Hermann Christian Wilhelm von Strantz (13 February 1853 in Nakel an der Netze – 3 November 1936 in

Dessau Dessau is a district of the independent city of Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the ''States of Germany, Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Until 1 July 2007, it was an independent ...

) was a

Prussian Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, the House of Hohenzoll ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

, and later

General of Infantry General of the infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to: * General of the Infantry (Austria) * General of the Infantry (Bulgaria) * General of the Infantry (Germany) ('), a rank of a general in the German Imper ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He was a recipient of

Pour le Mérite The (; , ), also informally known as the ''Blue Max'' () after German WWI flying ace Max Immelmann, is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. Separated into two classes, each with their own designs, the was ...

World War I

In 1914, von Strantz was commanding

V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Arm ...

with headquarters in Posen. In peacetime the Corps was assigned to the VIII Army Inspectorate but on mobilisation V Corps was assigned to the 5th Army forming part of centre of the forces for the

Schlieffen Plan The Schlieffen Plan (, ) is a name given after the First World War to German war plans, due to the influence of Field Marshal Alfred von Schlieffen and his thinking on an invasion of France and Belgium, which began on 4 August 1914. Schlieffe ...

offensive in August 1914 on the Western Front. ''Armee-Abteilung'' Strantz (named for von Strantz while he was in command, but later renamed to ''

Armee-Abteilung C Armee-Abteilung Strantz / Armee-Abteilung C (Army Detachment C) was an army level command of the German Army in World War I. It served on the Western Front throughout its existence. History ''Armee-Abteilung'' C was formed on 18 September 191 ...

'') was formed on 18 September 1914 from the left (southern) wing of the 5th Army. It initially commanded V Corps and III Bavarian Corps, controlling half a dozen divisions. Strantz remained as commander of V Corps concurrently but was deputised in this post by a Divisional Commander. Strantz remained as commander of the ''Armee-Abteilung'' until 2 February 1917 when he retired from active service ().The Prussian Machine
Accessed: 25 October 2012

Awards

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

II Class (1870) *

I Class (1914) *

(22 August 1915) * Order of the Crown *

Order of the Zähringer Lion The Order of the Zähringer Lion was instituted on 26 December 1812 by Karl, Grand Duke of Baden, in memory of the Dukes of Zähringen from whom he was descended. Classes It had five classes: *Grand Cross *Commander, First Class *Commander, ...

* Bavarian Military Merit Order *

Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle () was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, o ...

* Belgian Order of Leopold *

Order of Albert the Bear The House Order of Albert the Bear (German: ''Hausorden Albrechts des Bären'' or ''Der Herzoglich Anhaltische Hausorden Albrechts des Bären'') was founded in 1836 as a joint House Order by three dukes of Anhalt from separate branches of the fam ...

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

References

Bibliography

* * * eldzeitung''Zwischen Maas und Mosel. Armee-Abteilung von Strantz'', hrsg. vom Oberkommando der Armee-Abteilung von Strantz, Siegburg ca. 1914-1917 * Holm Kirsten, ''Das sowjetische Speziallager Nr. 4 Landsberg/Warthe'', hrsg. von der Stiftung Gedenkstätten Buchenwald und Mittelbau-Dora, Göttingen 2005 * Hans Friedrich von Ehrenkrook, ''Genealogisches Handbuch der adeligen Häuser. Adelige Häuser A'' Band IV. (= Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Band 22 der Gesamtreihe), Glücksburg 1960. * Hanns Möller: ''Die Geschichte der Ritter des Ordens „pour le merite“ im Weltkrieg 1914-1918'' - Abschnitt: ''General der Infanterie von Strantz''; Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv 2007, DW-34001-00

External links

Biography on "The Prussian Machine"
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Strantz, Hermann von 1853 births 1936 deaths People from Nakło nad Notecią Military personnel from the Province of Posen Generals of Infantry (Prussia) Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) German Army generals of World War I Recipients of the Iron Cross (1870), 2nd class Grand Crosses of the Military Merit Order (Bavaria) Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class Grand Crosses of the Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria) Officers of the Legion of Honour Commanders of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Commanders of the Order of Christ (Portugal) Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class Grand Crosses of Military Merit