Fritz von Below

Fritz von Below
Birth name	Fritz Wilhelm Theodor Carl von Below
Birth date	23 September 1853(1853-09-23)
Place of birth	Danzig, Province of Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Confederation
Death date	23 November 1918 (aged 65)
Place of death	Weimar, Free State of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, German Reich
Resting place	Invalids' Cemetery (Invalidenfriedhof), Berlin
Allegiance	German Empire
Service/branch	Prussian Army Imperial German Army
Years of service	1873–1918
Rank	General of the Infantry
Commands held	Königin Elisabeth Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3 4th Guards Infantry Brigade 1st Guards Infantry Division XXI Corps 1st Army 9th Army
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Red Eagle Order Iron Cross Pour le Mérite with Oakleaves

Fritz Wilhelm Theodor Karl von Below (23 September 1853 – 23 November 1918) was a German officer of the Prussian Army and the Imperial German Army, finally General der Infanterie during World War I. Von Below entered the World War with the XXI Army Corps and distinguished himself particularly in the winter battle in Masuria, where he was in charge of the easternmost encirclement wing. In 1915, taking over the 2nd Army in place of the sick Generalfeldmarschall Karl von Bülow, he achieved an impressive defensive victory in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He also proved himself as a military leader in the double battles on the Aisne and in Champagne. Under his leadership, the new training regulations for infantry were developed, which took the changed conditions of modern warfare into account and became fundamental for the training of the German Reichswehr.

Military career (chronology)

Left picture: Fritz von Below's brother Ernst von Below; right picture: Kaiser Wilhelm II (right) is shaking hands with Otto von Below (left), the leader of the successful German troops in Italy, at the entrance of Castle Passariano (Veneto), 14 November 1917. This scene is often wrongly described as the Kaiser with Fritz von Below.

• Cadet Corps
  • transferred to the Prussian Army as a commissioned 2nd Lieutenant due to his excellent achievements as a cadet
• 19 April 1873 Joined the 2nd Company/1st Guards Regiment of Foot of the Guard Corps in Potsdam
  • later in the 9th, 10th and 7th Company. In 1878, he was adjutant of the 3rd (Fusilier) Battalion
• 1 October 1881 Commanded as a student to the Prussian War Academy
• 21 July 1884 Return to the 1st Guards Regiment of Foot, service in the 6th Company
• 21 May 1885 Commanded to the Great General Staff (Großer Generalstab) in Berlin
• 1 October 1888 Commanded to the General Staff of the Guard Corps in Berlin
• 16 February 1889 Transferred to the Prussian War Ministry in Berlin
• 22 March 1891 Commander of the 9th Company/1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß in Potsdam
• 17 May 1892 Commanded to the General Staff of the 5. Infanterie-Division in Frankfurt an der Oder
  • at the same time commanded to the General Staff of the Army (Generalstab der Armee) in Berlin
• 24 October 1893 Chief of Operations (Ia) in the General Staff of the Guard Corps (Gardekorps) in Berlin
• 20 May 1896 Commander of the II. Battalion/Königin Augusta Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 4
• 1 April 1898 Chief of the General Staff of the III. Armeekorps in Berlin
• 1 October 1899 Section Chief with the Great General Staff in Berlin
• 16 November 1899 Chief of the General Staff of the Guard Corps in Berlin
• 14 November 1901 Commander of the Königin Elisabeth Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3
• 15 September 1904 Commander of the 4th Guards Infantry Brigade
• 27 January 1905 Commander of the 4th Guards Infantry Brigade
• 13 February 1906 Senior / Chief Quartermaster (Oberquartiermeister) in the General Staff
  • as such, also Deputy Chief of the Great General Staff
  • also member of the Ober-Militär-Studienkommission (Senior Military Study Commission) and the Studienkommission der Kriegsakademie (Study Commission of the War Academy)
• 9 February 1908 Leader of the 1st Guards Division
• 18 February 1908 Commander of the 1st Guards Division in Berlin
• 1 October 1912 Commanding General of the XXI Army Corps in Saarbrücken
• 19 July 1916 Commander-in-Chief of the 1st Army
  • The 1st Army was inserted between the 7th and 3rd Armies on the Aisne Front on 16 April 1917 and from this point on was subordinate to the German Crown Prince Army Group (Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz). During the second Battle of the Aisne, which began on the same day, the army had four corps groups to defend against French mass attacks in the northern Reims apron.
• 18 June 1918 Commander-in-Chief of the 9th Army
  • due to illness, he, as most sources state, never assumed active command of the army; General of the Infantry Johannes von Eben remained as deputy commander-in-chief of the army engaged in the Second Battle of the Marne until the beginning of August 1918.
• 7 August 1918 Placed at disposal (z. D.)
  • He died three and a half months later from severe pneumonia.

