Friedrich von Beck-Rzikowsky

Friedrich Graf von Beck-Rzikowsky (21 March 1830 – 9 March 1920), sometimes Friedrich Beck, was an Austrian Generaloberst and Chief of the general staff of the Imperial and Royal army from 1881 to 1906.

Beck was born at Freiburg im Breisgau, and entered the army of the Austrian Empire in 1848. He distinguished himself as chief-of-staff of an infantry division at the Battle of Magenta, and in 1863 was made personal aide-de-camp to the Emperor. He held this position, with that of adjutant-general and chief of the imperial military chancery until 1881, winning the Emperor's confidence and exercising the greatest influence on all military questions.

In 1866 he acted as the Emperor's confidential agent at the headquarters of Feldzeugmeister Ludwig von Benedek, before and after the Battle of Königgrätz, and his advice was of great importance, though it was not always followed. In 1878 he was entrusted with a similar mission to the commander-in-chief of the troops operating in Bosnia. In 1881 he was made chief of the general staff of the Imperial and Royal army, a position which he occupied until 1906. Not only was his advice listened to in military affairs, but he frequently exercised great influence on important political and personal questions, gaining a great reputation throughout the monarchy as one of its most influential men. His clear judgment and practical common-sense enabled him to see and judge men and things from a purely objective standpoint.

He retired at the age of 77, and was appointed commander of the Imperial Guard.

Orders and decorations
• undefined:

• * Knight of the Iron Crown, 3rd Class with War Decoration, 1859; 1st Class, 1878

• * Knight of the Imperial Order of Leopold, 1868; Grand Cross, 1885

• * Golden Jubilee Court Medal

• * Jubilee Court Cross

• * Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, 1896

• * Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration and in Diamonds

•  Tuscan Grand Ducal Family:

• * Commander of the Order of Saint Joseph

• * Grand Cross of the Military Merit Order

•  Baden:

• * Knight of the Zähringer Lion, 1st Class with Oak Leaves, 1852

• * Knight of the House Order of Fidelity, 1900

• * Grand Cross of the Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order, 1906

•  undefined: Grand Cross of the Military Merit Order

• 🇧🇪 Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (military)

•  undefined: Grand Cross of Saint Alexander

•  France: Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour

• 🇬🇷 Greece: Grand Cross of the Redeemer

•  Grand Duchy of Hesse:

• * Grand Cross of the Ludwig Order

• * Grand Cross of the Merit Order of Philip the Magnanimous

•  undefined:

• * Grand Cross of Saints Maurice and Lazarus

• * Grand Cross of the Crown of Italy

•  undefined: Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun

•  undefined: Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Danilo I

•  Ottoman Empire:

• * Order of Osmanieh, 1st Class in Diamonds

• * Order of the Medjidie, 2nd Class

•  Persia: Order of the Lion and the Sun, 1st Class in Diamonds

•  Prussia:

• * Knight of the Red Eagle, 1st Class, 1888; in Diamonds, 6 September 1891

• * Knight of the Black Eagle, 19 September 1893

•  undefined: Grand Cross of the Star of Romania

•  undefined:

• * Knight of Saint Alexander Nevsky, in Diamonds

• * Knight of Saint Anna, 1st Class

• * Knight of Saint Stanislaus, 1st Class

•  undefined: Grand Cross of the Albert Order, with Golden Star, 1891; with Silver Crown

•  Siam: Grand Cross of the White Elephant

•  undefined: Commander of the Order of Charles III, with Star

•  Württemberg: Commander of the Friedrich Order, 1st Class