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The Marshaling of Copper: An Index of Austro-Hungarian Economic Mobilization during World War I

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2009

J.Robert Wegs
J.Robert Wegs
Affiliation:
University of Notre Dame
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Extract

Most World War I belligerents, including Austria-Hungary and Germany, experienced severe copper shortages because of insufficient domestic ore deposits and the extensive use of the copper alloys, brass and bronze, in the munitions industry. Both Germany and the Dual Monarchy, their foreign sources of copper limited because of the British blockade, were forced to use substitute metals and to curtail the use of copper even in the armaments industry. In 1913 Austria-Hungary's domestic production amounted to only 4,052 tons of pure copper. Austrian industrial demands were met only with the importation of 36,500 tons of the metal. Consequently, when the Allied blockade cut off most of her copper imports at the same time that military needs sharply increased demand, Austria-Hungary faced a dilemma. Moreover, before Austria-Hungary was able to develop substitutes for copper, brass, and bronze, domestic supplies had been seriously reduced.

Type
The First World War
Information
Austrian History Yearbook , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , January 1976 , pp. 189 - 202
Copyright
Copyright © Center for Austrian Studies, University of Minnesota 1976

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References

1 Because of their ductility, copper and the copper alloys, brass and bronze, were considered to be indispensable for the manufacture of shell casings and weapons barrels. Brass cartridges and shell casings expand without rupturing during firing, thus filling the weapon chamber and permitting the force of the blast to go forward. Moreover, they cool rapidly, thereby making possible the rapid ejection of the cartridge from the weapon.

2 Österreichisches Statistisches Handbuch, Vol. XXXI1I–XXXV (Vienna: Karl Gerolds Sohn, 1918), pp. 88 and 103.Google Scholar

3 Gratz, Gustav and Schüller, Richard, Der wirtschaftliche Zusammenbruch Österreich-Ungarns (Vienna: Hölder-Pichler-Tempsky, 1930), p. 106.Google Scholar

4 For the most popular presentation of this viewpoint, see Taylor, A. J. P., The Habsburg Monarchy (New York: Harper & Row, 1965), p. 233.Google Scholar

5 Östisterreichisches Statistisches Handbuch, Vol. XXX11I–XXXV, pp. 82 and 84. Only nine of the thirty-two Austrian copper mines were in operation in 1914. The major copper mines were in Lower Austria at Knappenberg and Schendlegg, in the Tyrol at Schwaz and Kitzbiihel, and in Salzburg at Seekar and Mitterberg. Mitterberg in Berndorf produced considerably more copper ore than all the other mines combined. In Hungary small amounts of ore were mined at Almasel, Balanbanya, and Nagybanya.

6 Report of the imperial and royal Austro-Hungarian embassy in Berlin to the imperial and royal ministry of foreign affairs on the exportation and transit of metals from Germany, October, 1914, Haus-, Hof- und Staatsarchiv (Vienna) (hereafter cited as “Staatsarchiv [Vienna]”), 36 Krieg Österreich-Ungarn 1914—4 Deuischland l/20a, Fasc. XLV11, No. 86467/16. All copper ordered and en route to Austria before September.was not included in this consignment.

7 For further information on the wartime organization of industry, see Richard Riedl, Die Industrie Österreichs während des Krieges (Vienna: Hölder-Pichler-Tempsky, 1932); and my forthcoming Die Wirtschaft Ösierreich-Ungarns im Ersien Weltkrieg (Vienna: lnstitut für Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte, 1977).

8 See p. 193.

9 Report on copper needs by the inspector of technical artillery to department VII of the war ministry, November 14, 1915, Kriegsarchiv (Vienna), Kriegsminisierium— Abieilung 7, Fasc. MDCLXXXV, No. 53–1701, Doc. 8569.

10 Report on shells and sheet steel by the imperial and royal ministry of war to the royal Hungarian ministry of commerce, August 26, 1915, ibid., Fasc. MDLXXX, No. 53–1098, Doc. 32762; report on copper needs by the inspector of technical artillery to department VII of the war ministry, November 14, 1915, ibid., Fasc. MDCLXXI1, No. 53–1701, Doc. 8569; report on the total supply of copper and brass on hand on August I, 1915, at the firms entrusted with supplying the army, August 30, 1915, ibid., Fasc. MDLXXXI1, No. 53–1269, Doc. 36529; report on the total supply of copper and brass on hand on September I, 1915, at the firms entrusted with supplying the army, September 14, 1915, ibid., No. 53–1269/2, Doc. 38891; report on the total supply of copper and brass on hand on September 15, 1915, at the firms entrusted with supplying the army, September 15, 1915, ibid., Fasc. MDCLXXXVH, No. 53–2194/24, Doc. 5670; report on the total supply of copper and brass on hand on October 15, 1915, at the firms entrusted with supplying the army, November 2, 1915, ibid., No. 53–2194/28, Doc. 47123; report on the total supply of copper and brass on hand on November 1, 1915, at the firms entrusted with supplying the army, November 16, 1915, ibid., No. 53–2119, Doc. 50170; report on the total supply ofcopper and brass on hand on November 15, 1915, at the firms entrusted with supplying the army, December 2, 1915, ibid., No. 53–1968, Doc. 52358; report on the total supply of copper and brass on hand on December 1, 1915, at the firms entrusted with supplying the army, December 16, 1915, ibid., No. 53–1986/2, Doc. 54995. Beginning on August 1, 1915, the inspector of technical artillery required all firms to report their supply of copper and brass twice a month.

