The Kaiser's Warlords by Ronald Pawly

Author:Ronald Pawly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Kaiser’s Warlords: German Commanders of World War I
ISBN: 9781780966304
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Published: 2012-02-22T05:00:00+00:00

THE PROFESSIONAL GENERALS: Fritz von BELOW (1853–1918), General der Infanterie

The son of a Prussian general, Fritz Wilhelm Theodor Karl von Below was born at Danzig on 23 September 1853. Commissioned in 1873, he entered the Prussian Kriegsakademie. His pre-war career included both staff posts and unit commands, and in October 1912 he was given command of the newly formed XXI Corps at Saarbrücken. He led his corps during the first eight months of the war, and was present at the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes, for which he received the Pour le Mérite on 14 March 1915.

Below was chosen to replace Field-Marshal Karl von Bülow as commander of the 2nd Army on 4 April 1915. Serving in the Somme region, his three divisions held a front of over 50 miles, and were badly mauled during the opening day of the great Anglo-French offensive on 1 July 1916. On 19 July, Below and his chief of staff, Col Friedrich von Lossberg, were reassigned to the newly created headquarters of 1st Army, responsible for the northern Somme sector; and on 11 August he received the Oakleaves to his Pour le Mérite. In April 1917 the 1st Army was directed to the Reims area, where it helped to repel the ill-fated Nivelle offensive. On 17 June 1917 Below was commissioned à la suite into the 3rd Grenadier Guard Regiment. He remained in charge of the Reims sector for the next 14 months, transferring from command of the 1st Army to the 9th Army on 18 June 1918.

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