List of German Generaloberst (1854-1918?)

[Boyen]

Hello,

Does anyone has a list of German Generaloberst from the beginning of the rank (I think it was in 1854) to the end of WWI?

[abaus]

Boyen,

Here it is:

Preußische General-Obersten 1854-1918

Wilhelm Prinz von Preußen 01.03.1854
Karl Prinz von Preußen 02.03.1854 (1)
Albrecht Prinz von Preußen (father) 16.06.1871
Friedrich Prinz der Niederlande 01.01.1873
Friedrich Franz II. Großherzog 02.09.1873
v. Mecklenburg-Schwerin
August Prinz von Württemberg 02.07.1873
Friedrich I, Großherzog v. Baden 25.06.1888
Pape, Alexander von 19.09.1888
Karl Alexander Großherzog von Sachsen- 21.12.1889
Weimar-Eisenach
Bismarck Herzog von Lauenburg, Otto Fürst v. 20.03.1890
Ludwig IV. Großherzog von Hessen u. b. Rhein 12.09.1891
Loë, Walter Frhr. von 08.09.1893 (2)
Waldersee, Alfred Graf von 12.09.1895 (2)
Hahnke, Wilhelm von 18.01.1901 (2)
Haeseler, Gottlieb Graf von 18.01.1901 (2)
Leopold Fürst von Hohenzollern 18.10.1901
Adolf Großherzog von Luxemburg Herzog 22.03.1902
zu Nassau
Wittich, Adolf von 11.09.1903
Schlieffen, Alfred Graf von 11.09.1903 (2)
Christian IX. König von Dänemark 15.11.1903
Bernhard Erbprinz von Sachsen-Meiningen 15.09.1905
Friedrich Erbgroßherzog von Baden 15.09.1905
Lindequist, Oskar von 13.09.1906
Planitz, Ernst Edler von der 13.09.1906
Bock und Polach, Max von 18.09.1908 (2)
Plessen, Hans von 18.09.1908
Goltz, Colmar Frhr. von der 18.09.1908 (2)
Heinrich Prinz von Preußen 04.09.1909
Friedrich August III. König von Sachsen 21.09.1909 (2)
Friedrich Leopold Prinz von Preußen 10.09.1910
Christian Prinz zu Schleswig-Holstein 22.01.1911
Kessel, Gustav von 27.01.1911
Bülow, Karl von 13.09.1912 (2)
Eichhorn, Hermann von 01.01.1913 (2)
Scholl, Friedrich von 16.06.1913
Prittwitz und Gaffron, Max von 16.06.1913
Albrecht Herog von Württemberg 24.09.1913 (2)
Heeringen, Josias von 27.01.1914
Moltke, Helmuth von 27.01.1914
Kluck, Alexander von 27.01.1914
Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg, Paul von 29.08.1914 (2)
Woyrsch, Remus von 03.12.1914 (2)
Mackensen, August von 17.12.1914 (2)
Falkenhausen, Ludwig Frhr. von 24.12.1914
Bissing, Moritz Frhr. von 24.12.1914
Einem gen. von Rothmaler, Karl von 27.01.1915
Schubert, Richard von 27.01.1915
Kirchbach, Günther Graf von 27.01.1918
Beseler, Hans von 27.01.1918
Boehn, Max von 22.03.1918
Linsingen, Alexander von 07.04.1918 (3)
Lyncker, Moritz Frhr. von 10.04.1918

(1) Generalfeldzeugmeister, in rank same as a Gen.Ob.
(2) later GFM
(3) GdI with the rank of a Gen.Ob. since 20.11.1916

source: Zivkovic, Georg Heer- und Flottenführer der Welt, Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1971
pp 427-428

Andy

[AJK]

Hi Boyen,

In addition to Andy's list, I have the following names in my files (collected over a number of years, so original sources unknown):

Generaloberst mit dem Range als GFM Arnulf, Prinz von BAYERN-WITTELSBACH (09.09.1903)
Generaloberst mit dem Range als GFM Ernst I, Herzog von SACHSEN-ALTENBURG (28.09.1907)
Generaloberst Max Klemens Freiherr von HAUSEN (17.12.1910)
Generaloberst Emil Ritter von XYLANDER (03.03.1911)
Generaloberst Karl Graf von HORN (27.12.1911)
Generaloberst der Kavallerie Otto Freiherr KRESS von Kressenstein (01.08.1914)
Generaloberst Karl d'ELSA (23.01.1918)
Generaloberst der Infanterie Felix Ludwig Graf von BOTHMER (09.04.1918)

Generaloberst Karl Anton Fürst von HOHENZOLLERN-SIGMARINGEN (?)
Generaloberst Hans von KIRCHBACH (?)
Generaloberst Otto von MARCHTALER (?)
Generaloberst Philipp, Herzog von WÜRTTEMBERG (?)

Regards,

AJK

[abaus]

All,

I was remiss in not mentioning that the list I provided contains only Prussian Gen.Ob. The names AJK added are of Bavarian, Saxon and Württemberg Gen.Ob. (with the exception of Karl Anton Fürst von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, who died in 1919 as a char. Gen.Lt. according to the soures available to me), who did not also have the rank of a Prussian Gen.Ob.

I guess that's what happens when you have four Kingdoms, each of which can and did grant commissions in their armies! Without primary sources to consult, it's rather difficult to compile any definitive list.

Andy

[AJK]

Hi,

Andy is absolutely right in his comments regarding the difficulty in compiling a definitive list of all German (i.e. all the Kingdoms) Generalobersten. Moreover, after the "unification" of Germany in 1871 (formation of the Reich, under a German Emperor), it was not uncommon for a Saxon officer (for example) to hold a rank in the Saxon Army but also have a rank in the Prussian Army (e.g. Friedrich August III. König von Sachsen). I took Boyen's request for a list of "German Generaloberst" to include all the Kingdoms, hence my addition to Andy's post.

In the case of Karl Anton Fürst von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, it seems that the final rank that he held in the Prussian Army was General der Infanterie (source: Lexikon der Deutschen Generale: http://www.lexikon-deutschegenerale.de; this site is an excellent resource for Prussian Generals). Unfortunately I cannot trace my source for citing Karl Anton Fürst von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as a Generaloberst, and it may well be that this is an error, unless he held the Generaloberst rank in an Army other than the Prussian Army (perhaps unlikely given that the Hohenzollerns were Prussian).

Regards,

AJK

[Boyen]

Thank you guys. So, the first non-royalty to earn this rank in the Prussian Army was Alexander von Pape in 1888.

[freiherr]

Hi AJK,

Just a liitle to add to your always encyclopaedic knowledge.

GenObst Joseph Anton Emil Ritter u Elder v Xylander was father of MMJO WM GenMj zV Rudolf and WM GenLt Wolf Dietrich. Guess not directly related to Oskar.
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Per ... itterv.htm

According to Biblio Verlag, GenObst rank for the Sachsen v Kirchbach was earned on 23.01.18

And while I have seen Kriegsminister Graf v Horn as "Karl" as well as "Carl", I think I will give the benefit of the doubt to his descendants' website and use a "C"
http://www.vonhorn.info/persons.htm

Cheers
Freiherr

[HFK]

Hello Freiherr, I want to respond to your comments about the spelling of Carl or Karl. I have standardized the spelling as Karl for German names, and Carl for Austrian. Look in any Austrian Schematismus, and all the names are spelled with a "C" for Carl. I have therefore adopted this spelling in all my computerized listtings. The German names are usually, but not always, spelled with a K. Regards, Harry