Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen
(24.11.1862 - 21.02.1953)
place of birth:  Laufen, Oberbayern
Königreich Bayern:  Generalstabschef,  KG,  General der Artillerie


Bavarian General der Artillerie who was Crown Prince Rupprecht's Chief of Staff (6. Armee-Oberkommando) out War's outbreak, and is known as the founding father of the Alpenkorps - the Bavarian Army's mountain troops. Young Konrad grew up in Upper Bavaria as the son of a royal notary. His mother was the former Anna Winkler. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Bavarian Army in December 1883, later attending the Bavarian War Academy. During the two years leading up to World War One, Krafft served as the Bavarian Army's Chief of General Staff. For his noteworthy actions in the field, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross) of Bavaria's highest military order - the Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden. He was officially presented with the decoration on 24.08.1916 and later received both the Kommandeur and Grosskreuz class of the MMJO order.

When war broke out, Generalmajor Krafft von Dellmensingen was Crown Prince Rupprecht's Chief of Staff in the 6. Armee-Oberkommando, largely comprised of Bavarian soldiers. With the field army, he oversaw operations during the Battle of the Frontiers and participated in the so-called Race to the Sea. Krafft was promoted to Generalleutnant on 19.05.1915 conferring him the title of Exzellenz (Excellency.) As an expert on mountain warfare, he was sent to Tyrol in May 1915 to command the Alpen-Korps, an elite mountain unit which saw action in the Italian Front, at Verdun, as well as operations in Serbia and Romania. For his efforts, Krafft was awarded the Pour le Merite. In 1917, appointed Chief of Staff for Army Group Albrecht and then Chief of Staff for Otto von Below's 14. Armee-Oberkommando, where he planned much of the successful Caporetto Offensive. Krafft von Dellmensingen remained as Below's Chief of Staff in the 17. Armee-Oberkommando where he was involved Germany's Spring Offensive. In 1918, Krafft was given command of Bavarian II. Armee-Korps and remained on the Western Front until the war's end. Although Krafft is registered as a Generalleutnant in the April 1918 edition of the Bavarian Seniority List, he was promoted to General der Artillerie later that same month.

After retirement from the military in December 1918, Krafft von Dellmensingen became an active advocate for the return of the Bavarian monarchy. He also participated in the 1920s in the preparation of the official history of the Bavarian Army in the war. In 1937, a barracks complex in Garmisch was named the Krafft-von-Dellmensingen-Kaserne. In 1945, the Kaserne was taken over by the United States Army and today houses part of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen, who with his spouse Helene Zöhrer had three children, died on 21 February 1953 in Seeshaupt, Upper Bavaria.

	Generalstabschef	01.10.1912  -  01.08.1914
	General der Artillerie	18.04.1918
	Verdst-Ord Bayr-Krone	16.08.1913  Ritter
	Militär-Max-Joseph	20.08.1914  Ritter  (24.08.1916:  Kommandeur; 24.10.1917:  Großkreuz)
	Pour le Mérite	07.09.1916  (11.12.1916:  Eichenlaub)
	Württemberg MVO	11.09.1917  Komtur