11 Inspector of technical artillery to the war ministry, April 16, 1915 (report No. 19472 on an agreement between the Prussian and Austro-Hungarian war ministries), ibid., Fasc. MDCLXXIII, No. 53–67/49. The Prussian war ministry acted as the representative for all of Germany.

12 Report on the negotiations in Berlin on May 28–30 over the quota for the second half of 1915, May 30, 1915, ibid., Fasc. MDCLXXI1I, No. 53–6751, Doc. 22175.

13 Report of department VII to the Prussian ministry of war in regard to negotiations in Berlin with the inspector of technical artillery on October 19, 1915, dated November 22, 1915, ibid., Fasc. MDCLXXXV1, No. 53–1818, Doc. 54034.

14 Report of the Austro-Hungarian embassy in Berlin to the Austro-Hungarian ministry of foreign affairs on the quota negotiations between the Austro-Hungarian and Prussian war ministries, December 24, 1915, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), Krieg Österreich-Ungarn 1914—50 Österreich-Ungarn 69, Fasc. CCXX1, No. 127347. In the October negotiations Germany granted the monarchy 693 tons of copper and 825 tons of alloy in return for scrap iron from Austria-Hungary.

15 Imperial and royal defense ministry to all imperial and royal stadtholders and provincial governments, March 27, 1915, Kriegsarchiv (Vienna), Kriegsministerium— Abteilung 7, Fasc. MDCLXXI1, No. 53–5/22, Doc. 12278.

16 Ibid.

17 Report of the commission for war production, Allgemeines Verwaltungsarchiv (Vienna), Nachlaβ Karl Seitz, Fasc. VIII, p. 19.

18 Riedl's figures for the amount of industrial metals purchased in 1915, as given in hisDie Industrie öOsterreichs während des Krieges, p. 301, are incorrect for both copper and copper alloy. See report of the commission for war production, Allgemeines Verwaltungsarchiv (Vienna), Nachlafβ Karl Seitz, Fasc. VIII, p. 56.

19 Report of the commission for war production, Allgemeines Verwaltungsarchiv (Vienna), Nachlafβ Karl Seitz, Fasc. VII, p. 51.

20 Ibid., p. 18.

21 Central metal authority's joint-stock company to the electrical engineering commission in the imperial and royal ministry of commerce, October 13, 1915, Kriegsarchiv (Vienna), Kriegsministerium—Abteilung7, Fasc. MDCLXXV, No. 53–704/2, Doc. 45749.

22 Ibid.

23 Ibid.

24 Report of the commission for war production, Allgemeines Verwaltungsarchiv (Vienna), Nachlafβ Karl Seitz, Fasc. VIII, p. 25.

25 Manfred Weiss Company to imperial and royal war ministry, Budapest, May 31, 1915, Kriegsarchiv (Vienna), Kriegsminisierium–Abteilung7, Fasc. MDCLXXIV, No. 53–374/9, Doc. 21464.

26 Ministry of public works to ministry of war, 1915, ibid., Fasc. MDCLXXI11, No. 53–204, Doc. 8241.

27 Department VII to the imperial and royal military command at Temesvár, November 21, 1915, Fasc. MDCLXXX, No. 53–1086/6, Doc. 49558.

28 Inspector of technical artillery's report to the war ministry concerning subsidies, September 12, 1915, ibid., Doc. 38372.

29 Department VII report to the ministry of public works concerning the increase in Austrian copper production, May, 1915, ibid., Fasc. MDCLXXV, No. 53–679/2, Doc. 31088.

30 Department VII to the military command at Sarajevo on the agreements between the Austro–Hungarian and Prussian war ministries about mining in Serbia, November 30, 1915, ibid., Fasc. MDCLXXXI1, No. 53–1277/15–4, Doc. 52653.

