Austria's Army: A Battle Against Itself

The Battle of Karansebes is known as the time the Austrian army attacked itself. In September 1788, during the Austro-Turkish War, the Austrian army was camped near the village of Karansebes, now in present-day Romania. The army was multilingual, with soldiers from Austria, Germany, Poland, France, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia, and Italy, which led to communication issues. One night, a group of cavalry scouts bought alcohol from some travellers and started drinking. When infantry soldiers found them, a quarrel broke out, and a shot was fired. Mistaking the gunfire for an enemy attack, the rest of the army began firing indiscriminately. The chaos was exacerbated by language barriers, with German officers' attempts to stop the fighting being misinterpreted as Turkish battle cries. By the time the sun rose, thousands of Austrian soldiers lay dead or wounded. Two days later, the Turkish army arrived and easily captured Karansebes. While some historians question the accuracy of this story, it serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by the Austrian army during the Austro-Turkish War.

The Battle of Karansebes

On the night of September 21, a group of Austrian cavalry scouts crossed the Timiș River to look for Turkish soldiers. They came across a group of Romanian travellers who offered them schnapps. The scouts began drinking and soon a group of Austrian infantrymen joined them. When the infantrymen were denied alcohol, a quarrel broke out which turned into a fistfight.

During the fight, a shot was fired and the infantrymen shouted, "Turks! Turks!". The hussars, thinking that the Ottoman army was attacking, fled the scene. Most of the infantry also ran away, but the army was comprised of people from various nationalities, many of whom could not understand each other. In the chaos, some soldiers gave a false warning to others, who promptly fled as well.

As the hussars fled through the camps, a corps commander mistook them for a cavalry charge by the Ottoman army and ordered artillery fire. The entire camp awoke to the sound of battle and the emperor, Joseph II, ordered the army to withdraw.

The next day, the Ottoman army arrived and discovered thousands of dead and wounded Austrian soldiers. They easily captured the city of Karansebes (now Caransebeș, Romania).

Language barriers

The Battle of Karansebes in 1788 is often referred to as a legendary incident of friendly fire, where the Austrian army attacked itself. The army, made up of soldiers from various nationalities, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Croatia, Serbia, Poland, Romania, and Italy, faced significant communication difficulties due to language barriers.

The Austrian army's multi-ethnic composition, with soldiers speaking German, Hungarian, Polish, Czechoslovakian, and various Slavic languages, created significant communication challenges. This incident highlights the challenges faced by multi-lingual armies throughout history, where language barriers could lead to confusion, miscommunication, and even friendly fire incidents.

To address language barriers, the Austrian army implemented several strategies:

• Regimental Languages: Each regiment had one or more regimental languages, which officers were required to learn if at least 20% of the rank-and-file spoke that language. Officers had to prove their language proficiency within three years and were incentivized to learn quickly to achieve further promotions.
• Military Academies: Military academies, such as the Theresian Military Academy, emphasized language learning. Cadets learned German, French, Czech, and either Polish or Hungarian. However, the quality of language instruction was not always ideal.
• Basic Commands: All soldiers were required to master a set of 80 basic commands in German, such as "forward!", "halt!", and "fire!".
• Artificial Languages: A specialized pidgin language called "Armee-Slawisch" or "Army Slavic" was developed, consisting of about 80 key words, mostly of Czech origin. It served as a lingua franca among Slavic-speaking troops.
• Grouping by Language: Efforts were made to keep soldiers grouped by language, but mixed-language units still occurred due to the diverse nationalities within the army.

Alcohol-fuelled brawl

The Battle of Karansebes is often referred to as a legendary incident of history's worst friendly fire, where the Austrian army fought against itself due to an alcohol-fuelled brawl. The Austro-Turkish War, which took place from 1787 to 1791, was a conflict between the Austrian (or Habsburg) Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The Austrian army, comprising men from various nationalities, including Austrians, Czechs, Germans, French, Serbs, Croats, and Poles, faced significant communication challenges due to the diverse languages spoken among them.

On the night of September 17, 1788, Austrian cavalry scouts, or hussars, crossed the Timiș River in search of Ottoman forces. Instead, they encountered a group of Romanian or Gypsy travellers who offered them alcohol, particularly schnapps. The hussars indulged in heavy drinking, taking the opportunity to relax before the anticipated battle.

Soon, a group of infantry soldiers crossed the river and demanded to join the festivities. However, the inebriated hussars refused to share their alcohol, leading to a heated argument and a physical altercation. During the brawl, a shot was fired, escalating the situation. The commotion caused panic among the sober Austrian soldiers in the town of Karansebes, who were on high alert for the expected arrival of Turkish forces. Mistaking the gunshot for an enemy attack, they began shouting, "Turks! Turks!"

The hussars and infantry, believing that the Turks had arrived, rushed back to their camp in a state of panic and disorder. In the darkness, the sober Austrian forces mistook their drunken comrades for invading Turkish soldiers and opened fire. The drunken soldiers, thinking their camp was being overtaken by the enemy, returned fire.

