Max von Gallwitz

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Max von Gallwitz
General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz II.jpg
“Never have I seen such valiant lions led by such lambs.” – General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz commenting on the bravery of British soldiers but also criticizing their incompetent officers at the Somme in June 1916[1]
Birth name Max Karl Wilhelm Gallwitz
Birth date 2 May 1852(1852-05-02)
Place of birth Breslau, Province of Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Confederation
Death date 18 April 1937 (aged 84)
Place of death Naples, Kingdom of Italy
Allegiance  Prussia
Coat of arms of North German Confederation.png North German Confederation
 German Empire
Service/branch War and service flag of Prussia (1895–1918).png Prussian Army
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
Years of service 1870–1918
Rank General der Artillerie
Commands held Guards Reserve Corps
Twelfth Army
Eleventh Army
Second Army
Fifth Army
Army Group "Gallwitz"
Battles/wars Franco-Prussian War
World War I
Awards Pour le Mérite
Black Eagle Order
Relations ∞ Friederike "Frieda" Emilie Margaret(h)e Englerth

Max Karl Wilhelm Gallwitz, since 1913 von Gallwitz (1852–1937), was a German officer of the Prussian Army and the Imperial German Army, finally General der Artillerie and Knight of the order Pour le Mérite in World War I. At the beginning of the Great War, he distinguished himself extraordinarily as commanding general of the Garde-Reserve-Korps by conquering the fortress of Namur on the Western Front and in the defense of East Prussia subordinated to the 8th Army under General Paul von Hindenburg in the Battle of Tannenberg (1914). He was one of the most capable personalities within the tight bond of generals of the German Empire. His high education and wealth of ideas were praised. In addition to a strong, legitimate self-confidence, there was a pronounced sense of personal responsibility and honour.[2]

Career (chronology)

