Hans Gaede

Hans Gaede
General der Infanterie Dr. phil. h. c. Hans Gaede
Birth name	Hans Emil Alexander Gaede
Birth date	19 February 1852
Place of birth	Kolberg, Pomerania, Kingdom of Prussia, German Confederation
Death date	16 September 1916 (aged 64)
Place of death	Freiburg im Breisgau, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire
Resting place	Main cemetery (Hauptfriedhof) in Freiburg im Breisgau
Allegiance	Kingdom of Prussia North German Confederation German Empire
Service/branch	Prussian Army Imperial German Army
Years of service	1870–1916
Rank	General der Infanterie
Commands held	Armeeabteilung B
Battles/wars	Franco-Prussian War World War I
Awards	Pour le Mérite
Relations	∞ 1883 Elisabeth Müller

Hans Emil Alexander Gaede (19 February 1852 – 16 September 1916), was a German officer of the Prussian Army and of the Imperial German Army, finally General der Infanterie and commander-in-chief of an Armeeabteilung (between army corps and army) during World War I.

Military career (chronology)

Rangliste 1905, p. 93

• After his Abitur, Easter 1869 (Gymnasium Stettin), Gaede studied mathematics at the universities of Bonn and Berlin and became a member of the Bonn fraternity Frankonia in 1869
• 1.4.1870 Joined the Grenadier-Regiment „König Friedrich Wilhelm IV.“ (1. Pommersches) Nr. 2 as a Fahnenjunker
• 1870 to 1871 Franco-Prussian War; wounded severely near Dôle
• 1.10.1874 Commanded to the War Academy (Kriegsakademie)
• 25.7.1877 Grenadier-Regiment ,,König Friedrich Wilhelm IV” (1. Pommersches) Nr. 2 - Stettin
• 13.4.1878 Prussian Great General Staff (Großer Generalstab): Kommandiert zur Trigonometrischen Abteilung der Landesaufnahme (Cartography Department's Geodetic Survey Section)
  • 1880 Four months' leave to Athens with salary
  • 1881 Surveying Conductor
• 11.3.1886 Company Commander in the 8. Rheinisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 70 in Diedenhofen (Saarbrücken)
• 1.10.1887 Transferred to the War Ministry (Preußisches Kriegsministerium) in Berlin
  • as of 22 March 1888 à la suite (aggregated) of the 8. Rheinisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 70
• 29.3.1892 Battalion commander in the 5. Badisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 113 in Freiburg im Breisgau
• 1.5.1893 Return to the Preußisches Kriegsministerium in Berlin
• 25.7.1893 Delegated with the leadership of the Ministerial Section Z1 in the Preußisches Kriegsministerium in Berlin
• 14.5.1894 Chief of Ministerial Section Z1 (1. Abtheilung, Central-Departement) in the Preußisches Kriegsministerium in Berlin
• 22.3.1897 Commandant of the Fortress Thorn à la suite Infanterie-Regiment „von Borcke“ (4. Pommersches) Nr. 21
• 17.12.1898 Commander of the Infanterie-Regiment „von Winterfeldt” (2. Oberschlesisches) Nr. 23 in Neiße
• 22.3.1900 Commander of the 84. Infanterie-Brigade (39. Division) in Lahr
• 24.4.1904 Commander of the 33. Infanterie-Division in Metz (Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen)
• 2.3.1907 Put at disposal with full pension, de facto retired (zur Disposition gestellt)

WWI

• 2.8.1914 Deputy Commanding General of the XIV. Armeekorps in Karlsruhe (Stellvertretender KG)
• 19.9.1914 Commander-in-chief of the Armeeabteilung "B" (aka: Army Detachment Gaede)
• 3.9.1916 Seriously ill, relieved from duty with convalescent leave (mobilization provision lifted); Erich von Gündell was named new commander-in-chief.

Family

Hans was the son of Generalmajor z. D. Albert Alexander Gaede (b. 21 December 1813 at Hohenfelde, Kreis Randow; d. 26 April 1882 in Stettin) and his wife Emilie, née Franke (1825–1888). On 26 January 1883, Hauptmann Gaede married his fiancée Elisabeth Müller. They had four children, three daughters and one son.

