First Serbian Campaign The Fifth Army was formed in 1914 as part of
Austro-Hungarian mobilisation following its declaration of war on
Serbia and
Russia. The Fifth Army was under the command of Gen.
Liborius Ritter von Frank. Its headquarter was in the Bosnian town of Brčko. Together with Sixth Army it was a formation of
Minimalgruppe Balkan and was assigned to the Balkan Front as part of
Balkanstreitkräfte (Balkan Armed Forces) under the command of Lieutenant General
Oskar Potiorek. The Fifth Army comprised the VIII Corps from
Prague, under with two infantry divisions (9th
K.u.k. and 21st
Landwehr), and the XIII Corps from
Zagreb (
Agram) in Croatia with two infantry divisions (36th
K.u.k. and
42nd Honved Divisions). The Fifth Army represented approximately 93,000 rifles and included a large proportion of
South Slavs from the Empire. Between August and December 1914, it fought in the
First Serbian Campaign and suffered such enormous casualties fighting the
Serbian Army that it was disbanded on 27 December 1914 and the commander of the
Balkanstreitkräfte was forced to resign.
Italian Front The Fifth Army was reestablished in May 1915 on the
Italian Front, where it remained active until the end of the War.On 24 May 1917, it was renamed the
Isonzo Army.On 23 August 1917, the Isonzo Army was upgraded to
Army Group Boroević (Heeresgruppe "Boroević") which was composed of 2 armies: • First Isonzo Army, under command of
Wenzel von Wurm. • Second Isonzo Army, under command of
Johann Ritter von Henriquez. In January 1918 the Army Group was composed of • Isonzo Army, under command of
Wenzel von Wurm. •
Sixth Army, under command of
Archduke Joseph August of Austria. ==Commanders==