Brilliant German offensive in the east, planned by Paul von Hindenburg and fought by the armies of General der Infanterie Otto Ernst Vinzent Leo von Below (8th Army or Njemen-Armee) and General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz (Armeegruppe "Gallwitz")
Letter with picture, 1916
Generalfeldmarschall August von Mackensen (de) and General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz observe the battlefront at the Danube bend
Medal honoring the Generals Max von Gallwitz und Friedrich von Scholtz (foreground)
General a. D. Max von Gallwitz (left) in Köln, 1934
Das Grab des Generals Max von Gallwitz auf dem Hauptfriedhof Freiburg.jpg
  • Elementary school (Volksschule) in Breslau and Groß-Wartenberg
  • 1870 Abitur at the Matthias-Gymnasium Breslau
  • 13.8.1870 Volunteer and Fahnenjunker in the Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 9; later renamed Feldartillerie-Regiment „Generalfeldmarschall Graf Waldersee“ (Schleswigsches) Nr. 9
    • Young Max volunteered while he was still at school at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War, but had to take an emergency exam (Notabitur) to obtain a school-leaving certificate. He joined the Schleswig-Holsteinisches Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr. 9 (Corps-Artillerie) in Rendsburg (founded on 27 September 1866) as an officer candidate and Kanonier during the war; Gallwitz was assigned to the same artillery unit as Boje Friedrich Nikolaus Scholtz.
  • 1871/1872 Adjutant of the I. Feld-Abteilung (1st Field Battalion)
  • 1873 Student at the United Artillery and Engineering School (Vereinigte Artillerie- und Ingenieurschule) in Charlottenburg near Berlin
  • 1874/1875 Returned to his regiment and served in the 3rd Battery
  • 1.10.1877 Commanded for three years to the War Academay (Preußische Kriegsakademie) in Berlin
  • 1.10.1880 Return to the 3rd Battery of his regiment
  • 1881/1882 Officer of the 2nd Battery of his regiment
  • 11.7.1882 Adjutant of the 11. Feld-Artillerie-Brigade in Kassel (detached for duty from his regiment)
  • 21.4.1883 Great General Staff (Großer Generalstab) in Berlin (detached for duty from his regiment)
  • 14.12.1886 II. Armeekorps in Stettin (on Ernst von der Burg's general staff)
  • 13.10.1887 3. Kavallerie-Abteilung/Preußisches Kriegsministerium (Ministry of War) in Berlin
  • 22.3.1891 9. Infanterie-Division in Glogau (on general staff)
  • 15.7.1893 VII. Armee-Korps in Münster (on Robert von Goetze's general staff)
  • 18.10.1895 Commander of the I. Abteilung/Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 11 in Kassel
  • 17.6.1897 Head of 4th Field Artillery Section (A 4) in the Preußisches Kriegsministerium in Berlin
  • 1.10.1899 Commander of the 5. Badisches Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr. 76 in Karlsruhe
  • 18.5.1901 Delegated with the leadership, later Commander of the 29. Feld-Artillerie-Brigade in Karlsruhe (subordinated to the 29. Division in Freiburg in Baden)
  • 27.1.1903 Director of Army Administration Department (Direktor des Armee-Verwaltungs-Departement / BD) of the Ministry of War
    • at the same time Deputy Plenipotentiary to the Federal Council of the German Reich (Stellvertretender Bevollmächtigter zum Bundesrat des Deutschen Reiches) and Chairman of the Examination Committee for Higher Intendency Officers (Vorsitzender der Prüfungskommission für höhere Intendenturbeamten)
  • 3.10.1906 Commander of the 15. Infanterie-Division in Köln
  • 3.4.1911 Inspector of the Field Artillery at the Inspektion der Feldartillerie in Berlin
  • 2.8.1914 Commanding General (Kommandierender General) of the Garde-Reserve-Korps with the 2. Armee (under Generaloberst Karl von Bülow) in the West and the 8. Armee in the East
  • 9.2.1915 Supreme Commander of the Armeegruppe "Gallwitz" (later renamed 12. Armee)
  • 7.8.1915 Supreme Commander of the 12. Armee
  • 23.9.1915 Supreme Commander of the 11. Armee (replaced August von Mackensen)
  • March 1916 Commander of the "Attack Group West" or Maas-Gruppe West of the 5th Army
  • 19.7.1916 Supreme Commander of the 2. Armee (replaced Fritz von Below)
  • 19.7.1916 Supreme Commander of the Heeresgruppe Gallwitz in Somme (concurrent with above)
  • 17.12.1916 Supreme Commander of the 5. Armee (replaced Ewald von Lochow)
  • 1.1.1918 Supreme Commander of the Heeresgruppe Gallwitz in Verdun (concurrent with above)
  • October 1918 He was thought of as a possible successor to Paul von Hindenburg in the position of Chief of Staff of the Field Army. In fact, at the end of October he was summoned to Berlin with General von Mudra to speak to the Reich Cabinet about the military situation and the prospects of further resistance. But then the "November Revolution" occurred.
  • 6.12.1918 zur Disposition gestellt (de facto retired)
  • 1920 to 1924 Member of the Reichstag as a representative of the German National People's Party (als Abgeordneter der Deutschnationalen Volkspartei)
  • October 1931 Participation in the founding meeting of the Harzburg Front (Harzburger Front)

Death

General der Artillerie a. D. von Gallwitz died while on a convalescence trip in Italy and received a state funeral on 23 April 1937. He is buried in the main cemetery in Freiburg im Breisgau.

Family

Max was the son of the Prussian district tax collector Karl Joseph Gallwitz (1823–1875) from Lossen and his wife Friederike Wilhelmine Elisabeth, née Buchwald (1824–1895) from Breslau.

Marriage

On 20 May 1891 in Eltville, Major Gallwitz married his fiancée Friederike "Frieda" Emilie Margaret(h)e Englerth (1871–1957), with whom he had two children:

  • Karl Hugo Albert Lothar Hellmuth Werner, Oberleutnant of the Imperial Army, Major of the Reichswehr and Generalleutnant of the Wehrmacht
  • Margarethe Elisabeth Susanna Anna Sophie Barbara (b. 18 July 1896; d. 23. September 1984 in Freiburg i. Br.) ∞ 1 September 1920 in Freiburg i. Br. Ernst Moritz Friedrich Roeder von Diersburg (1896–1983), Dr. phil., Ministerialrat (Ministerial Council);[3] 1 child

Promotions

  • 13.8.1870 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
  • 9.3.1871 Portepée-Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
  • 9.3.1872 Sekonde-Lieutenant (2nd Lieutenant)
  • 3.3.1881 Premier-Lieutenant (1st Lieutenant)
  • 15.10.1885 Hauptmann (Captain)
  • 23.5.1890 Major
  • 12.9.1896 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 25.3.1899 Oberst (Colonel)
  • 18.10.1902 Generalmajor
  • 16.10.1906 Generalleutnant
  • 4.4.1911 General der Artillerie

