__NOTOC__
Konrad Friedrich August Henry William Balck (October 19, 1858 in
Osnabrück
Osnabrück (; ; archaic English: ''Osnaburg'') is a city in Lower Saxony in western Germany. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of 168 ...
July 15, 1924 in
Aurich
Aurich (; East Frisian Low Saxon: ''Auerk'', West Frisian: ''Auwerk'', ) is a town in the East Frisian region of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Aurich and is the second largest City in East Frisia, both in popula ...
) 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
military officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent c ...
who reached the rank of ' 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 ...
.
Life
He was the son of British
Lieutenant Colonel George Philipp Balck and his wife Charlotte née Lütgen, daughter of
Major General Conrad Friedrich Lütgen (1790–1854) and his wife Dorothee Charlotte Lackemann.
His 1903 six-volume work ''Taktik'' (''Tactics'') was translated into English by
Walter Krueger
Walter Krueger (26 January 1881 – 20 August 1967) was an American soldier and general officer in the first half of the 20th century. He commanded the Sixth United States Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. He rose fro ...
and published in the United States in two volumes, ''Introduction and Formal Tactics of Infantry'' in 1911 and ''Cavalry, Field and Heavy Artillery in Field Warfare'' in 1914.
[ This translation attracted the attention of Major General ]Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood (October 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927) was a United States Army major general, physician, and public official. He served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, List of colonial governors of Cuba, Military Governor of Cuba, ...
, the Chief of Staff of the United States Army
The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and a ...
, and was widely read, and acclaimed, by American Army officers.[ He was appointed as Chief Inspector of Telegraphy/Signals Troops on 9 May 1914.]
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 ...
(1914) 2nd and 1st Class
* Wound Badge
The Wound Badge () was a German military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was first awarded to soldiers of the Imperial German Army, German Army who were wounded during World War I. Between the worl ...
(1918) in Black
* Order of the Crown 2nd Class with Star and Swords (1917)
* 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 ...
(9 March 1918)
* 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 ...
2nd Class with Star, Oak Leaves and Swords (18 August 1918)
Writings
* ''Taktik'' (''Tactics'') (Berlin: Eisenschmitt, 1903)[
* ''Kriegsspiel und Übungsritt als Vorschule für die Truppenführung'', (''War Games and Exercise Rides as Preschool for the Leading of Combined Arms Formations'') (Berlin: Eisenschmitt, 1913)
* ''Die englische Armee im Felde'', (''The English Army in the Field''), (Berlin : Bath, 1913)
* ''Nachtgefechte und Nachtübungen'', (''Night Engagements and Night Exercises''), (Berlin : Eisenschmidt, 1910)
* ''Kleiner Krieg'', (''Small Wars''), (Berlin-Charlottenburg : Verlag Offene Worte, 1923)
* ''Entwickelung der Taktik im Weltkriege'', (''Development of Tactics in the World War''), first edition (Berlin : Eisenschmidt, 1920)
* ''Entwickelung der Taktik im Weltkriege'', (''Development of Tactics in the World War''), expanded edition (Berlin : R. Eisenschmidt, 1922)
]
References
* Hildebrand, Karl-Friedrich and Zweng, Christian (1999). ''Die Ritter des Ordens Pour le Mérite des I. Weltkriegs, Band 1: A-G''. Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. .
External links
Complete text of ''Tactics'' Volume I
in English at the Open Library
Complete text of ''Tactics'' Volume II
in English at the Open Library
*
1858 births
1924 deaths
19th-century Prussian people
20th-century Prussian people
Military personnel from Osnabrück
Lieutenant generals of Prussia
German Army generals of World War I
Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class
People from the Kingdom of Hanover
German people of English descent
German military writers
{{Germany-mil-bio-stub