| Karl von Bülow | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 April 1846 Berlin, German Empire |
| Died | 31 August 1921 (aged 75) Berlin, Weimar Republic |
| Buried at | Invalidenfriedhof Berlin |
| Allegiance | German Empire |
| Years of service | 1866–1916 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Commands held | 2nd Army |
| Battles/wars | Austro-Prussian War Franco-Prussian War World War I |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite |
Karl von Bülow (April 24, 1846 – August 31, 1921) was a German Field Marshal commanding the German 2nd Army during World War I from 1914 to 1915.
Born in Berlin to a distinguished Prussian military family, Bülow enlisted in the Prussian Army during the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. He served in the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 as a junior officer. A Captain of the German General Staff in 1877, Bülow was promoted to Colonel and assigned to the 9th Guards Regiment in 1894. In 1897 Bülow became director of the Central Department in the German War Ministry. He was Commander of the German III Corps from 1903 until his appointment to Army Inspector of the German 3rd Army in 1912 shortly before the outbreak of World War I.
Assigned to the German 2nd Army at the beginning of World War I in August 1914, Bülow invaded Belgium, capturing the fortress of Namur on August 22–23. Advancing into France, Bülow defeated General Charles Lanrezac of the French Fifth Army at Charleroi on August 23–24 and again at St. Quentin on August 29–30.
As the 2nd Army and General Alexander von Kluck's 1st Army neared Paris from August 31 to September 2, Bülow, concerned about the growing gap between the two armies, ordered Kluck to turn the 1st Army on his right towards him. This decision, however, resulted in Kluck's advancing south and east of Paris, instead of north and west as specified in the Schlieffen Plan. Bülow crossed the Marne on September 4, but decided to retreat to Aisne after the successful counterattack by combined French and British forces against Kluck's 1st Army at the First Battle of the Marne from September 5–10.
Bülow was promoted to Field Marshal in January of the following year. After suffering a heart attack two months later, he was allowed to retire in early 1916, living in Berlin until his death.