comprehend to what extent the military service was becoming the catalyst in the cultural transfer processes.

Keywords: Military History. Austria-Hungary. Officer in the Army and Society at the Turn of the 18th and 19th Centuries. Imrich II. Zay and his Career.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.69809/vojhist.2015.19.2.7

Ročník: 19 | Číslo: 2/2015 | Stránky: 147-160