31 Kerchnawe, Hugo et al. , Die Mililärverwaltung in den von den ö'sterreichischungarischen Truppen besetzten Gebieien (Vienna: Holder–Pichler–Tempsky, 1928), p. 180.Google Scholar

32 See ante, p. 193.

33 See ibid.

34 Military command in Sarajevo report to the imperial and royal war ministry on metal collected in Bosnia–Hercegovina as of May, 1916, June 10, 1916, Kriegsarchiv (Vienna), Kriegsminisiehum–Ableilung 7, Fasc. MDCLXX1I, No. 53–11/78–3, Doc. 12243.

35 Text of an agreement between the war ministries in Berlin and Vienna, March 18, 1916, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), 36 Krieg Österreich–Ungarn 1916–30–Deutsches Reich 1O, Fasc. LXXXIV, No. 116 Metalle, Doc. 30740/16. See also the reports dated April 10, July 20, and August 18, 1916, ibid., No. 5/16 Metalle, Doc. 62954/16; No. 7/16 Metalle, Doc. 75809/16; and No. 8/16 Metalle, Doc. 86053/16; and the report of department VII to the supreme command of the army on the increase in the production of heavy guns and munitions, December 4, 1916, Kriegsarchiv (Vienna), Präsidialbureau, No. 32–11/1, Doc. 33441.

36 Agreement between the war ministries in Berlin and Vienna, August 18, 1916, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), 36 Krieg Ösierreich–Ungarn 1916–50 Deutsches Reich, Fasc. LXXXIV, No. 8/16 Metalle, Doc. 86053/16. By previous agreement Germany was to grant Austria consignments of copper from November, 1915, to April, 1917, after which time the monarchy was to meet its own copper requirements and repay Germany for that previously given to her.

37 Riedl, Die Industrie Österreichs wÖhrend des Krieges, p. 302.

38 Report of the inspector of technical artillery to department VII on the increase in the production of munitions, October, 1916, Kriegsarchiv (Vienna), PrÖsidialbureau, No. 32–11/11, Doc. 2092. The estimated requirement of 4,570 tons per month included 2,920 tons of electrolyte copper and 1,650 tons of refined copper.

39 Ibid.

40 Ibid.

41 Goebel, Otto, Deutsche Rohstoffwirtschaft im Weltkrieg (Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags–Anstalt, 1930), p. 46.Google Scholar

42 Inspector of technical artillery to Mitterberg copper company in Vienna (complaints about the continual arrears in deliveries from Mitterberg), June 16, 1916, Kriegsarchiv (Vienna), Kriegsministerium–Abteilung7, No. 53/1001–2100, Doc. 13700.

43 Ibid.

44 Note on the meeting of the tariff and trade conference–information about the war ministry's investments in the industrial area, May, 1917, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), 34 Konferenzen Österreich–Ungarns, Fasc. LXXVI, No. 53022/9.

45 Ibid.

46 Report of the commission for war production, Allgemeines Verwaltungsarchiv (Vienna), Nachlafβ Karl Seitz, Fasc. VIII, p. 56.

47 Association of the Austrian ironware dealers' report on the plenary session in the chamber of commerce on October 10, 1917, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), 92 Varia Öslerreich–Ungarn 2, Fasc. XI.

48 Riedl,Die Industrie Österreichs während des Krieges, p. 302.

49 Inspector of technical artillery to department VII (on increasing the production of munitions), October, 1916, Kriegsarchiv (Vienna), Präsidialbureau, No. 32–11/11, Doc. 2092. Domestic production fell 3,967 tons short of the 9,240 tons expected by the inspector. Moreover, instead of the unrealistic 28,800 tons expected from the commandeered bells, only 9,771 tons were actually realized.

50 Seeante, p. 193.

51 Report on the status of the quota of metals exported to Austria-Hungary, February 8, 1918, Staatsarchiv (Vienna), 36 Krieg Österreich–Ungarn 1914–4. Deutschland, Fasc. XLVII, No. 25374/16.

52 Ibid.

53 Stenographic protocol of the 27th session of the commission for war production on September 17, 1918, Allgemeines Verwaltungsarchiv (Vienna), Nachlafβ Karl Seitz.Fasc. VIII, p. 1,151.

54 Ibid., p. 1.154.

55 Ibid., p. 1,153.

56 Ibid., p. 1,154.

57 Ibid., p. 1,174.

58 Riedl's undocumented study claims that only 24 percent of the military demand was met in 1918. See his Die Industrie Österreichs während des Krieges, p. 302.

59 Stenographic protocol of the 27th session of the commission for war production on September 17, 1918, Allgemeines Verwaltungsarchiv (Vienna), Nachlafβ Karl Seitz, Fasc. VIII, p. 1,152.

60 The minister of war, General Rudolf Edler Stöger–Steiner von Steinstätten, to the Austrian minister-president, Vienna, August 8, 1918, Kriegsarchiv (Vienna), K.M-Sektion von Gruber, Section 21, Fasc. IX, No. 21800.

61 Ibid.