Hans von Plessen
Hans von Plessen | |
|---|---|
 Generaloberst von Plessen in 1914 | |
| Born | 26 November 1841 Berlin-Spandau, Kingdom of Prussia |
| Died | 28 January 1929 (aged 87) Potsdam, Germany |
| Allegiance | |
| Years of service | 1861–1918 |
| Rank |  Generaloberst |
| Commands |
|
| Battles / wars | Second Schleswig War Austro-Prussian War Franco-Prussian War |
| Awards | |
Hans Georg Hermann von Plessen (26 November 1841 – 28 January 1929) was a Prussian Colonel General (Template:Lang-de) and Canon of Brandenburg who held the honorary rank of Generalfeldmarschall in his role as Commandant of the German General Staff during World War I.[1]
General von Plessen also held the office of His Majesty's Orderly Adjutant General (Template:Lang-de) to Kaiser Wilhelm II, thus making him one of the Emperor's closest confidants. By 1918 he was the oldest serving officer in the Imperial German Army, although Paul von Hindenburg falsely claimed this for himself.[2] In 1918, von Plessen was awarded the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest military honor. He remained devoted to the Kaiser until the collapse of the monarchy in November, 1918.[1]
Awards
- Order of the Black Eagle, with diamonds and crosses
- Order of the Red Eagle, grand cross with oak leaves and swords
- Prussian Order of the Crown, first class
- Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with swords and crosses
- Württemberg Order of the Crown, grand cross[3]
- Iron Cross (1870), second Class
- Iron Cross (1914), first Class
- Pour le Mérite, 24 March 1918
- Order of Saint Hubert
- Order of the Rautenkrone
- Order of the Wendish Crown, grand cross
- Order of Leopold, grand cross
- Order of the Iron Crown, first class
- Order of Franz Joseph, grand cross
- Order of Saint Stephen, grand cross with diamonds
- Order of Dannebrog, commander first class
- Royal Victorian Order
- Order of St. Andrew the First-Called
- Royal Order of the Seraphim
Plessen was amongst the most highly decorated officers, with a total of 88 national and international medals, including 51 large crosses.[1]
Dates of rank
- Fähnrich—1 September 1861
- Leutnant—11 November 1862
- Oberleutnant—22 March 1868
- Hauptmann—16 April 1872
- Major—18 May 1879
- Oberstleutnant—14 July 1885
- Oberst—4 August 1888
- Generalmajor—9 February 1891
- Generalleutnant—14 May 1894
- Generaloberst—19 September 1908
- Generaloberst mit dem Rang als Generalfeldmarschall—17 November 1918
References
- ^ a b c M. Naumann: Die Plessen. Stammfolge vom XIII. bis XX. Jahrhundert. Limburg an der Lahn: Starke Verlag, 1971]
- ^ Hans von Plessen Archived 2012-11-12 at the Wayback Machine at The Prussian Machine, retrieved 08-Aug-2012
- ^ Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Württemberg 1907, Seite 50
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
- 1841 births
- 1929 deaths
- Colonel generals of Prussia
- People from Spandau
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Red Eagle
- Grand Commanders of the House Order of Hohenzollern
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown (Württemberg)
- Recipients of the Iron Cross (1870), 2nd class
- Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class
- Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)
- Knights of the Order of Saint Hubert
- Grand Crosses of the House Order of the Wendish Crown
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Franz Joseph
- Commanders First Class of the Order of the Dannebrog
- Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
- Recipients of the Order of St. Andrew
- People of the Second Schleswig War
- Prussian people of the Austro-Prussian War
- German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War
- German military personnel of World War I
- 19th-century Prussian military personnel