Adolf Louis Theodor Richard von Schubert (19 April 1850 – 13 May 1933) served as a German army commander during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Early life

Richard Schubert participated as a second lieutenant in the Franco-Prussian War. In 1875, he graduated at the Prussian military academy in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

and served in 1888 on the Imperial German General Staff. In 1902, he became commander of the 39th Division and in 1906 Governor of the

Fortress of Ulm The fortress of Ulm (''Bundesfestung Ulm'') was one of five federal fortresses of the German Confederation around the cities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm. With its 9 km polygonal main circumvallation Ulm had the biggest fortress in Germany in the 19th ...

. In 1907, he became Inspector General of Field Artillery and was promoted to

General of the Artillery General of the Artillery is/was a general officer of artillery, and may be: *General of the Artillery (Germany) and Austria-Hungary * General of the Artillery (Imperial Russia) * General of the Artillery (Poland) *Feldzeugmeister (OF-8) of the Austr ...

. On 27 January 1909, he was ennobled by Wilhelm II, in his capacity as King of Prussia and afterwards known as "Richard von Schubert". He retired in 1911.

First World War

Upon mobilization in August 1914, Schubert was recalled from retirement and given command of the German XIV Reserve Corps. His Corps participated in the Battle of Mulhouse and the

Battle of Lorraine The Battle of Lorraine (14 August – 7 September 1914) was a battle on the Western Front during the First World War. The armies of France and Germany had completed their mobilisation, the French with Plan XVII, to conduct an offensive through L ...

, as part of the 7th Army. In September 1914, Schubert was sent to the Eastern Front to take over the command of the 8th Army from

Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (; abbreviated ; 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I and later became President of Germany fr ...

. Here he ordered a withdrawal, following the

First Battle of the Masurian Lakes The First Battle of the Masurian Lakes was a German offensive in the Eastern Front 2–16 September 1914, during the second month of World War I. It took place only days after the Battle of Tannenberg where the German Eighth Army encircled a ...

Hermann von François Hermann Karl Bruno von François (31 January 1856 – 15 May 1933) was a German ''General der Infanterie'' during World War I, and is best known for his key role in several German victories on the Eastern Front in 1914. Early life and military ...

refused, and dispatched a telegram to the OHL stating Schubert was badly advised. The telegram impressed the Kaiser so much that he immediately relieved Schubert and gave François the command of the 8th Army. Schubert was sent back to the Western Front, where he replaced Adolph von Carlowitz at the head of the XXVII Reserve Corps during the

First Battle of Ypres The First Battle of Ypres (french: Première Bataille des Flandres; german: Erste Flandernschlacht – was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. The battle was part of the Firs ...

. In August 1916, he succeeded

Josias von Heeringen Josias von Heeringen (9 March 1850 – 9 October 1926) was a German general of the imperial era who served as Prussian Minister of War and saw service in the First World War. Early life Heeringen was born in Kassel in the Electorate of Hesse ...

as commander of the 7th Army. On 27 January 1917, he was promoted to ''generaloberst'' and on 11 March 1917, he was relieved of command and sent into retirement.

References

Additional Reading

Prussian Machine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schubert, Richard von 1850 births 1933 deaths Colonel generals of Prussia German Army generals of World War I Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) 19th-century Prussian military personnel