Summary

Fritz Wilhelm Theodor Karl von Below (1853-1918) was a cousin of Otto von Below (reported variously as his brother), both of whom served in command positions in the German army during World War One. Fritz von Below's achievements were in fact overshadowed by the flashier success of Otto's, particularly once Otto's success at Caporetto became widely known. Nevertheless, Fritz von Below was himself a competent rather than spectacular military commander who gained prominence while commanding XXI Corps at the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes in February 1915 while serving on the Eastern Front. Following this action Below was handed a promotion, when given command of Second Army, this time operating on the Western Front, where he replaced Karl von Bülow. Under strength with just three divisions while occupying an area of land from Noyon to Gommecourt, Below was faced with the British Somme Offensive in July 1916 which, warned German Chief of Staff Erich von Falkenhayn, was likely to be launched to provide relief to the French, at that time struggling at Verdun. Falkenhayn was however by no means convinced that the British offensive was likely to be positioned against Below's forces, despite Below's own mounting conviction that such was the case (an impression gained largely from aerial reconnaissance). Rather, Falkenhayn anticipated an attack at Arras; consequently he provided Below with little in the way of reinforcements. Below, clear in his own mind that an attack was imminent, prepared as best he could, instructing his troops to dig a series of virtually impregnable dugouts to protect his men from the coming artillery storm. Below's hunch proved correct, and despite the fierce British artillery bombardment launched in the week prior to their infantry assault on 1 July 1916, the German defences remained largely unaffected. This proved crucial in enabling Below's defenders to quickly resurface from their deep hideouts once the British artillery bombardment ceased, and to then man the prepared machine gun positions with deadly efficiency. The first day of the Battle of the Somme established itself as the most costly single day of battle in British history, with nearly 60,000 casualties suffered on the first day alone. For all that, Falkenhayn was not convinced that Below had successfully defended his position following the British attack, particularly given the success of a French advance into the German second line at nearby Peronne. Falkenhayn chose to replace Below's Chief of Staff, General Grunert, as punishment for the apparent German retirement at Peronne; Falkenhayn further commanded that any lost ground be immediately retaken. This resulted in numerous German counter-attacks at the Somme at tremendous loss to the German attackers. In mid-July Falkenhayn, still unhappy, redeployed von Below to command the new First Army sited south of the Somme, where, in April 1917, Below was responsible for managing the German defence against the disastrous French Nivelle Offensive. Below served out the remainder of the war in overseeing the preparation of a new German army manual, written for the infantry, which took into consideration the German experience of war since 1914. Fritz von Below, who died in 1918, was awarded Germany's prestigious Pour le Merite on 16 February 1915 for his efforts on both Eastern and Western Fronts (most notably at the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes). His award was supplemented by the Oakleaves on 11 August 1916 in recognition of his efforts on the Somme.

Family

Fritz was the son of Major General Ferdinand Adolf Eduard von Below (1812–1870) and his wife (∞ Danzig 27 October 1852) Therese Wilhelmine Karoline Johanne Mauve (1823–1895). He had three younger brothers, who would all also become officers:

• Nikolaus Friedrich Wilhelm Ferdinand (1855–1915), Major General; died as a result of illness (presumably dysentery) contracted in the field
• Karl Konstantin (1857–1917), Lieutenant Colonel (ret.); father of three
• Ernst (1863–1955), General of the Infantry and Knight of the Order "Pour le Mérite" with Oak Leaves

Promotions

• 19.4.1873 Seconde-Lieutenant (2nd Lieutenant)
• 18.4.1882 Premier-Lieutenant (1st Lieutenant)
• 22.3.1887 Hauptmann (Captain)
• 31.5.1892 Major
• 27.1.1899 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
• 18.4.1901 Oberst (Colonel)
• 27.1.1905 Generalmajor (Major General)
• 18.2.1908 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General)
• 13.9.1912 General der Infanterie (General of the Infantry)

Awards, decorations and honours

Awards and decorations

• Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class (PRAO4/PrA4)
• Prussian Order of the Crown (Preußischer Kronenorden), 3rd Class
• Prussian Centenary Medal 1897 (Zentenarmedaille)
• Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz)
• Baden Order of the Zähringer Lion (Orden vom Zähringer Löwen), Knight's Cross I. Class (BZL3a/BZ3a)
• Red Eagle Order, 3rd Class with the Bow (mit der Schleife)
• Order of the Iron Crown (Austria), 2nd Class (ÖEK2)
• Italian Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, Commander (JM3)
• Imperial Persien Order of the Lion and the Sun, Grand Officer's Cross (PL2)
• Prussian Order of the Crown, 2nd Class
• Order of the Redeemer (Greece), Grand Commander (GE2a)
• Spanish Cross of Military Merit, 4th Class or Grand Cross (SpMV4/SMV4)
• Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves
• Star to his Prussian Order of the Crown 2nd Class
• Oldenburg House and Merit Order of Duke Peter Frederick Louis (Oldenburgischer Haus- und Verdienstorden des Herzogs Peter Friedrich Ludwig), Grand Cross of Honour (Ehren-Großkreuz; OV1)
• Royal Victorian Order, Honorary Grand Cross (GV1)
• Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st Class (JZ1)
• Swedish Order of the Sword (Schwertorden), Grand Cross (SS1) on 6 June 1908
• Star to his Red Eagle Order 2nd Class with Oak Leaves
• Order of the Crown (Belgium), Grand Cross (BKO1)
• Prussian Order of the Crown, 1st Class
• Princely House Order of Hohenzollern, Cross of Honour 1st Class (HEK1)
• Schaumburg Lippe House Order, Cross of Honour 1st Class (SLH.EK1/SLHK1/SLH1)
• Saxon Albert Order (Albrechts-Orden), Grand Cross (SA1)
• Bulgarian Order of Saint Alexander, Grand Cross (BA1)
• Red Eagle Order, 1st Class with Oak Leaves

WWI (excerpt)

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
• Pour le Mérite with Oak Leaves
  • Pour le Mérite on 14 March 1915
  • Oak Leaves on 11 August 1916
• Saxon Military Order of St. Henry, Knight's Cross (SH3) on 28 August 1916

Honours

• The new Wehrmacht barracks, built in 1936/37 in the Saarbrücken city forest and occupied in November 1938, bore the name Below-Kaserne in honor of General Fritz von Below until the end of WWII.

Further reading

• Hermann Aubin: Below, Fritz Wilhelm Theodor Karl von. In: "Neue Deutsche Biographie" (NDB). Volume 2, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1955, p. 32
• Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand / Christian Zweng: Die Ritter des Ordens Pour le Mérite des I. Weltkriegs. Volume 1: A–G, Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1999