Karl Dieffenbach
(02.11.1859 - 17.03.1936)
place of birth: Schlitz, Osthessen (Hesse)
Königreich
Preußen: KG,
Generalleutnant
Prussian general officer Karl
Dieffenbach commanded the Germany's IX. Reserve Corps during the Great
War. For his actions and leadership during the Battle
of Arras, General Dieffenbach was awarded the Blue
Max in April 1917.
Karl Dieffenbach was born into the home of
theologian and poet Georg Christian Dieffenbach. He entered military
service in 1879 and enjoyed a typical peacetime career progression,
with training at the Prussian Military Academy and a couple tours with
Great General Staff. At the rank of major, Dieffenbach was appointed in
1904 as commander of the Military School at Neiße,
Silesia.
Dieffenbach was a brigade commander leading up
to German mobilization in 1914, and on 2 August he lead 22nd Infantry
Division into battle at the siege of Namur. The division was soon
thereafter transferred to fight on the Eastern Front, where it remained
on the move for the ensuing months. With the 1916 Brusilov
Offensive getting underway in eastern Galicia, Dieffenbach's
troops formed part of Angriffs-Gruppe von der Marwitz.
The formation withdrew between Lipa and
Styr in late July and, as they held their position, General
Dieffenbach's division incorporated two additional Austro-Hungarian
divisions to form Korps Dieffenbach.
General Dieffenbach was in charge of VIII.
Army Corps from late December 1916 to March 1917, at which point he
received a transfer to lead IX. Reserve Corps at Ypres and
the Battle at Arras. For his leadership here,
Dieffenbach was awarded the Pour le Merite in April
1917. His troops remained in action in Flanders until demobilization in
early November 1918. Generalleutnant Dieffenbach retired from active
duty in May of the following year and was brevetted as General der
Infanterie in July.
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Generalleutnant |
18.04.1915 |
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Pour
le Mérite |
26.04.1917 |
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