Dorothea Gerard (1855–1915) was a British novelist specialising in romances. A prolific writer, she often dealt with controversial and unconventional topics. In 1886, while living with her sister in the Austrian province of Galicia, she married the Austrian military officer Julius Longard de Longgarde, and remained a resident of the Austrian Empire for the rest of her life. This volume, first published in 1913, contains Gerard's study of the officer class of the Austrian Imperial Army. She indicates the historical background of the development of the Austrian army, together with a detailed description of the life of contemporary Imperial officers. The book provides fascinating insights into how the myriad constituent nationalities of the Austrian Empire became a cohesive military force and distinct social class within the Empire. For more information on this author, see http://orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=gerado