General der Infanterie 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 Impe ...
'' 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 notable for his participation in the
Battle of Belleau Wood
The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) was a major battle that occurred during the German spring offensive in World War I, near the Marne (river), Marne River in France. The battle was fought by the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division (United State ...
.
Biography
Early years
He was the son of the later Prussian major general Richard von Conta and his wife Coelestine Adelheid, born von Kahlden (1832-1893). His younger brother Alfred (1858–1927) also embarked on a military career and made it up to lieutenant general.
Military career
Coming from the cadet corps, Conta joined the of the
Imperial German Army
The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...
on July 23, 1874 as a characterized ensign. He was promoted to second lieutenant on October 12, 1875 and served as adjutant of the 2nd Battalion in
Münster
Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...
from mid-August 1878 to early June 1885. As a prime lieutenant, he then worked in the 3rd Company and was transferred to the brigade staff of the 37th Infantry Brigade as an adjutant on March 22, 1889. There he was promoted to captain on January 27, 1891. Conta then was in command of the 5th Company of the 95th (6th Thuringian) Infantry Regiment in
Hildburghausen
Hildburghausen () is a town in Thuringia in central Germany, capital of the Hildburghausen district.
Geography
It is situated in the Franconian part of Thuringia south of the Thuringian Forest, in the valley of the Werra River. The town centre ...
from February 14, 1891 to March 21, 1897 and later served the 2nd Company in
Gotha
Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...
. Afterwards he became an adjutant at the of the XVII. Army Corps. On January 27, 1898, Conta was simultaneously promoted to Major in the 98th (Metz) Infantry Regiment. Conta eventually returned to line service with an appointment as commander of the 1st Battalion of the 5th Guards Grenadiers. On January 27, 1905, now as Lieutenant Colonel, he was transferred to the at Giessen. Promoted to colonel on April 14, 1907, Conta led the from May 21, 1907 to March 19, 1911. He was then appointed commander of the 18th Infantry Brigade while being promoted to major general. Conta gave up this command on December 31, 1913 and became lieutenant general and commander of the prestigious 1st Division in
Königsberg
Königsberg (; ; ; ; ; ; , ) is the historic Germany, German and Prussian name of the city now called Kaliningrad, Russia. The city was founded in 1255 on the site of the small Old Prussians, Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teuton ...
Battle of Tannenberg
The Battle of Tannenberg, also known as the Second Battle of Tannenberg, was fought between Russia and Germany between 23 and 30 August 1914, the first month of World War I. The battle resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Russ ...
, specifically in the and in September 1914 in the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes. Between November 25 and 29, his division fought near
Łódź
Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...
and advanced towards
Łowicz
Łowicz is a town in central Poland with 27,436 inhabitants (2021). It is situated in the Łódź Voivodeship. Together with a nearby station of Bednary, Łowicz is a major rail junction of central Poland, where the line from Warsaw splits into ...
- Sanniki at the beginning of December 1914. At the turn of the year 1915 his division was in position in the Bolimow area on the Rawka-
Bzura
The Bzura is a river in central Poland. A tributary of the Vistula river (in Wyszogród), the Bzura is 173 kilometres long and has a basin area of 7,764 km2.Carpathian Front and served the South Army as a subordinate to General Alexander von Linsingen. On March 23, 1915, Conta's division was subordinated to the , and together with the 3rd Guards Infantry Division, they stormed the Zwinin on April 9.Hanns Möller: ''Geschichte der Ritter des Ordens for merit im Weltkrieg. Band I: A – L.'' Verlag Bernard & Graefe, Berlin 1935, S. 203–207. At the end of June 1915 his troops crossed the
Dniester
The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...
, in mid-July he fought near Hrubieszow and at the beginning of August his division reached Chelm. For his achievements, Conta received the Commander's Cross of the Royal
House Order of Hohenzollern
The House Order of Hohenzollern ( or ') was a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Hohenzollern awarded to military commissioned officers and civilians of comparable status. Associated with the various versions of the order were crosses an ...
with Swords on May 14, 1915.
At the beginning of March 1916, the 1st Division was transferred to the Western Front and fought in the
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun ( ; ) was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in French Third Republic, France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north ...
. On August 7, 1916, Conta became the commanding general of the IV Reserve Corps, back in the east. For the achievements of his troops in the defense of the Brusilov Offensive, Conta was awarded the order
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 ...
on October 15, 1916.Nameless /ref> In the spring of 1918, the IV Reserve Corps moved to the Western Front, initially stood in the salient of St. Mihiel and then became part of the 18th Army, commanded by General Oskar von Hutier, for
Operation Michael
Operation Michael () was a major German military offensive during World War I that began the German spring offensive on 21 March 1918. It was launched from the Hindenburg Line, in the vicinity of Saint-Quentin, France. Its goal was to bre ...
. For the success of his corps, Conta was awarded the Oak Leaves for the Order Pour le Mérite on March 26, 1918. During the
Third Battle of the Aisne
The Third Battle of the Aisne () was part of the German spring offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Forces arrived completely in French Third Republic, France. It w ...
, the IV. Reserve Corps was added to the 7th Army. In June 1918, Conta's corps faced fresh
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
units as they marched to the Marne during the
Battle of Belleau Wood
The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) was a major battle that occurred during the German spring offensive in World War I, near the Marne (river), Marne River in France. The battle was fought by the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division (United State ...
.Richard von Conta /ref> At the end of July, due to strong counter-attacks by the French, the evacuation of the Marne position became necessary and his troops were brought back to their old starting area. In August 1918 he was awarded the Order of the Crown, 1st Class with Swords on the Ring; and was promoted to General of the Infantry.
After the end of the war, Conta led his troops back home. After the demobilization of his General Command he tendered his resignation and was retired from military service on January 6, 1919.
Family
Conta had married Katharine von Hennig (1861-1909) on May 31, 1882 in Thorn. The following children were born from the marriage:
*Horst (* 1883), Prussian captain
*Mathilde (* 1885), head nurse of the
German Red Cross
The German Red Cross (GRC) ( ; DRK) is the national Red Cross Society in Germany.
During the Nazi era, the German Red Cross was under the control of the Nazi Party and played a role in supporting the regime's policies, including the exclusion ...
Justus Perthes
Johann Georg Justus Perthes (11 September 1749 – 2 May 1816) was a Germans, German publisher and founder of Justus Perthes (publishing company), the publishing house that bears his name.
Life
He was born in the Thuringian town of Rudolstadt, t ...