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Hermann von François (January 31, 1856 – May 15, 1933) was a German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 General
General

A General officer is an Officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is just called general....
 der Infanterie
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
 during World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
, and is best known for his key role in several German victories on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)

The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central Europe and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front ....
 in 1914.

Early life and military career
Born in Luxembourg
Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a small landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany....
 to a noble family of Huguenot
Huguenot

The Huguenots were members of the Protestantism Reformed Church of France of France from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries....
 extraction, François was exposed to a military life from an early age. His father Bruno von François was a Prussia
Prussia

Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history....
n general and commander of the 27.






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Hermann von François (January 31, 1856 – May 15, 1933) was a German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 General
General

A General officer is an Officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is just called general....
 der Infanterie
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
 during World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
, and is best known for his key role in several German victories on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)

The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central Europe and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front ....
 in 1914.

Early life and military career


Born in Luxembourg
Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a small landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany....
 to a noble family of Huguenot
Huguenot

The Huguenots were members of the Protestantism Reformed Church of France of France from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries....
 extraction, François was exposed to a military life from an early age. His father Bruno von François was a Prussia
Prussia

Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history....
n general and commander of the 27. (Preußische) Infanterie-Brigade. He was killed in action leading his men during the Battle of Spicheren
Battle of Spicheren

The Battle of Spicheren, also known as the Battle of Forbach, was a battle during the Franco-Prussian War. The German victory compelled the French to withdraw to the defenses of Metz....
 on 6 August 1870, only a few days before the Battle of Sedan
Battle of Sedan

The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War on 1 September 1870. It resulted in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III along with his army and practically decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, though fighting continued under a new France government....
.

François, who had enrolled as an officer cadet, was by 1875 based in Potsdam
Potsdam

Potsdam is the capital city of the Germany States of Germany of Brandenburg and is part of the Metropolitan area of Berlin/Brandenburg. It is situated on the River Havel, some 25 kilometres southwest of the center of Berlin....
 as Leutnant of the 1.Garde-Regiment zu Fuß. From 1884 - 87, he attended the Military Academy at Berlin
Berlin

Berlin is the Capital of Germany city and one of sixteen States of Germany of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city....
, and by 1889 had been promoted to Hauptmann
Hauptmann

Hauptmann is a German language word usually translated as Captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German Army, Austrian Army and Swiss Army....
 (Captain) and had joined the General Staff
German General Staff

The German General Staff was an institution whose rise and development gave the German military a decided advantage over its adversaries. The Staff amounted to its best "weapon" for nearly two centuries....
.

By the early 1890s, François was posted to the XV.Armeekorps as a general staff officer based in Strasbourg
Strasbourg

Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace Regions of France in northeastern France. With 702,412 inhabitants in 2007, its metropolitan area is the Aire urbaine....
. After a brief stint as company commander in 151. Infanterie-Regiment of the 31.Division, François devoted all his energies to the General Staff. In 1894 he was promoted to major and transferred to the 8. Division in Mannheim
Mannheim

Mannheim is a city in Germany. With 327,318 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in the state of Baden-W?rttemberg after the capital Stuttgart....
. By 1899, François was the Chief of Staff for the IV Corps
IV Corps (German Empire)

The IV Army Corps was a corps of the German Army . It was established on October 3, 1815 as the General Command in the Duchy of Saxony and became the IV Army Corps on August 30, 1818....
, commanded by General der Infanterie Paul von Hindenburg
Paul von Hindenburg

Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg , known universally as Paul von Hindenburg was a German Generalfeldmarschall and statesman....
 and based in Magdeburg
Magdeburg

Magdeburg , the Capital of the States of Germany of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, lies on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
.

In 1901, François's mother, Marie took the family to German South-West Africa
German South-West Africa

German South West Africa was a colony of German Empire from 1884 until 1915, when it was taken over by South Africa and administered as South West Africa, finally becoming Namibia in 1990....
 to follow her youngest son, Hugo von François who was a Hauptmann (Captain) in the Colonial Army. The family was based in the region during the Herero Wars, in which Hugo fought. François' other brother, Curt von François
Curt von Francois

Curt von Fran?ois was a military and political figure in the early days of German colonial empire in Africa. He is remembered as one of the pioneers of German Southwest Africa ....
, was a well known scientist and researcher specialising in Africa.

In 1908, François was promoted to Generalmajor and placed in command of the Hessischen-Brigade in Darmstadt
Darmstadt

Darmstadt is a city in the States of Germany of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area.The city of Darmstadt was founded by the Counts of Katzenelnbogen in 1330, though settlement in the area is known to have been present as early as the late 11th century....
. François was promoted to Generalleutnant in 1911 and given command of the 13. Division for a brief period before his promotion to General der Infanterie and posting to command of I Corps
I Corps (German Empire)

The I Corps was a unit of the Germany German army. The headquarters of the corps were located in K?nigsberg. At the beginning of World War I, the corps was attached to the 8th Army and transferred to the Eastern Front ....
 under the 8th Army
German Eighth Army

The 8th Army was a World War I and World War II field army....
 based in Königsberg
Königsberg

K?nigsberg was after World War II in 1946 renamed Kaliningrad by the Soviet Union.The city was the Capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945....
.

World War I


François began the war stationed in the province of East Prussia
Province of East Prussia

The Province of East Prussia was a provinces of Prussia of Prussia from 1773-1829 and 1878-1945. Composed of the historical region East Prussia, the province's capital was Kaliningrad....
, where he was commander of the I Corps of the German Eighth Army. His task was to defend the easternmost regions of East Prussia against a Russian
Russian Empire

File:Russian Emperor Flag.jpgFile:Romanov Flag.svgThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917....
 attack directed at the key city of Königsberg
Königsberg

K?nigsberg was after World War II in 1946 renamed Kaliningrad by the Soviet Union.The city was the Capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945....
. The Eighth Army would be expected to hold out against significantly larger Russian forces until it could be reinforced by troops coming from the west after the expected quick defeat of France, in accordance with the Schlieffen Plan, which would guide German forces in the opening phase of a war in which Germany faced both France and Russia.

