Until the end of World War I, homosexuality in the Austro-Hungarian military was a topic of discussion both in the public media and in internal military documents. Scandals such as the espionage affair involving the homosexual Colonel Alfred Redl dominated contemporary newspaper coverage and have long been considered key examples in historical studies of same-sex sexuality in the military in this region.

This dissertation project seeks to expand beyond this limited thematic focus. It explores both the public perception of homosexuality in the military and the measures and legal sanctions imposed by the Austro-Hungarian armed forces against same-sex sexual activity within their ranks. A primary goal of the project is to analyze the legal, medical-psychiatric, and public discourses addressed in military court proceedings through a discourse-analytical approach.

By examining previously unused archival materials, including a wide range of military court records and internal military documents, the project facilitates a comparative analysis of various ranks within enlisted men and officers. There was frequent abuse of military authority, which often resulted in sexual assaults by superiors on subordinate soldiers. At the same time, the records reveal numerous cases in which enlisted men accepted payment for sexual acts. In many instances, the distinction between consensual and coerced sexual intercourse is blurred. This dissertation tackles these complex issues, thereby contributing to New Military History, Women's and Gender History, the History of Sexuality, and Legal History.