Georg von der Marwitz
Encyclopedia
Johannes Georg von der Marwitz (7 July 1856–27 October 1929) was a Prussian
cavalry
general
, who commanded several German
armies
during the First World War on both the Eastern and Western fronts.
in 1875. From 1883 to 1886 he attended the Prussian Military Academy. Until 1900 he commanded a cavalry regiment, at which point he became chief of staff of XVIII Corps. Before the outbreak of the First World War he was the Inspector-General of Cavalry.
. After this first battle Marwitz was transferred to the Eastern Front to take command of the newly formed XXXVIII Reserve Corps, which he led in the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes
in the early winter of 1915. He was then transferred south and fought with Austria-Hungary
against the Russians
, and was awarded the Pour le Mérite
on 7 March 1915.
After recovering from an illness in the fall of 1915, Marwitz served on the Western Front as the commander of the VI Corps, before returning to the Eastern Front until the successful halting of the Russian Brusilov Offensive
in June 1916. On 6 October 1916 he became adjutant to Kaiser Wilhelm II
, a post which he left in December 1916 to take command of the Second Army on the Western Front. In November 1917 he defended against the British
in the Battle of Cambrai, which saw the first use of tank
s en masse. In September 1918 he took command of the Fifth Army, which he held until the end of the war.
in 1929 in the age of 73.
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
, who commanded several German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
armies
Field army
A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
during the First World War on both the Eastern and Western fronts.
Early military career
Marwitz was born in Stolp (Słupsk) in the Province of Pomerania and entered the Prussian ArmyPrussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War...
in 1875. From 1883 to 1886 he attended the Prussian Military Academy. Until 1900 he commanded a cavalry regiment, at which point he became chief of staff of XVIII Corps. Before the outbreak of the First World War he was the Inspector-General of Cavalry.
World War I
Marwitz was assigned to the Western Front in 1914, and participated in the Battle of HaelenBattle of Haelen
The Battle of Haelen was a cavalry battle on the Western Front at the beginning of World War I. It took place on August 12, 1914 between German forces led by Georg von der Marwitz and the Belgian forces led by Leon De Witte and resulted in a tactical victory for the Belgians.-Strategic...
. After this first battle Marwitz was transferred to the Eastern Front to take command of the newly formed XXXVIII Reserve Corps, which he led in the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes
Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes
The Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes, also known as the Winter Battle of the Masurian Lakes, was the northern part of the Central Powers' offensive on the Eastern Front in the winter of 1915...
in the early winter of 1915. He was then transferred south and fought with Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
against the Russians
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, and was awarded the Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
on 7 March 1915.
After recovering from an illness in the fall of 1915, Marwitz served on the Western Front as the commander of the VI Corps, before returning to the Eastern Front until the successful halting of the Russian Brusilov Offensive
Brusilov Offensive
The Brusilov Offensive , also known as the June Advance, was the Russian Empire's greatest feat of arms during World War I, and among the most lethal battles in world history. Prof. Graydon A. Tunstall of the University of South Florida called the Brusilov Offensive of 1916 the worst crisis of...
in June 1916. On 6 October 1916 he became adjutant to Kaiser Wilhelm II
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
, a post which he left in December 1916 to take command of the Second Army on the Western Front. In November 1917 he defended against the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the Battle of Cambrai, which saw the first use of tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s en masse. In September 1918 he took command of the Fifth Army, which he held until the end of the war.
Postwar
After the war, Marwitz withdrew from public life. He died at WundichowUnichowo
Unichowo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Czarna Dąbrówka, within Bytów County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Czarna Dąbrówka, north of Bytów, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk....
in 1929 in the age of 73.