Manfred von Richthofen (general)
Manfred von Richthofen | |
|---|---|
 Von Richthofen coat of arms | |
| Born | 24 May 1855 Gut Barzdorf, Silesia (now Bartoszówek, Poland) |
| Died | 28 November 1939 (aged 84) Bersdorf, Silesia (near Targoszyn, Poland) |
| Allegiance |  German Empire |
| Service/ | Army |
| Years of service | 1874–1918 |
| Rank | General der Kavallerie |
| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite |
| Relations |
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Manfred Karl Ernst Freiherr[a] von Richthofen (24 May 1855 – 28 November 1939) was a German General der Kavallerie (General of the Cavalry) during World War I and recipient of the order Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max.
Early life
Manfred von Richthofen was born on 24 May 1855 in Gut Barzdorf, Silesia (now Bartoszówek, Poland).[1] He entered the Imperial German Army in 1874. By April 1902 he had risen to command of the Gardes du Corps cavalry regiment, personal bodyguard of the German emperor, Wilhelm II, and was assigned as his aide-de-camp in the following year.[1]
In 1906, he was promoted to Oberst (colonel) and in March 1908 took command of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Brigade in Potsdam. In 1910, he was promoted to Generalmajor and in February 1913 took command of the Guards Cavalry Division in Berlin before moving on to command the 6th Infantry Division at Brandenburg in February 1914.[1]
World War I
At the beginning of World War I, Richthofen became commander of I Cavalry Corps (of Guards and 5th Cavalry Divisions) preceding 3rd Army.[2] These formed part of the right wing of the forces for the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914 on the Western Front and took part in the Battle of the Frontiers and the First Battle of the Marne.
The Corps was transferred to the Eastern Front on 6 November 1914[3] and joined the newly formed 9th Army. Richthofen and his corps played an important role in the Battle of Łódź, where his corps took part in breaking out the encircled XXV Reserve Corps.
In September 1916, Richthofen became commander of XXXVIII Reserve Corps until November when he became commander of the XXV Reserve Corps.[1] In March 1917, Richthofen was given command of 53rd Corps (z.b.V.) until January 1918[4], when he became Deputy commander of the Guards Corps[5] in Berlin.[1] He surrendered the Berliner Stadtschloss without a fight in order to keep the building and the works of art contained in it.[1]
On 18 January 1918, Richthofen was awarded the Order Pour le Mérite.[4] His highest rank was General der Kavallerie (General of the Cavalry).[1]
Later life
On 10 November 1918, Richthofen handed in his resignation which was accepted. He died on 28 November 1939 on his Bersdorf estate in Silesia (now near Targoszyn, Poland) aged 84.[1]
Richthofen was a great uncle of his more famous namesake Manfred von Richthofen, known as the Red Baron.[1] As he had no children and he wished to keep his estate in the family, he legally adopted his nephew Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, later a Generalfeldmarschall of the Luftwaffe in the Second World War.[1] Wolfram inherited the estate after Manfred died.
Awards
- Order of the Red Eagle, II Class with Oak Leaves[6]
- Order of the Crown (Prussia), II Class with Star[6]
- Order of Saint John[6]
- Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz (Prussian Service Award)[6]
- Reußisches Ehrenkreuz, I Class with Crown[6]
- Waldecksches Militär-Verdienstkreuz, III Class[6]
- Waldecksches Verdienstkreuz, I Class[6]
- Knight's Cross of the Order of the Crown (Württemberg) with Lions[6]
- Commander of the Order of St Alexander (Bulgaria)[6]
- Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy[6]
- Knight's Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph (Austria-Hungary)[6]
- Commander of the Order of the Lion and the Sun (Persia)[6]
- Order of St. Anna I Class (Russia)[6]
- Military Merit Order III class (Spain)[6]
- Iron Cross (1914) II and I Class
- Pour le Mérite awarded 18 January 1918
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Viser, Jonathan. "Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen". The Prussian Machine. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 299.
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 94.
- ^ a b "German War History". Retrieved 15 June 2012.
- ^ Cron 2002, p. 262, As the peacetime Corps Commanders were mobilised in August 1914, they left behind a Deputy. The Deputy Corps Commanders were responsible for keeping the peace in their area, maintain order and morale, and in procuring, training and despatching recruits to the field army. Not to be confused with a Reserve Corps Commander.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rangliste der Königlich Preußischen Armee und des XIII. (Königlich Württembergischen) Armeekorps für 1914, Hrsg.: Preußisches Kriegsministerium, Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1914, S.61
Bibliography
- Cron, Hermann (2002). Imperial German Army 1914–18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle [first published: 1937]. Helion & Co. ISBN 978-1-874622-70-3.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Möller, Hanns (1935). Geschichte der Ritter des Ordens pour le mérite im Weltkrieg (in German). Vol. II. Verlag Bernard & Graefe, Berlin. pp. 193–194.
- Hildebrand, Karl-Friedrich; Zweng, Christian (2002). Die Ritter des Ordens Pour le Mérite des I. Weltkriegs (in German). Vol. 3: P–Z. Biblio Verlag, Bissendorf. pp. 119–120. ISBN 3-7648-2586-3.
External links
- Literature by and about Manfred von Richthofen (general) in the German National Library catalogue
- Manfred von Richthofen / Lt. General, Commander of the 6 Division at Brandenburg. pourlemerite.org
- Prätorius von Richthofen roskildehistorie.dk Template:Da icon
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