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Arthur
Rudolph Freiherr von Lüttwitz
(09.04.1865 - 06.05.1928)
place of birth: Schloss Lodygowitz,
Galizien (Żywiecki, Poland)
Königreich
Preußen: KG,
Generalleutnant
General von Lüttwitz
served Prussia as an imperial officer and
military attaché. He was born in Galicia to the aristocratic Prussian
family of Max Freiherr von Lüttwitz
and spouse Irma Gaal-Gyula. In accordance with family tradition, young
Arther launched his military career with the Cadet Corps and in 1882
joined up with the 3rd Guards Grenadier Infantry Regiment in
Charlottenburg. Following time served at Prussian Great General Staff
headquarters, Hauptmann von Lüttwitz
was sent to the German Embassy in London to perform military attaché
duties. He further spent time as an observer with British High Command
in the Transvaal Republic as the British fought Dutch settlers during
the Second Boer War.
At the rank of major, von Lüttwitz
continued in his diplomatic role while spending almost four years in
St. Petersburg as German Military Attaché to Imperial Russia. Returning
to Germany, he commanded a regiment in Hamburg and was selected to
command 39th Infantry Brigade in Hannover during the months leading up
to the Great War. As Germany mobilized, von Lüttwitz found himself without a
command, however, so he was initially assigned to work at OHL, German
Supreme Command. He was soon transferred to Brussels, where he
functioned as Military Governor General von der Goltz' Chief of Staff.
In November 1914, Generalmajor von Lüttwitz was dispatched to the Reims
area in order to lead an infantry brigade there. By March 1915, he had
moved on to command the newly-formed 221st Brigade fighting along the River
Meuse in support of Armee-Abteilung Strantz.
A knee injury sent him back to Germany for recovery, and upon his
return to the Front, von Lüttwitz
took charge of 40th Brigade. He was soon transferred to the Eastern
Front, however, where in August 1915 he replaced General Oetinger as
head of 20th Infantry Division, subordinate to X. Army Corps.
His division was soon sent back to the Western Front and in September,
first taking part in defensive actions associated with the Fall
Battle of Champagne, and later being mired in the trenches
south of Laon near Chemin des Dames. The general
was sent back to Berlin in May 1916 and spent the remainder of that
year filling the role of Intendant-General (supply) of the Field Army
at Great Headquarters.
In January 1917, OHL dispatched von Lüttwitz to the Volhynia
region of northern Ukraine, where he briefly commanded 16th Infantry
Division before that unit was transshipped back the Western Front to
support Fourth Army HQ in Flanders near hotspots by Poelkapelle
and Paschendaele. His actions and leadership during
this phase of the conflict resulted in Generalmajor von Lüttwitz being awarded the Pour
le Merite in November 1917, with recommendations coming from
three separate generals in his chain of command: Boeckmann, Sixt von
Armin, and Freiherr Marschall. Promoted to Generalleutnant soon
thereafter, his division in April 1918 was engaged in heavy
fighting near Armentieres as part of the Spring Offensive.
After the battle died down, he was selected in August 1918 to head up
XXXVIII. Reserve Corps, previously referred to as Beskidenkorps.
Subordinate to Ninth Army HQ, these corps troops fought defensive
skirmishes along the River Aisne as the German
forces conducted their orderly retreat to the east. Following the
signing of the Armistice, Generalleutnant von Lüttwitz
was tasked with bringing his soldiers back to their homeland for
demobilization and soon thereafter retired from active military
service. He lived out his remaining years in Baden-Baden and passed
away there in 1928.
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Generalleutnant |
25.02.1918 |
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Pour
le Mérite |
08.11.1917 |
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