Karl von Horn

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Karl Graf von Horn

Karl joined Bavaria's military in 1866 as an infantrist and that very year took part in the campaign of the German Confederation against the Kingdom of Prussia. He later fought alongside his Prussian counterparts during the Franco-German War of 1870-71, receiving the Iron Cross 2nd Class for his actions at Villepion.

Minister of War (Kriegsminister)
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bavaria.jpg Kingdom of Bavaria
In office
4 April 1905 – 16 February 1912
Preceded by Adolph Freiherr von Asch-Oberndorff
Succeeded by Otto Freiherr Kreß von Kressenstein

Born 16 February 1847
Würzburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Confederation
Died 5 June 1923 (aged 76)
Munich, Free State of Bavaria, German Reich
Spouse(s) ∞ 1874 Marie Freiin von Gienanth
∞ 1921 Walburga Freiin von Aretin
Military service
Allegiance Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bavaria.jpg Kingdom of Bavaria
Wappen des Deutschen Bundes.jpg German Confederation
 German Empire
Service/branch Fahne der Bayerischen Armee.png Royal Bavarian Army
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
Years of service 1866–1914
1914–1918
Rank Generaloberst shoulder boards.jpg Generaloberst z. D.
Battles/wars German War of Brothers 1866
Franco-German War
World War I
Awards Iron Cross
Red Eagle Order
Bavarian Military Merit Order

Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Horn, since March 1911 Graf von Horn (also Carl; 16 February 1847 – 5 June 1923), was a German officer of the Bavarian Army, finally Generaloberst, but also Royal Bavarian Minister of War, Chamberlain (Kämmerer/Kammerherr) since 1890 and State Councilor (Staatsrat im ordentlichen Dienst; i. o. D., later im außer ordentlichen Dienst; i. a. o. D.) as well as Generaladjutant of the King of Bavaria from 1906 to 1918.

Military career (chronology)

Father General der Infanterie Karl Joseph Maria Freiherr von Horn (1818–1896)
Prinzregent Luitpold (top), Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria (I. Armee-Korps, left), Karl Freiherr von Horn (Minister of War, right), Alfred Graf Eckbrecht von Dürckheim-Montmartin (II. Armee-Korps, center) and Luitpold Freiher von der Tann-Rathsamhausen (III. Armee-Korps, bottom)
  • 20.5.1866 Joined the Königlich Bayerisches 1. Infanterie-Regiment „König“ in München
  • 1866 Fought against Prussia in the German War of Brothers 1866 on the side of the German Confederation
  • 19.7.1870 Franco-Prussian War
  • 1.9.1870 Königlich Bayerische 1. Infanterie-Brigade (Adjutant to Generalmajor Karl Dietl)
  • 8.1.1871 Königlich Bayerische 2. Infanterie-Brigade in Augsburg (Brigade Adjutant)
  • 1.10.1871 He studied at the Royal War Academy (Königlich Bayerische Kriegsakademie).
    • He graduated the 4th course in September 1874 with the qualification to become a General Staff officer and a senior adjutant (Höhere Adjutantur).
  • 1.11.1874 Bavarian General Staff in München
  • 31.3.1876 Königlich Bayerisches I. Armeekorps in München (detached for duty as Corps Adjutant)
  • 3.11.1880 Bavarian War Ministry in München (Adjutant to Minister of War Joseph Maximilian Fridolin Ritter von Maillinger)
  • 1.4.1885 Referent in the Bavarian War Ministry in München (Advisor in Bavarian War Ministry)
  • 17.4.1886 Bavarian General Staff, Zentralstelle in München (detached for duty)
  • 1.10.1886 Prussian Great General Staff (Großer Generalstab) in Berlin (two-year assignment)
  • 31.10.1888 Commander of the 4. Königlich Bayerisches Jäger-Bataillon in Landshut
  • 6.3.1890 Bavarian General Staff, Zentralstelle in München (assigned to Bavarian General Staff)
  • 29.10.1890 Department Head (Abteilungschef) in the Bavarian General Staff in München
  • 13.11.1890 Chamberlain (Königlicher Kämmerer) in München (Royal Treasury)
  • 15.3.1891 Königlich Bayerisches I. Armeekorps in München (Prinz Arnulf's Chief of Staff)
  • 9.11.1895 Commander of the Königlich Bayerisches Infanterie-Leib-Regiment in München
  • 10.5.1896 Commander of the Königlich Bayerische 9. Infanterie-Brigade in Landau
  • 1.4.1900 Commander of the Königlich Bayerische 6. Division in Regensburg
  • 19.3.1904 Commanding General (Kommandierender General) of the Königlich Bayerisches III. Armeekorps in Nürnberg (replaced Heinrich von Xylander)
  • 4.4.1905 Royal Bavarian Minister of War in München (replaced Adolph von Asch)
    • As Bavarian Minister of War, von Horn was able to reorganize Bavaria's troop formations and modernize their weaponry.
  • 15.2.1906 Placed à la suite of the Königlich Bayerisches Infanterie-Leib-Regiment
  • 16.9.1906 Generaladjutant of King Otto Wilhelm Luitpold Adalbert Waldemar von Wittelsbach (de facto serving the Prince Regent Luitpold until 1912, Otto was unfit to rule)
    • Generaladjutant of Prince Regent Ludwig (1912–1913), who would become King of Bavaria Ludwig III (1913–1918)
  • 2.3.1911 Elevated from Bavarian Freiherr (Baron) to Graf (Count) with effect from 6 March 1911
  • 16.2.1912 Placed at dsposal of the Army (zur Disposition gestellt)
    • He was placed on active reserve status in 1912 but continued his service as Adjutant-General to King Ludwig III.[1]

