Max Karl Wilhelm von Gallwitz  
(02.05.1852 - 18.04.1937)
place of birth:  Breslau, Niederschlesien  (Wroclaw, Poland)
Königreich Preußen:  OBH,  General der Artillerie


Artillery specialist General von Gallwitz commanded numerous German field armies during the Great War, as well as other large formations. Born a commoner in the city of Breslau, Max volunteered for as a canoneer with an artillery unit during the 1870 war with France. After the war, he remained attached to that unit, Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr. 9, for the next 14 years. He studied for three years at the War College during that time, and in 1883 was first sent to General Staff headquarters in Berlin. With a 1902 promotion to Generalmajor, Gallwitz was assigned to the War Ministry for about four years. In 1911, he became a General der Artillerie and was selected as the Prussian Army's Inspector of Field Artillery. Soon thereafter, Kaiser Wilhelm elevated Gallwitz into the hereditary Prussian nobility.

At War's outbreak, General von Gallwitz commanded the Garde-Reserve-Korps on Germany's right flank during the invasion of Belgium. After having overall command of the forces successfully besieging the Namur fortress, Gallwitz and his corps were quickly deployed to eastern Prussia. Although arriving too late to participate in the Battle of Tannenberg, they were soon engaged at Masurian Lakes. In February 1915, he took command of Armee-Gruppe Gallwitz (12. Armee) and fought alongside Mackensen's 11. Armee in the Galicia Offensive. For his distinguished service and leadership during this campaign General von Gallwitz was decorated in 1915 with the highest Royal Prussian order of bravery, the Pour le Mérite.

Gallwitz redeployed to France during the Somme Offensive of 1916, he headed up Heeres-Gruppe Gallwitz (also the 2. Armee.) Soon thereafter he took command of 5. Armee-Oberkommando (1916-18) and was tasked with repelling the American push into the St. Mihiel salient; the 5. Armee likewise faced the Americans in the Meuse-Argonne. In 1917, he was decorated with Prussia's highest order of chivalry, the Schwarzer Adler-Orden (Order of the Black Eagle.) In early 1918, he was dispatched to the Verdun sector to take command of Armee-Gruppe Gallwitz. General von Gallwitz counseled vigorously against armistice, preferring a national rally in defense of the homeland. After the hostilities, he served in the Reichstag as deputy for the German National People's Party (1920-24.) He passed away in April 1937 in Naples, Italy at the age of 84.

"Nowhere else have I seen such brave lions being led by such lambs." Commander Max von Gallwitz commenting on the bravery of British soldiers at the Somme June 1916

	General der Artillerie	04.04.1911
	Kriegs-Denkmünze	Deutsch-Französischer Krieg  1870–1871
	Pour le Mérite	24.07.1915  (Eichenlaub:  28.09.1915)
	Militär-St-Heinrich	30.08.1916  Ritter  (21.03.1917:  Kommandeur II)
	Schwarzer Adler	23.12.1917