Which Austro-Hungarian chief of staff planned the 1914 invasions of Serbia and Galicia?

The Austro-Hungarian chief of staff who planned the 1914 invasions of Serbia and Galicia was Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf.

Conrad served as chief of the Austro-Hungarian General Staff from 1906 to 1917 and was one of the empire’s most forceful advocates of military action against Serbia. After Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, Conrad pushed for war, believing Serbia threatened the survival of the multinational Habsburg state.

His 1914 plans had to address two enemies: Serbia in the Balkans and Russia in Galicia, the eastern region of the empire. Conrad expected a rapid victory over Serbia before shifting forces against Russia, but mobilization and railway problems made that plan difficult. Russia moved into Galicia sooner and in greater strength than he expected, while Austro-Hungarian attacks against Serbia suffered major defeats.

Oskar Potiorek commanded Austro-Hungarian forces in the Serbian campaign, which is why he is sometimes confused with Conrad. Conrad was the senior planner and chief of staff, not the field commander of every operation. His unrealistic assumptions contributed to the empire’s severe military losses in 1914.