Anton Haus

After an honorable career serving in the Navy, Anton Haus died of pneumonia in Pola, Croatia, on February 2, 1917. He was 66 years old.

In 1925, his remains were exhumed and transported to Vienna when Pola was placed under Italy's sovereignty postwar.

Maximillian Njegoven succeeded Haus as both Fleet Commander and Navy Commander after his death in 1917. Karl Kailer von Kagenfels succeeded in the position of Chief of the Naval Section of the War Ministry.

Anton Haus was born on June 13, 1851 at Tolmein, Slovenia (now Tolmin) to a Slovenian-speaking family. Not much information is available about his childhood or life before he joined the military.

Anton Haus joined the Navy in 1869. His early career began with several shore assignments, including two teaching positions at the Naval Academy in Fiume and the Naval Torpedo School.

Once on sea assignment, he commanded a corvette in an international force sent to China to settle the Boxer Rebellion during 1900-1901. After the rebellion was settled, he stayed in Beijing for a year.

He was the Austo-Hungarian representative to the Second Hague Peace Conference after being promoted to Vice Admiral in 1907.

With the help of his patron, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, he was promoted to Fleet Inspector in 1912, then Navy Commander and Chief Commander of the Naval Section of the War Ministry a year later.

He was a strong proponent for naval expansion. Before the war, he worked on several naval construction plans and promoted naval corporation with the country's Triple Alliance with Italy and Germany.

During his teaching position at the Naval Academy, Haus published his very influential textbook, Oceanography and Maritime Meteorology in 1891.