Felix Graf von Bothmer

Felix Graf von Bothmer

Felix Graf von Bothmer
Born December 10, 1852(1852-12-10)
Munich, Bavaria
Died March 18, 1937(1937-03-18) (aged 84)
Munich, Germany
Allegiance  German Empire
Service/branch Army
Years of service 1871-1918
Rank General
Commands held 6. Bayerische Reserve-Division
II. Bayerisches Reservekorps
Südarmee
19. Armee
Heimatschütz Süd
Battles/wars World War I
Awards Military Order of Max Joseph, Grand Cross
Pour le Mérite with oakleaves
Order of the Dannebrog, Knight's Cross

Felix Graf[1] von Bothmer (10 December 1852 – 18 March 1937) was a German general of the Brusilov offensive. His father was army general and belonged to the German nobility. In 1871 Bothmer joined the Bavarian Army. He spent the next forty years serving in the Bavarian War Ministry or on the Royal Bavarian Army General Staff, with three years in Berlin with the Prussian General Staff. During this time he rose through the ranks, reaching general of infantry in 1910.

Contents

In World War I and later life

On 30 November 1914 he was appointed to command the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division at Ypres. On 22 March 1915 he was moved to command Corps Bothmer, a unit raised to help defend the passes of the Carpathian Mountains against Russian attacks that directly threatened Hungary. He won the battle of Zwinin which took place from 5 February – 9 April 1915, and was thus in the right place to take part in the great German advance after the breakthrough during the Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive in May 1915.

After 6 July 1915, he had Hans Ritter von Hemmer as Chief of General Staff. On 7 July, he was awarded the Pour le Mérite for outstanding leadership and distinguished military planning and successful operations during the battles of Dniester, Gnila-Lipa, and Zlota-Lipa. He was awarded Oakleaves on 25 July 1917 for his actions during the battle around the city of Brzezany during the German summer offensive on the eastern front and during the battle at bridgehead at Zbrucz he was recognized for his outstanding leadership and organization. He also received the Grand Cross of the Bavarian (Bayern) Military Order of Max Joseph.

His units stood firm against the Brusilov Offensive of June 1916. In 1917 he was appointed to command the 19th Army in Lorraine. He remained there until 8 November 1918, while to his north the German front crumbled. Bothmer retired from the army later in November 1918. Bothmer’s last job in the army, again along with von Hemmer, was to be an adviser for the Bavarian Ministry for Military Affairs from November to December 1918, mostly overseeing the demobilization of the soon-to-be-disbanded Bavarian Army.

Count Bothmer died in Munich on March 18, 1937 and, contrary to his family's wishes, Hitler's government ordered a state funeral for the general. He was eulogized by Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria.

Family

Felix Graf von Bothmer married Miss Auguste Baldinger on July 22, 1882. They had 2 daughters together.

Military ranks

Decorations and honors

Bavaria

Prussia

Other German states

Other countries

The orders above which were from Allied nations were awarded prior to World War I.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ Regarding personal names: Graf was a title until 1919, translated as Count, not a first or middle name. The female form is Gräfin. In Germany, however, since 1919 Graf/Gräfin is no title any more but part of the surname and thus following the given name(s) and not to be translated.
  2. ^ Decorations as of 1914 from the Bavarian War Ministry, Militär-Handbuch des Königreichs Bayern, 1914. World War I decorations from award rolls, Erhard Roth, Verleihungen von militärischen Orden und Ehrenzeichen des Königreichs Bayern im Ersten Weltkrieg, 1997 (ISBN 3-932543-19-X), and Ferry W. von Péter, Verleihungen nichtbayerischer Orden und Ehrenzeichen an bayerischer Militärangehörige 1914-1918, 2001 (ISBN 3-932543-25-0)

External links

References