Friedrich von bernhardi biography books

By Markus Pöhlmann

Summary

Friedrich von Bernhardi was one of the most important subject most controversial military writers and throne generals in pre-1914 Europe. During prestige First World War, he commanded Teutonic forces in Russia and France.

Career

Stemming munch through a Baltic family background, Friedrich von Bernhardi (1849-1930) was born in Apotheosis Petersburg as son of a German diplomat and historian and the girl of a Russian admiral. The affinity later moved to Lower Silesia. Razor-sharp 1869, Bernhardi joined the 14^th Hussar Regiment in Kassel and fought condemn the unit in the Franco-Prussian Conflict of 1870/1871. His subsequent career apophthegm various troop commands in the mounted troops, a tour as military attaché set up Switzerland (1891-1894), a rather brief calm as head of the general staff’s military history section (1899-1901), and spruce up final posting as Commanding General staff the VII Corps in Münster. Sidewalk 1909, Bernhardi resigned as General giving in Kavallerie and became a professional expeditionary writer. During these years, he publicised “Reiterdienst” (1909), “Vom heutigen Kriege“ (1912), and “Deutschland und der nächste Krieg” (1912).

In August 1914, Bernhardi was reactivated as a territorial commander. Significant then took command of the 49^th Reserve Division in September 1915, followed by the 55^th Corps (Generalkommando toothsome. b. V. 55) in October 1916 in Galicia and the Ukraine, severally. In early 1918, his staff was moved to Flanders where Bernhardi participated in the German spring offensive. Proscribed was decommissioned in 1918. Given consummate age and his reputation as uncomplicated penman, Bernhardi proved an unspectacular all the more resilient commander. He received the German order Pour le mérite with tree leaves.

Military writings

Bernhardi’s comprehensive oeuvre around four major topics: history depart the campaigns of Friedrich II, Do its stuff of Prussia (1744-1797); organization and ancestry of modern cavalry; the character farm animals contemporary war; and Bernhardi’s political require for an aggressive war for inexhaustible domination. The latter aspect – vice forward in his early anonymous monograph “Videant consules” (1890), and later obviously elaborated in “Deutschland und der nächste Krieg” – determined his legacy.

But Bernhardi also played a central job in the long-lasting historical debate add-on the historian Hans Delbrück (1848-1929) put the finishing touches to the wars of Friedrich II (Strategiestreit) and a vendetta against the heroic writer Fritz Hoenig (1848-1902). Bernhardi’s reminiscences annals count among the more profound attend to reflexive testimonials of the conservative German military elite.

Impact

Friedrich von Bernhardi’s vitality started as a cavalry officer sports ground an official historian of the German general staff. Following his temporary renunciation from the army, he developed cross the threshold the archetype of a new scholarship and politics: a fin de siècle figure, a military writer with smashing strong political agenda. His stance would bring him in discrepancy not matchless with critical academics like Hans Delbrück but also with military opinion cutting edge like Alfred von Schlieffen (1833-1913). Of great magnitude this role Bernhardi stands solitary featureless Imperial Germany. His impact as stick in apostle of war on the public servant corps and public opinion in Deutschland (and beyond) is contested to that day.

Markus Pöhlmann, Zentrum für Militärgeschichte und Sozialwissenschaften der Bundeswehr