Richard Kaden
(07.03.1862 - 30.09.1948)
place of birth:  Dresden
Königreich Sachsen:  Bde-Kdr,  Generalleutnant  ch.


Royal Saxon general officer Richard Kaden was an infantry brigade commander during the Great War. He was born into a military family and began his service career with Grenadier Regiment Nr. 101 in Dresden. 

General Kaden was in command of Infanterie Brigade Nr. 48 on 2 August 1914 as Germany marched to war. His brigade, subordinate to Krug von Nidda's Infanterie-Division Nr. 24, remained active on the Western Front near Lille and in the Artois. In early 1915, the brigade was reorganized into Infanterie Brigade Nr. 116 and fell under command of Generalleutnant von Gersdorff's Infanterie Division Nr. 58. They were shipped off to the Eastern Front in the summer of 1915 for the August-September Offensive and then returned West in early 1916 to be thrown into the meat grinder known as Verdun.

Generalmajor Kaden lost hundreds of soldiers at Verdun, including close staff associates when his headquarters facility took direct artillery fire. Kaden became openly critical of how his brigade was being used, and of the wider conduct of the Verdun Campaign, in the process making several enemies within Chief of General Staff Falkenhayn's faction. Understanding he would thus not be selected for divisional command, he tendered his resignation and was placed on the semi-retired list (zur Disposition) in August 1916.

Kaden was later recalled to function as the administrative commander of Infanterie-Brigade Nr. 89 Headquarters in Zwickau for the remainder of the War, receiving an honorary promotion to Generalleutnant in June 1918. All three of General Kaden's sons served as Saxon officers on the Western Front, with two of them being killed in action. Kaden continued active with the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic and retired permanently from military service in 1920 after over a 40-year career.

     
     
Generalleutnant 17.06.1918  (charakter)
Militär-St. Heinrich 15.10.1914  Ritter  (Kommandeur II:  27.04.1916)
 
* thanks to Andy Baus for his assistance
 

  
 
Curriculum Vitae
   
01.12.1879 Portepée-Fähnrich  (charakter)
01.12.1879 2. Königlich Sächsisches Infanterie-Regiment ,,Kaiser Wilhelm König von Preußen Nr. 101 - Dresden
22.05.1880 Portepée-Fähnrich  (Patent)
26.01.1881 Sekonde-Lieutenant
29.03.1883 9. Königlich Sächsisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 133 - Zwickau  (Bn Adjutant)
01.04.1887 Premier-Lieutenant
01.04.1887 9. Königlich Sächsisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 133 - Zwickau
01.10.1888 Preußische Kriegsakademie - Berlin  (Student at Royal Prussian War College)
01.10.1891 9. Königlich Sächsisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 133 - Zwickau  (return from War College)
24.05.1892 Sächsisches Kriegsministerium - Dresden  (detached to Saxon War Ministry, Mil-Finance Dept, à l.s. 9IR-133)
22.09.1892 Hauptmann  (charakter)
13.12.1892 Hauptmann  (ohne Patent)
24.03.1893 Hauptmann  (Patent)
24.03.1893 Sächsisches Kriegsministerium - Dresden  (assigned to Royal Saxon War Ministry, Mil-Finance Dept)
22.03.1894 2. Königlich Sächsische Infanterie-Division Nr. 24 - Leipzig  (detached as Supply Office Chief, à l.s. 9IR-133)
12.09.1896 5. Königlich Sächsisches Infanterie-Regiment ,,Prinz Friedrich August Nr. 104 - Chemnitz  (Coy Cdr)
24.06.1898 Sächsisches Kriegsministerium - Dresden  (assigned to Royal Saxon War Ministry)
19.09.1900 Major  (ohne Patent)
23.03.1901 8. Königlich Sächsisches Infanterie-Regiment ,,Prinz Johann Georg Nr. 107 - Leipzig  (aggregiert: Regimental asset)
26.03.1903 Major  (Patent)
24.07.1903 8. Königlich Sächsisches Infanterie-Regiment ,,Prinz Johann Georg Nr. 107 - Leipzig  (Bn Cdr)
00.00.1904 Königlich Sächsisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz
00.00.1904 Königlich Sächsischer Albrechts-Orden - Ritterkreuz 1. Klasse
21.09.1907 Oberstleutnant
15.04.1908 8. Königlich Sächsisches Infanterie-Regiment ,,Prinz Johann Georg Nr. 107 - Leipzig  (Rgt Staff Officer)
02.06.1908 Königlich Sächsischer Verdienst-Orden - Ritterkreuz 1. Klasse
23.09.1911 Oberst
23.09.1911 11. Königlich Sächsisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 139 - Döbeln  (Cdr)
19.09.1912 Königlich Preußischer Roter Adler-Orden - 3. Klasse
24.05.1913 Königlich Sächsischer Albrechts-Orden - Komturkreuz 2. Klasse
05.11.1913 Großherzoglich Mecklenburgischer Greifen-Orden - Komturkreuz
20.04.1914 Generalmajor  (ohne Patent)
20.04.1914 4. Königlich Sächsische Infanterie-Brigade Nr. 48 - Leipzig  (Cdr)
   
Assignments and Commands  (during Great War)
   
02.08.1914 4. Königlich Sächsische Infanterie-Brigade Nr. 48  (Cdr)
20.08.1914 Generalmajor  (Patent)
15.10.1914 Königlich Sächsischer Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden - Ritterkreuz
06.03.1915 Königlich Sächsische Infanterie-Brigade Nr. 116  (Cdr, reorganized from 48.IB)
31.07.1915 Königlich Sächsischer Verdienst-Orden - Komturkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern
27.04.1916 Königlich Sächsischer Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden - Kommandeur 2. Klasse
11.08.1916 zur Disposition gestellt
13.08.1916 Königlich Sächsischer Albrechts-Orden - Komturkreuz 1. Klasse mit Schwertern
24.11.1916 8. Königlich Sächsische Infanterie-Brigade Nr. 89 - stellvertretender KG  (Acting Cdr at 89.IB HQ in Zwickau)
17.06.1918 Generalleutnant  (charakter)  =  Exzellenz
11.11.1918 Waffenstillstand  (Armistice)
31.03.1920 außer Dienst
   
   
 

06.05.1914

 

 

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