{"product_id":"original-austro-hungarian-wwi-imperial-royal-mountain-trooper-bronze-statue-on-marble-base-excellent","title":"Original Austro-Hungarian WWI Imperial-Royal Mountain Trooper Bronze Statue on Marble Base - Excellent","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item. One-of-a-Kind. The Imperial-Royal Mountain Troops (German: Kaiserlich-königliche Gebirgstruppe) were founded in 1906 as part of the Austrian Landwehr, the territorial army of the Cisleithanian half of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As a result, the abbreviation \"k.k.\" (for kaiserlich österreichisch, königlich böhmisch or \"Imperial Austrian, Royal Bohemian\") was used and not \"k.u.k.\" (\"Imperial and Royal\") which would have implied a connexion with the Hungarian half of the Empire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an outstanding bronze statue of a very storied Imperial-Royal Mountain Trooper who wears a very long beard and is puffing on his pipe. The statue measures roughly 10½” tall and sits on a marble base measuring\u003cstrong\u003e 5 x 3 x ⅞”\u003c\/strong\u003e. The statue is a small bit loose to the base but still displays beautifully. The trooper carries what is likely his M1895 Mannlicher straight-pull bolt action rifle, and carries a long pickaxe\/icepick tool in his pack. The visible bottom of his one shoe shows the pointed metal pieces that would allow easier movement through the mountainous terrain. He wears his Austrian cap with a feather sticking out. The statue weighs 5.45lb.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn outstanding display piece for any WWI collection, ready for further research and display!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 1 May 1906 the two state rifle regiments with their HQs stationed in Bozen and Trient (now Bolzano and Trento, both in Italy) and the 4th Landwehr Infantry (Klagenfurt) were nominated as \"high mountain troops\" (Hochgebirgstruppe) and, in 1909, a third state rifle regiment, with its HQ stationed in Candido, was added. In 1911, the fifth regiment followed: the 27th Imperial-Royal Landwehr Infantry (Laibach).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe area of the Carnic ridge in Carinthia and the Julian Alps was assigned to the 4th Landwehr Infantry (Klagenfurt) and the 27th Landwehr Infantry (Ljubljana). These two, hitherto standard infantry regiments were given the new uniform of the mountain troops. From 11 April 1917 they bore the names 1st and 2nd Mountain Rifles. The regiments began with high alpine training and moved into so-called summer stations in mountain inns, Alpine Club huts and tented camps, where they carried out intense training. The winter stations were naturally located in the valleys, but this did prevent there being a comprehensive programme of winter exercises, alpine skiing course and skiing training in the mountains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1907, the gamecock spray of white and black feathers that had been worn on the cap until 1887 by the state rifles was re-introduced. Together with the edelweiss on the collar, it formed the badge of the Imperial-Royal Mountain Troops. Otherwise the uniform was the same as that of the Jäger infantry. What was new was the pike gray mountain dress: mountain boots, mountain socks, britches, heavy jacket, cap, coat, cape. Officers continued to wear their previous Landwehr uniform as individual (i.e. not in squads) on parade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBattalions and companies were given pack animals. The rifle was replaced by the (shorter) 8mm Mannlicher M 95 carbine. They were issued with additional equipment adapted to the requirements of mountain warfare; including skis, ropes, crampons and ice axes. Regiments were reinforced by a mountain machine gun section of four machine guns which, to improve mobility, could be carried by pack animals or in manportable packs at the highest altitudes. The same applied to the take-apart mountain guns. Portable field stoves (Schwarmöfen) and heated tents assisted troops to operate in inhospitable conditions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43964002795589,"sku":"ONAC25SD0571","price":895.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONAC25SD0571MAIN.jpg?v=1762815989","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-austro-hungarian-wwi-imperial-royal-mountain-trooper-bronze-statue-on-marble-base-excellent","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}