When war broke out in August 1914, François' corps faced the right wing of a two-pronged Russian invasion of East Prussia, led by Paul von Rennenkampf
Paul von Rennenkampf

Paul von Rennenkampf was a Russian general who served in the Imperial Russian Army for over 40 years, including during World War I.Of Baltic German extraction, he joined the Russian Army at 19 and attended the Nikolaevsky Military Academy in Saint Petersburg from 1879 to 1882....
's Russian First Army. On August 17, the overall German theatre commander, General Maximilian von Prittwitz
Maximilian von Prittwitz

Maximilian von Prittwitz was a Germany general....
, nervously eyeing the advance of the Russian left wing far to the south, ordered Von François to retreat while under heavy attack from Rennenkampf.

François, reluctant to surrender any of his beloved Prussia, and naturally pugnacious, also felt breaking off while engaged would be deadly, and so he ignored Prittwitz' order, responding with the famous reply "General von François will withdraw when he has defeated the Russians!" He counterattacked Rennenkampf's massive army, bringing on the Battle of Stalluponen
Battle of Stalluponen

The Battle of Stalupenai, fought between Russian Empire and German Empire armies on August 17, 1914, was the opening battle of World War I on the Eastern Front ....
, and won a surprising victory while inflicting 5,000 casualties and taking 3,000 prisoners.

After winning the battle, François obeyed Prittwitz's order and withdrew to the west, where three days later he fought Rennenkampf to a draw at the Battle of Gumbinnen
Battle of Gumbinnen

The Battle of Gumbinnen, initiated by the German Empire on August 20, 1914, was the first major German offensive on the Eastern Front during the World War I....
. Von François' aggressiveness resulted in the cautious Rennenkampf halting his advance westward.

Following that battle and a change of overall commanders (Prittwitz was judged to have lost his nerve by the German High Command), François' corps was transferred by rail to the southwest, to confront the Russian Second Army advancing into southern East Prussia under the command of General Alexander Samsonov
Alexander Samsonov

Aleksandr Vassilievich Samsonov served as a Military history of Imperial Russia commander during World War I.Samsonov joined the Russian Army at age 18 and fought in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78....
. Although not trusted by the new German commanders Paul von Hindenburg
Paul von Hindenburg

Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg , known universally as Paul von Hindenburg was a German Generalfeldmarschall and statesman....
 and Erich Ludendorff
Erich Ludendorff

Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff was a Imperial Germany Army Officer , victor of Battle of Li?ge, and, with Paul von Hindenburg, one of the victors of the battle of Battle of Tannenberg ....
 due to his previous disobedience, François played the decisive role in the upcoming Battle of Tannenberg (1914)
Battle of Tannenberg (1914)

The Battle of Tannenberg was a decisive engagement between the Russian Empire and the German Empire in the first days of World War I, fought by the Russian First Army and Second Army |Second Armies and the Eighth Army between 23 August and 2 September 1914....
. On August 27, François attacked the lead elements of Samsonov's army and began to make steady advances into their rear. Ludendorff, fearing a Russian counterattack by Rennenkampf, now ordered him to break off the advance. However, François twice ignored his direct orders and played a decisive role in the following encirclement and defeat of Samsonov's army.

When Hindenburg and Ludendorff went south to lead the 9th Army in Russian Poland, François remained with his corps in East Prussia and led it with much success in the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes the following month. When General von Schubert, the new commander of the 8th Army, ordered him to retreat, he dispatched a telegram to the OHL describing his success and stating "the Commander is badly counselled." The telegram impressed the Kaiser so much that he immediately relieved Schubert and, on 3 October, gave von François the command of the 8th Army. Not long did he hold it. When Hindenburg and Ludendorff prepared their counter-attack from Thorn in the direction of Lódz, François was reluctant to send the requested I Corps, sending badly trained and ill-equipped XXV Reserve Corps instead. That was too much for his superiors. In early November 1914 von François was removed and replaced by General Otto von Below
Otto von Below

Otto von Below was a Prussian general. He was born at and died at Gdansk.During World War I, Below took part as a commander in the Battle of Gumbinnen, the Battle of Tannenberg and the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes ....
.

After some time spent "on the shelf", François received the command of the XLI Reserve Corps on 24 December 1914, and after a spell in the West, he returned to the Eastern Front in April 1915 where he took part in the Spring Offensive that conquered Russian Poland. He continued to distinguish himself. He won the Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite

The Pour le M?rite, known informally during World War I as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military Order until the end of World War I....
, Germany's highest military decoration, on 14 May 1915 for his performance in the breakthrough at Gorlice, and had the Oak Leaves attached to it in July 1917, for outstanding performance during the Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun

The Battle of Verdun was one of the most critical List of World War I Battles in World War I on the Western Front . It was fought between the German Army and France armies, from 21 February to 15 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun in northeastern France....
. In July 1915 he was transferred back to the Western Front to take command of the Westphalian VII Corps in France, and in July 1916 Meuse Group West in the Verdun sector. However he never received any further promotion or serious commands under Ludendorff, and gave up his command in July 1918 and was placed on the standby list until October 1918 when he retired.

Post-war

After the war ended, François returned home and wrote several books on military history, including the best-seller (in Germany) Marneschlacht und Tannenberg in 1920.