Family

1910
1916
1922

Descent

Karl was the son of Bavarian General of the Infantry Karl Joseph Maria Freiherr von Horn (1818–1896) and his wife Magdalena, née Auernheimer (1823–1870). His grandfather was Major General Wilhelm Joseph Freiherr von Horn (1784–1847). He had two siblings:

  • Luitpold (1854–1914), Bavarian General der Artillerie; ∞ München 19 September 1883 Gabriele Freiin von Hornstein (1863–1888)[2]
  • Maria "Marie" Magdalena Maximiliane (b. 2 September 1855 in München; d. 22 April 1930); ⚭ 1880 Ludwig Friedrich Ernst Edler von Grauvogl (1844–1910), Bavarian Generalleutnant; two children

Marriage

On 24 September 1874 in Hochstein (Pfalz), Premierleutnant Freiherr von Horn married his fiancée Maria Karolina Freiin von Gienanth (1853–1910), daughter of the Palatinate ironworks owner Karl Freiherr von Gienanth and later Lady of Honor (Ehrendame) of the Bavarian Order of Theresia. They had three children:

  • Mathilde Bertha Hermine (1875–1943), German nurse and superior general of the Baden Sisterhood of the German Red Cross
  • Hans Karl (1877–1914), Bavarian officer; ⚭ 19 January 1907 Maria Alfonsine Olga Freiin von Boutteville (1881–1945)
    • Hans Karl Graf von Horn was a Captain (Hauptmann) of the Königlich Bayerisches Infanterie-Leib-Regiment and Royal Bavarian Kämmerer, he was on 5 October 1914 in France near Arras; Widow Alfonsine later married son of Generalleutnant Ludwig Edler von Grauvogl, the Kammerjunker Major Maximilian Ritter und Edler von Grauvogl (1882–1958), lord of the manor (Rabusmühle).
  • Luise Eugenie (b. 20 September 1882 in München), Lady of Honor of the Bavarian Order of Theresia, like her mother

Promotions

  • 20.5.1866 Unterlieutenant (2nd Lieutenant)[3]
  • 1.9.1870 Oberlieutenant (1st Lieutenant)
    • 1872 renamed Premier-Lieutenant
    • 1899 renamed Oberleutnant
  • 26.4.1879 Hauptmann (Captain)
  • 15.2.1886 Major
  • 30.10.1889 Oberstlieutenant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 6.5.1892 Oberst (Colonel)
  • 20.6.1896 Generalmajor
  • 21.3.1900 Generalleutnant
  • 19.3.1904 General der Infanterie
  • 27.12.1911 Generaloberst

