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Eduard
Wilhelm Hans von Liebert
(16.04.1850 - 14.11.1934)
place of birth: Rendsburg (Schleswig-Holstein)
Königreich
Preußen: KG-Genkdo,
General der Infanterie a.D.
Prussian general officer Eduard
von Liebert served in the Imperial Army during the Great War.
He later maintained a career in politics and wrote on military history.
Eduard von Liebert was born into a family originating from Silesia, his
grandfather being a prominent physician in Langenbielau. Prior to the
war, he was married to Helene Dittmer who had their only child, Elsa.
In 1900, Liebert was granted nobility status, but his name died out
when Elsa passed away in 1941.
General von Liebert's pre-war military career
took him to German East Africa where he commanded the
Kaiserliche Schutztruppe with the rank of major general. He
was also the colonial governor charged with the administration of
German East Africa (present-day Tanzania.) He became quite unpopular
there due to his massive tax hikes, an issue which lead to an early
dismissal in 1901. Upon returning to Germany, he served as a divisional
commander before retiring from active duty in 1903. Von Liebert then
entered the political scene, joining various right-wing groups and
represented the Imperial Free Conservative Party (RFKP) in the Reichstag,
Imperial German Parliament.
After Germany mobilized for the War,
Generalleutnant von Liebert was recalled from inactive reserve status
to initially function as the military governor of Lodz, Poland. He was
soon transferred to a field assignment, however, heading to the Western
Front to in November 1914 to take the reigns of 15th Reserve Division.
He received a full promotion to General der Infanterie in February 1917
as he took command of Generalkommando z.b.V.
Nr.54. This unit fought a defensive struggle
in support of Germany's Seventh Army along the River Aisne,
with von Liebert's successful leadership during this engagement earning
him the coveted Pour le Merite medal. Having
reached his 67th birthday, however, General von Liebert was relieved of
his command in the summer of 1917 and returned to Germany to retire
from active duty.
The following year saw General von Liebert
engaged as a member of the Preußische Herrenhaus,
the Prussian House of Lords. He continued to write works dealing with
military history, including biographies of Gneisenau and Graf von
Moltke. In 1929, he joined the burgeoning National Socialist Worker's
Party (NSDAP), remaining a member for five years before passing away on
14 November 1934 in Tscheidt, Upper Silesia.
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