Oskar von Watter
Encyclopedia
Oskar Freiherr von Watter (born 2 September 1861 in Ludwigsburg
; died 23 August 1939 in Berlin
) was a German Lieutenant General
, and came from an old Pomerania
n noble family.
In April 1913 Von Watter took over the command of the 10th Brigade of Field Artillery, which he kept until 3 March 1915. With this force, General von Watter took part in the early fighting of World War I
in France. Subsequently he took over the 54th Infantry Division, which he commanded until 5 March 1918. This division was initially also deployed in France, but it was later sent to fight on the eastern front by the river Narew
, and from September 1915 was again at the western front. On 23 December 1917 he was awarded the "Pour le Mérite
" for military bravery. Until 11 November 1918 he was commander of the XXVI Reserve Corps. A few days before the end of the war, on 3 November 1918, he was awarded the oak leaves of the "Pour le Mérite".
On the orders of the Reich government, units of the Reichswehr
and Freikorps
under the command of Von Watter marched into the Ruhr area on 2 April 1920 and suppressed the Ruhr Uprising
taking place. After extrajudicial shootings resulting in more than a thousand dead, on 12 April 1920 Von Watter issued the order that from then on, "illegal behaviour" would be dealt with – 9 days after Reich President Friedrich Ebert
had forbidden the summary trials taking place.
On his initiative, to the south of the castle Horst in Essen
in 1934 a monument was erected in memory of the Freikorps soldiers who died in 1920 during the suppression of the Ruhr Uprising.
Von Watter was buried in the Invalid's Cemetery in Berlin
.
Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg urban district with about 87,000 inhabitants...
; died 23 August 1939 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
) was a German Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
, and came from an old Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
n noble family.
In April 1913 Von Watter took over the command of the 10th Brigade of Field Artillery, which he kept until 3 March 1915. With this force, General von Watter took part in the early fighting of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in France. Subsequently he took over the 54th Infantry Division, which he commanded until 5 March 1918. This division was initially also deployed in France, but it was later sent to fight on the eastern front by the river Narew
Narew
The Narew River , in western Belarus and north-eastern Poland, is a left tributary of the Vistula river...
, and from September 1915 was again at the western front. On 23 December 1917 he was awarded the "Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
" for military bravery. Until 11 November 1918 he was commander of the XXVI Reserve Corps. A few days before the end of the war, on 3 November 1918, he was awarded the oak leaves of the "Pour le Mérite".
On the orders of the Reich government, units of the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
and Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
under the command of Von Watter marched into the Ruhr area on 2 April 1920 and suppressed the Ruhr Uprising
Ruhr Uprising
The Ruhr uprising was a left-wing workers' revolt in the Ruhr in March 1920. The uprising took place initially on the occasion of the call for a general strike issued by the Social Democrat members of the German government in response to the Kapp Putsch of 13 March 1920:The first demonstrations...
taking place. After extrajudicial shootings resulting in more than a thousand dead, on 12 April 1920 Von Watter issued the order that from then on, "illegal behaviour" would be dealt with – 9 days after Reich President Friedrich Ebert
Friedrich Ebert
Friedrich Ebert was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .When Ebert was elected as the leader of the SPD after the death of August Bebel, the party members of the SPD were deeply divided because of the party's support for World War I. Ebert supported the Burgfrieden and...
had forbidden the summary trials taking place.
On his initiative, to the south of the castle Horst in Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
in 1934 a monument was erected in memory of the Freikorps soldiers who died in 1920 during the suppression of the Ruhr Uprising.
Von Watter was buried in the Invalid's Cemetery in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.