Arthur von Schlieffen

Arthur Graf von Schlieffen

Arthur Graf von Schlieffen (* July 7, 1844 in Großkrausche, Bunzlau district , † September 4, 1914 in Putbus ) was a Prussian lieutenant general .

Life

origin

Arthur was the sixth of seven children of the landlord Magnus Graf von Schlieffen (1796–1884) and his wife Auguste, née von Schönberg (1808–1890). Among his brothers were the future general of the cavalry Theodor von Schlieffen (1831-1900) and field marshal Alfred von Schlieffen (1833-1913). The sister Maria (* 1834) was the 46th abbess of the Drübeck monastery from 1870 to 1902 .

Military career

After his upbringing in his parents' house, Schlieffen attended school in Bunzlau , the grammar school in Glogau and the university in Berlin. On June 27, 1865, as a three-year-old volunteer, he joined the 2nd Company of the 1st Guards Regiment on Foot in the Prussian Army and was promoted to Second Lieutenant by mid-July 1866 . In the same year, during the war against Austria , Schlieffen took part in the battles at Thrush , Königinhof and Königgrätz . In the war against France he took part in the Battle of St. Privat , was seriously wounded on August 18, 1870 near Saint-Privat-la-Montagne and was awarded the Iron Cross, 2nd class, for his work .

After the peace treaty , Schlieffen graduated from the War Academy for three years from October 1872 for further training and in the meantime rose to prime lieutenant . On May 29, 1878 he was promoted to captain and company commander . In mid-July 1885 he was ordered to accompany Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia on his travels to Switzerland , Italy , Greece , Turkey , Romania and Austria . On October 15, 1885 Schlieffen was the regiment aggregated and as adjutant to the staff of the IV. Army inspection ordered. He was promoted to major and left in his position on June 15, 1886, and was transferred to the "Kronprinz" grenadier regiment (1st East Prussian) No. 1 . With evolution of his command in the IV. Army Survey 1887 use as commander of the First Battalion joined from early September to the end of July 1891 at the regiment Leib-Grenadier 8 (1 Brandenburg) no. In Frankfurt (Oder) to . Then Schlieffen was entrusted with the management of the business as a regular staff officer in the fusilier regiment "von Gersdorff" (Hessian) No. 80 in Wiesbaden . With his appointment as a regular staff officer, he was appointed lieutenant colonel on August 22, 1891 and, as such, on May 26, 1894 with the command of the infantry regiment "Graf Bülow von Dennewitz" (6th Westphalian) No. 55 stationed in Detmold . On June 16, 1894, Schlieffen was promoted to colonel and regimental commander.

In position à la suite of his regiment, he was commissioned on October 18, 1897, initially with the leadership of the 5th Infantry Brigade in Stettin, and from November 18, 1897 to June 15, 1900 he was major general in command of this large unit . Then Schlieffen was appointed commander of Koblenz and Ehrenbreitstein and on May 18, 1901 he was given the character of Lieutenant General. In recognition of his services, Kaiser Wilhelm II awarded him the Order of the Red Eagle II. Class with Star and Oak Leaves and the Order of the Crown, II. Class with a Star. In approval of his resignation request , Schliefen was put up for disposal on September 4, 1905 with the statutory pension .

He died on September 4, 1914 in Putbus, where he wanted to recover from an illness. The grave there no longer exists.

family

Schlieffen married Rose von Gersdorff (* 1856), a daughter of General Hermann von Gersdorff, who was then court lady of Crown Princess Victoria on May 28, 1887 in the New Palace in Potsdam . They had four children:

• Friedrich Viktor (1888–1918), Prussian captain, killed on the western front near Coutiches
• Rose Charlotte (1890–1982) ⚭ Christoph Senfft von Pilsach (1877–1952)
• Dorothee (1892-1945)
• Mariagnes (1896–1983) ⚭ Egon Stern von Gwiazdowski (1885–1948), Prussian Rittmeister

literature

• Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Gräfliche Häuser. 1905. Seventy-eighth year, Justus Perthes, Gotha 1904, p. 765 f.
• Kroll: Officer regular site of the Leib Grenadier Regiment King Friedrich Wilhelm III. (1. Brandenburgisches) No. 8. ES Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1899, 718 f.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Military weekly paper. No. 44 of May 19, 1901, p. 1164.
2. ^ Military weekly paper . No. 110 of September 7, 1905, p. 2489.