Awards, decorations and honours

Awards and decorations

  • War Commemorative Medal of 1870–1871 (Kaiserliche Kriegsdenkmünze 1870/71) with four battle clasps[4]
  • Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class
  • Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz)
  • Prussian Order of the Crown (Preußischer Kronenorden), 3rd Class
  • Prussian Centenary Medal 1897 (Zentenarmedaille)
  • Albrechts-Orden of Saxony, Commander (Komtur) II. Class (SA2b)
  • Württemberg Order of the Crown (Ehrenkreuz des Ordens der Württembergischen Krone), Honour Cross (WK2c)
  • Red Eagle Order, 3rd Class with the Bow
  • Orden vom Zähringer Löwen, Commander 2nd Class (BZ2b), 1902
  • Albrechts-Orden of Saxony, Commander (Komtur) I. Class (SA2a)
  • Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves
  • Bavarian Military Merit Order, Commander's Cross (BMV2b)
    • as of Rangliste 1906 declared as 2nd class (BMV2)
  • Friedrichs-Orden, Commander's Cross (Kommenturkreuz), 1st Class (WF2a)
  • Prussian Order of the Crown, 2nd Class with Star
  • Order of Philip the Magnanimous (Verdienstorden Philipps des Großmüthigen), Commander 1st Class (HP2a)
  • Mecklenburg Order of the Griffon (Großherzoglich Mecklenburgischer Greifenorden), Grand Commander's Cross (MGrO2a/MG2a)
  • 1906 Silver Wedding Commemorative Badge (Erinnerungszeichen zur Silbernen Hochzeit 1906)
  • Crown to his Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves
  • Star to his Bavarian Military Merit Order, 2nd class (BMV2mSt)
  • Star to his Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves and the Crown
  • Prussian Order of the Crown, 1st Class
  • Albrechts-Orden of Saxony, Grand Cross (SA1)
  • Bavarian Military Merit Order, 1st Class (BMV1)
  • Friedrichs-Orden, Grand Cross (WF1)
  • Red Eagle Order, 1st Class with Oak Leaves

WWI decorations

  • Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
  • Knight of the Military Order of St. Henry (Militär-St.-Heinrichs-Orden), Commander 2nd Class (SH2b)
  • Pour le Mérite with Oak Leaves
    • Pour le Mérite on 24 July 1915
    • Oak Leaves on 28 September 1915
  • Saxe-Ernestine House Order (Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden), Grand Cross with Swords (HSEH1⚔/HSH1⚔) on 13 September 1915[5]
  • Saxe-Meiningen Cross for Merit in War (SMK)
  • Bremen Hanseatic Cross (Bremisches Hanseatenkreuz; BremH/BH) on 16 November 1915
  • Lübeck Hanseatic Cross (Lübeckisches Hanseatenkreuz; LübH/LüH) on 11 December 1915
  • Hamburg Hanseatic Cross (Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz; HH)
  • Hessian Bravery Medal (Hessische Tapferkeitsmedaille; HT)
  • Lippe War Merit Cross (LK)
  • Austria-Hungary Military Merit Cross, 1st Class with the War Decoration (ÖMV1mKD/ÖM1K)
  • Order of the Iron Crown (Austria), 1st Class with the War Decoration (ÖEK1K)
  • Mecklenburg-Strelitzisches Verdienstkreuz für Auszeichnung im Kriege, 2nd and 1st Class (MStMV1)
    • II Class with the inscription "For Bravery" (MStMV2T)
  • Mecklenburg-Schwerin Military Merit Cross (Großherzoglich Mecklenburg-Schwerinsches Militärverdienstkreuz), 1st Class (MMV1/MK1)
  • Fürstlich Reußisches Ehrenkreuz, 1st Class with Swords (REK1⚔/REKj1⚔)
  • Bulgarian Order of Bravery, 2nd Class (BT2)
  • Gallipoli Star (Eiserner Halbmond; TH)
  • Princely House Order of Hohenzollern, Cross of Honour 1st Class with Swords (HEK1⚔) on 24 February 1917 (Ehrenkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern)
  • Order of Berthold the First (Großherzoglich-Badischer Orden Berthold des Ersten), Grand Cross with Swords (BBI1⚔) on 20 June 1917[6]
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle with Oak Leaves and Swords, published in "Militär-Wochenblatt" on 12 June 1917
  • Fürstlich Waldeck’sches Verdienstkreuz, 1st Class with Swords (WVK1⚔)
  • Württemberg Order of the Crown, Grand Cross with Swords (WK1⚔)
  • Albrechts-Orden of Saxony, Grand Cross with the Golden Star and Swords (SA1gSt⚔)
  • Grand Cross of the Bavarian Military Merit Order with Swords (BMV G.Kr.⚔/BMV.G.Kr⚔)
  • Order of the Black Eagle on 23 December 1917
  • Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer

