Otto Kreß von Kressenstein
Encyclopedia
Paul Otto Felix Freiherr Kreß von Kressenstein (13 September 1850 – 19 February 1929) was a Bavaria
n Colonel General
and War Minister from 16 February 1912 to 7 December 1916.
. After joing the Bavarian cadets corps he served as an officer candidate in the 2nd Royal Bavarian Chevaulegers
Regiment "Taxis". In the rank of a Lieutenant
he served in the Franco-Prussian War
. During the years from 1874 to 1877 he visited the Bavarian Kriegsakademie
(war academy) in Munich
. In the rank of a Hauptmann
he was transferred to the General Command
of the II Royal Bavarian Corps. In 1888 he became Rittmeister
, in 1891 Major
, and was transferred to the Royal Bavarian 1st Heavy Cavalry Regiment "Prince Karl of Bavaria" in 1893, where he became Oberstleutnant
in 1896. In the following year he became commander of the 6th Royal Bavarian Chevaulegers Regiment "Prince Albrecht of Prussia", in 1898 Oberst
, and in 1901 Major General
. In 1902 he got the command of the 4th Royal Bavarian Cavalry Brigade. In the rank of a Lieutenant General
he got the post as inspector of the cavalry troops in 1904. After he took office as war minister in 1912, he became Colonel General on 1 August 1914. Kreß von Kressenstein was the Bavarian representative in the German Empire
. He resigned in 1916 and died in Munich.
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n Colonel General
Colonel General
Colonel General is a senior rank of General. North Korea and Russia are two countries which have used the rank extensively throughout their histories...
and War Minister from 16 February 1912 to 7 December 1916.
Biography
Kreß von Kressenstein was born in GermersheimGermersheim
Germersheim is a town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, of around 20,000 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Germersheim district. The neighboring towns and cities are Speyer, Landau, Philippsburg, Karlsruhe and Wörth.-Coat of arms:...
. After joing the Bavarian cadets corps he served as an officer candidate in the 2nd Royal Bavarian Chevaulegers
Chevau-légers
The Chevau-légers was a generic French name for several units of light cavalry, roughly similar to lancers in the armies of other states during the Napoleonic Wars. Perhaps the most famous of all such units were the Polish 1st Light Cavalry Regiment of the Guards and the French 2nd Light Cavalry...
Regiment "Taxis". In the rank of a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
he served in the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. During the years from 1874 to 1877 he visited the Bavarian Kriegsakademie
War Academy (Kingdom of Bavaria)
The Kriegsakademie of the Bavarian Army was the military academy and staff college of the Kingdom of Bavaria, existing from 1867 to the beginning of World War I in 1914...
(war academy) in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. In the rank of a Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
he was transferred to the General Command
High command
The phrase High command may refer to:* Command * Chain of command* Commander-in-Chief* Defence minister* Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, the WWII command structure popularly known as "German High Command"Compare:* Staff...
of the II Royal Bavarian Corps. In 1888 he became Rittmeister
Rittmeister
Rotamaster was the military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in charge of a squadron , the equivalent of O3 or Captain, in the German-speaking armies, Austro-Hungarian, Polish-Lithuanian, Russian and some other states.The exact name of this rank maintains a variety of spellings in different...
, in 1891 Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, and was transferred to the Royal Bavarian 1st Heavy Cavalry Regiment "Prince Karl of Bavaria" in 1893, where he became Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
in 1896. In the following year he became commander of the 6th Royal Bavarian Chevaulegers Regiment "Prince Albrecht of Prussia", in 1898 Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
, and in 1901 Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
. In 1902 he got the command of the 4th Royal Bavarian Cavalry Brigade. In the rank of a 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....
he got the post as inspector of the cavalry troops in 1904. After he took office as war minister in 1912, he became Colonel General on 1 August 1914. Kreß von Kressenstein was the Bavarian representative in the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. He resigned in 1916 and died in Munich.