In an attempt to restore order, German officers shouted, "Halt! Halt!" However, due to the language barrier, non-German-speaking soldiers misunderstood and thought they were shouting "Allah!", a common Turkish battle cry. This further fuelled the chaos, and the Austrian army descended into a full-blown battle against itself. The situation was exacerbated by the arrival of Emperor Joseph II, who tried unsuccessfully to stop the firing and confusion.

The Battle of Karansebes resulted in significant casualties for the Austrian army, with thousands of men left dead or wounded. Two days later, when the Turkish army finally arrived in Karansebes, they encountered a defenceless town and easily took control without facing any resistance.

The incident was recorded in the Austrian Military Magazine in 1831, 40 years after the event, leading to debates among historians about its authenticity. Some argue that the battle may have been fabricated or exaggerated, while others attribute the delay in reporting to embarrassment on the part of the Austrian army.

Misidentification of enemy forces

The Battle of Karansebes:

During the Austro-Turkish War in 1788, the Austrian army suffered a major friendly fire incident known as the Battle of Karansebes. The army, consisting of various nationalities with language barriers, mistakenly fought against itself due to miscommunication and the influence of alcohol. The incident resulted in heavy casualties for the Austrians and ultimately led to the capture of Karansebes by the Ottoman Turks.

World War I and World War II:

Both World Wars had a significant number of friendly fire incidents. During WWI, C.S. Lewis was wounded by shrapnel from a British shell, and a British submarine attacked and sank its fellow British submarine due to misidentification. WWII saw even more incidents, with examples including a British submarine sinking another British sub, resulting in 52 deaths, and an RAF raid that led to the deaths of many New Zealanders in Egypt.

American Civil War:

The American Civil War also witnessed several friendly fire events. Confederate General Stonewall Jackson was killed by his own men, and Confederate Lieutenant General James Longstreet was wounded by friendly fire. Additionally, during the Battle of Antietam, Union troops got confused and fired on each other, resulting in over 1000 friendly fire deaths.

Other Examples:

• During the Napoleonic Wars, General of Artillery Colloredo mistook fleeing hussars for a cavalry charge by the Ottoman army and ordered artillery fire, contributing to the chaos and casualties among Austrian forces.
• In the Vietnam War, there were several instances of friendly fire, with one notable incident involving James Doohan, who played "Scotty" on Star Trek, being mistaken for an enemy soldier and shot six times by his fellow countrymen on D-Day.
• The Crusades provide an example from the medieval period, where Sultan Baybars captured the Krak des Chevaliers by presenting a fake letter supposedly from the knights' commander, ordering their surrender.

Friendly fire

The Battle of Karánsebes is known as one of history's worst friendly fire incidents, where the Austrian army mistakenly fought against itself, causing significant casualties and disruption to their own forces. The incident occurred on the night of September 17, 1788, when the Austrian army, approximately 100,000 strong, was setting up camp near the town of Karánsebes (now Caransebeș in modern-day Romania).

The army's vanguard, a contingent of hussars, crossed the Timiș River to scout for the presence of Ottoman Turkish forces. However, instead of finding the enemy, they encountered a group of Romani people (referred to as "gypsies" in some sources) who offered to sell them alcohol, specifically schnapps. The hussars indulged in drinking, and soon a group of infantry crossed the river and demanded to join the party. The hussars refused to share their alcohol, leading to a heated argument and a physical altercation.

During the scuffle, a shot was fired, and the situation quickly escalated. The hussars and infantry engaged in combat with each other, and in the confusion, some infantry began shouting "Turcii! Turcii!" ("Turks! Turks!"). Mistaking the shouts as a warning of an imminent Ottoman attack, the hussars fled the scene, with most of the infantry following suit. The army at the time was composed of soldiers from various nationalities, including Austrians, Italians, Slavs, Serbs, Croats, and Hungarians, many of whom could not understand each other. This language barrier contributed to the chaos.

As the hussars and infantry retreated through the camps, a corps commander misinterpreted their movement as a cavalry charge by the Ottoman army and ordered artillery fire. The sound of battle awakened the entire camp, and in the panic, the troops began firing at anything that moved, mistaking their fellow Austrian soldiers for the enemy. The Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, who was personally present, was unable to stop the firing and was temporarily separated from his suite, wandering lost in the chaos.

The friendly fire incident resulted in heavy casualties for the Austrian army, with estimates ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 wounded or killed. Two days later, the Ottoman army arrived to find the town of Karánsebes undefended and easily captured it, taking advantage of the self-inflicted damage inflicted by the Austrians.

The Battle of Karánsebes highlights the devastating consequences of friendly fire and the challenges of effective communication and coordination in multilingual military forces. While the exact details of the battle may be subject to some historical uncertainty and embellishment, it remains a notable example of the chaos and tragedy that can result from friendly fire incidents.

Frequently asked questions