Honours

  • On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Kaiser Wilhelm II's reign, Gallwitz was raised to hereditary Prussian nobility on 16 June 1913.[7]
  • Honorary citizenship of the city of Freiburg im Breisgau (Grand Duchy of Baden), 1915
  • Honorary doctorate (Dr. phil. h. c.) of the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität zu Freiburg on 30 November 1915
  • Kaiser Wilhelm II also ordered in 1918 that one of the eight defense towers of the old Marienburg Castle of the Teutonic Order be named after the general.
  • Gallwitzstraße in the hero district (Heldenviertel) of Freiburg
  • Gallwitzallee in Steglitz-Zehlendorf (Berlin)
  • Barracks in Aachen, Bonn, Freiburg, Mannheim, Itzehoe and Hildesheim (named 1935) were named after Max von Gallwitz.

Gallery

  • General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz VIII.jpg
  • General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz VI.jpg
  • General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz V.jpg
  • General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz III.jpg
  • GALLWITZ, Max von Gallwitz (1852-1937).jpg
  • Porträt von Max von Gallwitz in der Historischen Kaufhalle Freiburg.jpg
  • Gallwitz Kaserne.jpg
  • Dedication of the FAR 27 memorial in the Luisenplatz in Wiesbaden, 1934 I.jpg
  • Dedication of the FAR 27 memorial in the Luisenplatz in Wiesbaden, 1934 II.jpg

Awards entries

Medals

  • General Max von Gallwitz und Friedrich von Scholtz (medal V).jpg
  • Gallwitz, Max von (medal 1914 II).jpg
  • Gallwitz, Max von (medal 1914).jpg
  • Gallwitz, Max von (medal 1915).jpg
  • Gallwitz, Max von (medal II).jpg
  • Gallwitz, Max von (medal).jpg

Writings

  • Meine Führertätigkeit im Weltkriege 1914–1916. Belgien–Osten–Balkan. E. S. Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1929
  • Erleben im Westen 1916–1918. E. S. Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1932

References

  1. ↑ Original: „Nirgendwo sonst habe ich solch tapfere Löwen gesehen, die von solchen Lämmern angeführt wurden.“
  2. ↑ Gallwitz, Max Karl Wilhelm von (preußischer Adel 1913)
  3. ↑ Ernst Moritz Friedrich Roeder von Diersburg (b. 12. November 1896 in Obersasbach near Achern between Straßburg and Karlsruhe; d. 4. September 1983 in Freiburg i. Br.) served in WWI as a Leutnant in the XIV. (Badisches) Armee-Korps of the Imperial german Army, went to university afterwards and received a doctorate (Dr. phil.); further career: 1921–1922 assistant officer in the Reich Archives, 1922–1923 assistant officer at the foreign trade office for iron and steel at the Association of German Iron and Steel Industrialists, 1923–1928 commercial clerk, 1928–1945 Reich Statistical Office, 1943–1945 commanded to work for the Reich Minister for Armaments and War Production during WWII, 1946–1949 Statistical Office for the British Occupation Zone, 1949–1961 Economic Administration of the United Economic Area or BMWi (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft), 1950–1961 Head of Section I A 7 (Statistics).
  4. ↑ Gallwitz, in: Deutscher Ordens-Almanach (1908), p. 426 does not show the War Commemorative Medal, but pictures of the general confirm this.
  5. ↑ Sachsen-Ernestinischen Hausorden und Medaillen der Herzöge, Staatsministerium Dep. I Loc. 11 Nr. 5 Vol. 113 S. 181 RS, 183, 185; Staatsministerium Dep. I Loc. 11 Nr. 69 S. 3; Staatsministerium Dep. I Loc. 11 Nr. 20 Vol. 14 Bl. 338; Staatsministerium Dep. I Loc. 11 Nr. 20 Vol. 15 Bl. 142, 144
  6. ↑ This is a very high and very uncommon honor, Volle (p. 219) gives a total of 25 awarded.
  7. ↑ Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch der briefadeligen Häuser (1917), p. 253
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