Hans Hartwig von Beseler
(27.04.1850 - 20.12.1921)
place of birth:  Greifswald, Pommern
Königreich Preußen:  OBH,  Generaloberst z.D.


Prussian Generaloberst Hans von Beseler was born into the family of Georg Beseler, a well-known law professor. Hans joined the military in 1868 and served during the Franco-Prussian War as a Sekonde-Lieutenant in a combat engineers company. When Beseler later became the Deputy Chief of the Great General Staff (Oberquartiermeister, 1899) he was regarded as Count von Schlieffen's heir apparent. But, when that post went instead to Helmuth von Moltke, Beseler retired from active duty in 1911. He entered the Prussian House of Lords (Herrenhaus) in 1912, but as war broke out was reactivated to command III. Reserve-Korps. Beseler is best known for commanding Armeegruppe Beseler, the occupational forces which captured the Fortress of Antwerp. For his leadership during this action, he was decorated with the highest Royal Prussian order of bravery, the Pour le Merite.

Beseler's III. Reserve-Korps transferred in November 1914 to the Eastern Front in order to fight with General von Gallwitz in the Polish sector near Warsaw. Beseler once again found himself in command of Armeegruppe Beseler which captured and occupied the Fortress of Modlin (Nowo Georgiewsk,) taking over 90,000 Russian prisoners, 1,600 artillery pieces, and 100 machine guns. Chief of General Staff Falkenhayn then appointed him Governor General of Poland at Warsaw (1915.) In the fall of 1916, Beseler unrealistically promised Ludendorff that Poland could provide the German Army with five extra divisions by the spring of 1917. After promotion to Generaloberst in late 1918, Beseler committed the unpardonable act of leaving his command without a farewell to his troops. He died and was buried three years later at Neubabelsberg near Potsdam, 20 December 1921. He and his wife Clara Cornelius had three daughters. Additionally, Beseler's uncle Wilhelm Hartwig von Beseler was president of the provisional government of Schleswig-Holstein (1848.)

	Generaloberst	27.01.1918
	Eisernes Kreuz II	Deutsch-Französischer Krieg  1870–1871
	Pour le Mérite	10.10.1914  (Eichenlaub:  20.08.1915)