Josias von Heeringen

Josias von Heeringen
General Josias von Heeringen c. 1914
Born	9 March 1850 Kassel, Electorate of Hesse
Died	9 October 1926(1926-10-09) (aged 76) Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany
Allegiance	German Empire
Service / branch	Imperial German Army
Years of service	1867–1918
Rank	Generaloberst
Commands	117th (3rd Grand Ducal Hessian) Life Infantry "Grand Duchess" 22nd Division II Corps 7th Army High Command of Coastal Defence
Battles / wars	Franco-Prussian War World War I
Awards	Pour le Mérite with Oakleaves

Josias von Heeringen (9 March 1850 – 9 October 1926) was a German general of the imperial era who saw service in the First World War.

Life and military career

Heeringen was born in Kassel in the Electorate of Hesse. He was the son of Josias von Heeringen (1809–1885) and his wife Ehefrau Karoline von Starkloff (1817–1871). His younger brother August von Heeringen (* 26. November 1855 in Kassel; † 29. September 1927 in Berlin) served as a high marine officer and was leader of naval staff. Josias von Heeringen married in 1874 Augusta von Dewall. After a lengthy military career he became a major in the ministry of war. From 1892 to 1895 he was head of department in the General Staff. In 1898 he was appointed a Major-General and made head of the army's department within the ministry of war.

In 1901 he was made a Generalleutnant and in 1903 became head of the 22nd Division. In 1906 he was made a General der Infanterie, and also commander of the II Army Corps, whose headquarters was in Stettin. From 1909 to 1913 he was Prussian Minister of War, then became General Inspector of the II Army Inspectorate, headquartered in Berlin.

He took command of the Seventh Army in August 1914 – the army which was being used as a decoy for the attempted German invasion of France – and successfully defended Alsace against the French in the Battle of Mulhouse, for which he was awarded the Pour le Mérite (28 August 1915). He was awarded the Oakleaves on 28 August 1916. He commanded the Seventh Army until 1916 when he was transferred to coastal command in Germany for the duration of the war. He left active service with the rank of a Colonel General.

From 1918 to 1926 he was president of the Kyffhäuserbund. From September 1914 he was an honorary citizen of the city of Kassel. He died on 9 October 1926 in Berlin-Charlottenburg.