Viktor Dankl Von Krasnik - Honors and Decorations

Honors and Decorations

Throughout his mostly distinguished career, Dankl was the recipient of a large amount of military and non-military awards. Despite his reputation as being somewhat short tempered, he was noted as one of Austria-Hungary's finer generals of World War I by Conrad.

On August 17, 1917 Dankl was decorated with the Commander's Cross of the Military Maria Theresa Order in recognition of his services during the battle of Kraśnik. In accordance with the statutes of this order, Dankl became a baron in his country's nobility and was since styled "Freiherr von Dankl". In 1918, Emperor Charles I further advanced him to the degree of count and granted him the territorial title of "Kraśnik", after which he was styled "Graf Dankl von Krasnik". This makes Dankl a rare example of a person in Austria who was born a commoner but rose to the title of count.

His military awards include: the Commander's Cross of the Military Maria Theresa Order, the Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold, the Military Merit Cross First Class, the German Iron Cross First and Second Class, the Marianer Cross of the Teutonic Order, and the Star of the Austrian Society of the Red Cross (with War Decoration).

Civilian honors include an honorary PhD from an Innsbruck university in philosophy, the naming of a "Dankl" street in Innsbruck and honorary membership in the German Student Corps Danubia Graz.