Paul von Schmidt (General, 1837)

Paul von Schmidt (born August 14, 1837 in Stargard , † October 16, 1905 in Meiningen ) was a Prussian major general and military writer .

Life

origin

Paul was the son of the Prussian Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Schmidt (1799–1867) and his wife Adelaide, born von der Schleuse (1816–1849), daughter of Major General Ludwig von der Schleuse (1782–1845).

Military career

After his upbringing in his parents' house and attending grammar schools in Sorau and Küstrin , Schmidt joined the 29th Infantry Regiment of the Prussian Army as a one-year volunteer on April 1, 1856, after having passed his Abitur . With the promotion to secondary lieutenant in mid-November 1857 he was transferred to the Emperor Alexander Guard Grenadier Regiment No. 1 . After a brief assignment to the Guard Pioneer Battalion , Schmidt graduated from the War Academy for three years from October 1861 and was then assigned to the Guard Artillery Brigade and to the topographical department of the state survey of the Great General Staff . As a prime lieutenant he was from mid-May 1866 with the replacement battalion and for the duration of the mobilization on the occasion of the German war with the mobile IV battalion. On June 18, 1869, he was promoted to captain and was transferred to the 2nd Thuringian Infantry Regiment No. 32 in Meiningen as a company commander . During the war against France in 1870/71 he led his company near Weißenburg , Wörth , Sedan , Orléans , Châteaudun , Chartres , Châteauneuf and Bretoncelles as well as the siege of Paris . For his work, Schmidt was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and the Knight's Cross 1st Class of the Duke of Saxony-Ernestine House Order with Swords.

After the peace agreement , he took part in the general staff training trip in the area of ​​the XI. Army Corps and served as a major and battalion commander in the cadet corps from mid-January 1879 to early February 1882 . Then Schmidt returned with the appointment as commander of the II. Battalion in the 4th Thuringian Infantry Regiment No. 72 back in the troop service. This was followed on June 12, 1886, when he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and was employed as a regular staff officer in the 3rd Pomeranian Infantry Regiment No. 14 in Graudenz . Insinuation à la suite commissioned to Schmidt on November 6, 1888 the leadership of the Mecklenburg Großherzoglich Fusiliers "Kaiser Wilhelm" no. 90 and a week later appointed him as a colonel to the regiment commander. In this position he received the Crown Order II. Class and the Commander of the Order of the Griffins . Schmidt was put up for disposal on June 16, 1891 and was given the character of major general with a pension .

He was an honorary knight of the Order of St. John .

Military writer

Schmidt was already active as a military writer during his active service and wrote numerous works on Prussian and German military history. His presentation of the history of the development of the Brandenburg-Prussian Army ( The History of the Prussian Army ) is overshadowed by later multi-volume presentations such as that by Curt Jany ( The History of the Prussian Army from the 15th Century to 1914 ) or by Ottomar von der Osten-Sacken and von Rhein ( Prussia's army from its beginnings to the present. ).

Publications

• The career of the Prussian Army. 1903. ( digitized version )
• German officers and current trends. Verlag der Liebelschen Buchhandlung, 1892.
• The peace work of the Prussian kings in two centuries. Ceremony for the German people on January 18, 1901. Mittler, Berlin 1900.
• The education of the soldier. Verlag der Liebelschen Buchhandlung, Berlin 1894. Digitized
• Our Moltke: a role model for the German soldier. Berlin 1900.
• Kaiser Wilhelm II. On the tenth anniversary of his accession to the throne. Font Distribution Agency, Berlin 1898.
• Brief patriotic history for the Prussian soldier. Berlin, Verlag der Liebelschen Buchhandlung, 1902.
• German warrior virtue in old and new times. Dedicated to the youth and the army. Verlag der Liebelschen Buchhandlung, 1894.
• The war article of September 22, 1902 declared for official use and illustrated by examples. 4th improved edition. Liebel`sche Buchhandlung, Berlin 1904.
• The 3rd Pomeranian Infantry Regiment No. 14 from its establishment to the year 1888. Based on the preparatory work of the General of the Infantry of Verdy du Vernois , the Premier Lieutenant Werner and other officers. Liebel, Berlin 1888. ( digitized version )
• The 2nd Thuringian Infantry Regiment No. 32 in the campaign against France in 1870 and 1871. Schlesier, Berlin 1873.

literature

• von Seebach: List of officers of the Royal Prussian 4th Thuringian Infantry Regiment No. 72. 1860-1910. Uhland, Stuttgart 1910, p. 116.
• Claus von Lettow-Vorbeck: Commemorative sheets on the ranking list of the Emperor Alexander Guard Grenadier Regiment No. 1. W. Moeser, Berlin 1899, p. 150.
• Writings of the Association for Saxony Meiningische Geschichte und Landeskunde , issue 73. Kesselring, 1915 ( partial online view )
• Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Briefadeligen houses. 1912. Sixth year, Justus Perthes Verlag, Gotha 1911, p. 847.