On 11 November 1918, the signing of the Armistice of Compiègne officially marked the end of the First World War. To commemorate this historic event, the Object of the Month for November is an exceptionally finely crafted cap badge from the First World War, associated with the 6th Hussar Regiment (Württemberg) of the Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Army.
Military cap badges of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy are distinctive reminders of the Great War, as well as characteristic material testimonies to propaganda on the home front, moral support, and collective identity. Although they were not officially part of the standard military uniform, their widespread use made them an integral part of military culture. The practice of wearing these badges became increasingly common from the spring of 1915 onwards, when soldiers primarily attached badges representing army groups and army corps to their caps. Later, smaller military units also began commissioning their own badges, which helped strengthen the spirit of camaraderie. There were also cap badges dedicated to monarchs, military commanders, and theatres of war, as well as badges issued for patriotic and charitable purposes.
The 6th Hussar Regiment of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg of the Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Army – to give its full name – was one of the oldest cavalry units in the Monarchy, with its ranks recruited primarily from Hungarian-speaking regions. The regiment was established in 1734 by Count Sándor Károlyi, a cavalry general, and participated in all major military conflicts, from the War of the Polish Succession through the Napoleonic Wars to the First World War, until its dissolution in 1918.
The inscription on the badge runs around an oval gilded wreath: WÜRTTEMBERG/HUSAREN/1914-15/1916. The upper part of the wreath features representations of the Austrian imperial crown and the Hungarian royal crown, while the centre displays the regiment's dark blue, swallow-tailed standard, adorned with an image of the Virgin Mary, hand-painted in enamel.
Dr. Szabó E. István historian, museologist