Awards and decorations

  • Bavarian Army Memorial Cross 1866 (Armee-Denkzeichen 1866)[4]
  • Iron Cross (1870), 2nd Class
  • Military Merit Order (Bavaria), Knight's Cross II. Class with Swords[5]
  • War Commemorative Medal of 1870–1871 (Kaiserliche Kriegsdenkmünze 1870/71; KD70/71) in Bronze
  • Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class (PRAO4/PrA4)
  • Saxon Albrechts-Orden, Knight 1st Class (SA4a; Prussian: SA3a)
  • Military Merit Order (Bavaria), Knight's Cross I. Class
  • Bavarian Long Service Cross (Königlich Bayerisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz), II. Class for 24 years (BD2) in 1890
  • Prussian Order of the Crown (Preußischer Kronenorden), 3rd Class (PK3)
  • Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown, Knight's Cross in 1893
  • Red Eagle Order, 3rd Class (PrA3)
  • Austrian Order of the Iron Crown, Knight II. Class (ÖEK2)
  • Anniversary Oak Leaves (Jubiläums-Eichenlaub „25“ 1870/1895) to his Iron Cross (1870), 2nd Class
  • Prussian Centenary Medal 1897 (Zentenarmedaille)[6]
  • Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, Grand Officer's Cross (IMuL2a)
  • Military Merit Order (Bavaria), Grand Commander (Großkomtur)
  • Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Star (PrA2m.St)
  • King Edward VII Coronation Medal (GKrM) in 1902
  • Order of Saint Michael (Bavaria), I. Class in 1903[7]
  • Baden Order of the Zähringer Lion (Orden vom Zähringer Löwen), Grand Cross (BdZL1)
  • Prinz-Regent-Luitpold Jubiläums-Medaille für die Armee 1905[8]
    • Prinz-Regent-Luitpold Jubiläums-Medaille in Gold on the Ribbon of the Jubiläums-Medaille für die Armee (Prinzregent-Luitpold-Medaille in Gold am Bande der Jubiläums-Medaille) on 24 October 1909
    • received Golden Crown to his Medal from 1905 (Prinz-Regent-Luitpold-Jubiläums-Medaille mit Krone in Gold) in February 1911
  • Bavarian Long Service Cross, I. Class for 40 years (BD1) in 1906
  • Military Merit Order (Bavaria), Grand Cross
  • South West African Campaign Medal (Südwestafrika-Denkmünze) in Steel (SA2)
  • Order of Berthold the First (Orden Berthold des Ersten), Grand Cross (BdBI1/BBI.1/BZLBI)
  • Red Eagle Order, Grand Cross (PrAGrKz)
  • Saxon Albert Order (Albrechts-Orden), Grand Cross (SA1)
  • Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, I. Class or Grand Cross (JpS1)
  • Order of Charles III (Spain), Grand Cross (SpK1)
  • Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown, Grand Cross
  • House Order of the Wendish Crown (Hausorden der Wendischen Krone), Grand Cross with the Crown in Gold (MWK1m.Kr.i.G)
  • Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown (Verdienstorden der Preußischen Krone) on 17 September 1909 (PVK/PVdKr)
  • Württemberg Order of the Crown, Grand Cross (WK1)
  • Order of Saint Hubert, Knight Grand Cross
  • Order of Henry the Lion (Herzoglich Braunschweigischer Orden Heinrichs des Löwen), Grand Cross (BrsL1)
  • Bavarian Ludwigs-Orden, Honour Cross (BLE)[9][10] for 50 years of service[11]
  • King Ludwig Cross (König Ludwig-Kreuz; BL) in 1916

References

  1. Karl Graf von Horn
  2. Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Freiherrlichen Häuser, 1913, p. 404
  3. Militär-Handbuch des Königreiches Bayern, 1867, p. 216
  4. Militär-Handbuch des Königreiches Bayern, 1867, p. 58
  5. Militär-Handbuch des Königreiches Bayern, 1895, p. 48
  6. Militär-Handbuch des Königreiches Bayern, 1901, p. 31
  7. Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Bayern, 1904, p. 39
  8. Deutscher Ordens-Almanach, 1908/09, p. 653
  9. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreichs Bayern, 1914, p. 282
  10. Rangliste der Offiziere der Königlich Bayerischen Armee, 1918, p. 6
  11. Years of service during war years counted double for the eligibility of being awarded the Honour Cross (Ehrenkreuz) of the Ludwigs-Orden.