Promotions

• 1 April 1870 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
• 12 September 1870 Portepéefähnrich (Officer Cadet)
• 18 November 1870 Secondeleutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
• 11 June 1879 Premierleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
• 23 December 1882 Hauptmann (Captain)
• 15 October 1888 Major
• 27 January 1894 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
• 22 March 1897 Oberst (Colonel)
• 18 April 1900 Generalmajor
• 24 April 1904 Generalleutnant
• 10 September 1908 Charakter als General der Infanterie
• 24 December 1914 Patent als General der Infanterie

Awards, decorations and honours

• Iron Cross (1870), 2nd Class
• Kaiserliche Kriegsdenkmünze 1870/71
• Order of the Redeemer, Knight of the Silver Cross (GE4)
• Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class
• Order of the Crown (Württemberg), Knight's Cross (WK3b)
  • later reclassified as WK3c (Gold Medal of Merit)
• Saxon Albrechts-Orden, Officer's Cross (SA3)
• Prussian Order of the Crown, 3rd Class
• Mecklenburg Order of the Griffon (Großherzoglich Mecklenburgischer Greifenorden), Honour Cross (MGrO2c/MG2c)
• Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz)
• Anniversary Oak Leaves (Jubiläums-Eichenlaub „25“ 1870/1895) to his Iron Cross (1870), 2nd Class
• Crown to his Red Eagle Order, 4th Class
• Württemberg Order of the Crown (Ehrenkreuz des Ordens der Württembergischen Krone), Honour Cross (WK2c)
• Order of the Iron Crown (Austria), 2nd Class (ÖEK2)
• Prussian Centenary Medal 1897 (Zentenarmedaille)
• Military Merit Order (Bavaria), Knight's Cross I. Class (BMV3a)
• Red Eagle Order, 3rd Class with the Bow
• Prussian Order of the Crown, 2nd Class
• Orden vom Zähringer Löwen, Commander 1st Class (BZ2a)
• Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves
• Star to his Prussian Order of the Crown 2nd Class
• Star to his Red Eagle Order 2nd Class with Oak Leaves (as of Rangliste 1906)
• Prussian Order of the Crown (Preußischer Kronenorden), 1st Class on 2 March 1907

WWI

• Iron Cross, 2nd Class repetition clasp (1914) to the EKII (1870)
• Iron Cross (1914), 1st Class
• Ducal Anhalt Friedrich Cross (Herzoglich Anhaltisches Friedrichkreuz; AF/AK)
• Brunswick War Merit Cross (Herzoglich Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz), 2nd Class (BrK2)
• Bremen Hanseatic Cross (Bremisches Hanseatenkreuz; BremH/BH)
• Lübeck Hanseatic Cross (Lübeckisches Hanseatenkreuz; LübH/LüH)
• Hamburg Hanseatic Cross (Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz; HH)
• Lippe-Detmold War Merit Cross (Lippisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz; LK)
• Mecklenburg-Schwerin Military Merit Cross (Großherzoglich Mecklenburgisches Militärverdienstkreuz), 2nd Class (MMV2)
• Pour le Mérite on 25 August 1915
• Princely House Order of Hohenzollern (Fürstlich Hohenzollern'sches Ehrenzeichen), Cross of Honour 1st Class with Swords (HEK1⚔)
• Baden Order of the Zähringer Lion, Grand Cross with Swords (BZ1⚔)
• Military Merit Order (Bavaria), 1st class with Swords (BMV1⚔)
• Friedrichs-Orden, Grand Cross with Swords (WF1⚔)
• Gallipoli Star (Eiserner Halbmond; TH)
• Great Golden İmtiyaz Nişanı (Große Goldene Imtiyaz-Medaille mit Säbeln) with Swords/Saber (TJ1⚔/TI1⚔)

Honours

• Honorary Doctorate: Dr. phil. h. c. of the Universität Freiburg im Breisgau in 1915

Writings (excerpt)

• Der Feldzug um Freiburg 1644. Eine kriegsgeschichtliche Studie, Freiburg 1910