Page 53 - Adriatico 1848. Ricerca e significato della contrapposizione marittima - Atti 25 settembre 1998

at the Tll1'kish borc1er-waters in Dalmatia were in one way or another involvecl in
have contemporary reports that many 01' the officers ancl sea men on navy service
On the fleet on service at sea things were clifferent but not much bettero We
a mysterious way ancl haci to be replacec1, clebiting the small naval buclget.
arsenal to represent his name ancl person. A lot of arsenal materia I disappeared in
an aclclitional job outsicle the arsenal he sent a not so skillecl son or relative to the
mostly state officials, ca me ancl went when they wanted. Il' a skillecl craftsman found
a lot 01' corruption was going ono Il was p.e. usual that craftsmen ancl skillecl workers,
the famous arsenal, centraI point 01' ship constructions 01' the Austro-Venetian navy,
but in truth a Venetian navy. The same investigation report statecl, that in Venice, in
refore vety rightly that the navy 01' the Austrian Emperor was not an Austrian navy
The Minister 01' War in Vienna state e! on occasion 01' a major investigation the-
events ancl also this createcl an atmosphere 01' laissezfaire in ali ranks.
policy 01' Metternich in Europe clicl not confront the Austrian navy with major war
nothing. This behaviour was accentuatecl by the fact, that the successful peace
military matters countecl little ancl the Austrian government regulations countecl
the Venetian traclitons ancl wish l'or a perfect hanclling 01' the ships countecl all,
strange Austro-Venetian naval bocly. It was saicl that in this Austro-Venetian navy
therefore, accore!ing to inclepenclant biographs 01' that time, into a somewhat
a sma11 percentage 01' Croatians l'rom Dalmatia ancl of very few Austrians. It grew
It was lee! by an ltalian commane!er, was compose cl mainly 01' Venetians, only 01'
Venice, remaineclloaclecl with an over whelming naval traclition 01' a "venezianità".
This situation lecl to the fact, that the Austrian navy, basecl in the port 01'
nobocly hacl an unclerstancling 01' the "exotic" navy existing far away.
rable in the leacling Austrian circles as we11 as in the generai public ancl nearly
in the public. The professional career 01' a naval officer was not consiclerecl clesi-
areai unclerstancling ancl interest l'or the new navy, neither within the ministry nor
appenclb:: 01' the lancl forces. No woncler that the Marine-Section coulcl not create
Austrian lancl forces. The Austrian navy was generally consiclerecl as an useful
dominatecl by the overpowering Fielcl-Marshals ancl Generals 01' the then big
01' War in Vienna by a so callecl Marine-Section, a small clepartment, which was
aclministration 01' the new Austrian navy was hancllecl within the mighty Ministry
an italian, Vice Aclmiral Hamilcar marchese Pau lucci delle Roncole. The centraI
then a naval officer born in the Austrian Netherlancls and finally l'rom 1824-1844
Austrian navy were not born Austrian naval officers, but first a royalist frenchman,
new naval chances. The consequence was, that the high-commanders 01' the new
by no means, neither mentally nor by their personal possibilities preparecl l'or this
Austria, blecl out by the napoleonic wars, and its government in Vienna were
personnel.
its sea ports anci the remainclers 01' the venetian-napoleonic navy, its ships and
01' the nm}y 01' Venice. This incluclecl also the whole Adriatic East Coast in Croatia,
countries, inheritecl what was then left 01' the territory, 01' the city, 01' the port ancl

THE AUSTRIAN NAVY IN THE ADRIATIC SEA IN THE REVOLUTIONARY YEAR 1848
43