Friedrich von Scholtz
Encyclopedia
Friedrich von Scholtz was a German general, who served as commander of 20th Corps and the 8th Army of the German Empire on the Eastern Front in World War I
and later as commander of Army Group "Sholtz" on the Macedonian Front.
his military career began in 1870 in Regensburg
as an artillery Private
and officer cadet
senior grade. Von Scholtz volunteered for the French War - Prussia. After the war he studied at the Military Academy in Potsdam and on 9 March 1872 he qualified as an artillery officer with the rank of lieutenant. Between 1874-1876 he studied at the artillery school in Berlin and 1901 was promoted to colonel. In 1908 he was appointed to command the 21st Division of the Imperial Army and on 1 October 1912 was promoted to General of the Artillery
and assigned to command the XX Army Corps.
where he took part in the Battle of Tannenberg
and Battle of Łódź (1914).On May 26, 1915 he was appointed commander of the 8th Army troops and was sent to secure the lines at Verdun.
On April 22, 1917 was transferred to Balkans where he replace general Otto von Below
as commander of the army group consisting of the 11th German Army
and 1st Bulgarian Army. His force was almost entirely made up from Bulgarian units as most of the German forces were pulled out of the Balkans
. The 11th German Army
was no exception and by 1918 it had six Bulgarian infantry divisions and one infantry division with German staff but made up of Bulgarian units. Von Scholtz managed to coordinate the activities on the Macedonian Front and gain a respectable reputation with his Bulgarian allies.
September 1918 Allied forces launched an offensive under the command of French General Louis Franchet d'Espèrey an offensive along the valley of the river Vardar
against Army Group "Scholtz". The Allies managed to break through the lines of the 11th Army and force general Scholtz to order a retreat in the sector of Dobro Pole
but the Bulgarian First Army had achieved a victory at the Battle of Doiran
. So now the Allied forces were advancing up the Vardar
but their flanks were exposed to a possible blow from the right wing of the 11th Army, which was still fighting in good order and the 1st Bulgarian Army. General Scholtz however thought that such an attack was not prepared enough and preferred to order a general retreat of his army group, hoping that the situation will stabilize. The Army Group Headquarters was moved from Skopje
to Jagodina
but the situation continued to deteriorate and some Bulgarian soldiers even revolted and headed towards Sofia
. This forced the capitulation of Bulgaria on 29 September 1918. The news came as a shock to the Bulgarian officers who were serving in units on the right wing of 11th Army but eventually they obeyed the order to lay down their weapons. As a last gesture some of them delayed the Allies long enough so that the German soldiers and officers who were fighting with them could retreat and escape being captured. The army group was now dissolved and general Scholtz was sent to Romania to organize the defense there.
With the end of the war von Scholtz was dismissed from military service on January 24, 1919. He retired to his private life and died eight years later at the age of 76 years
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and later as commander of Army Group "Sholtz" on the Macedonian Front.
Early life
Growing up in BallenstedtBallenstedt
Ballenstedt is a town in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is situated at the northern rim of the Harz mountain range, about 10 km southeast of Quedlinburg. The municipality includes the villages of Badeborn and Oppenrode...
his military career began in 1870 in Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
as an artillery Private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
and officer cadet
Officer Cadet
Officer cadet is a rank held by military and merchant navy cadets during their training to become commissioned officers and merchant navy officers, respectively. The term officer trainee is used interchangeably in some countries...
senior grade. Von Scholtz volunteered for the French War - Prussia. After the war he studied at the Military Academy in Potsdam and on 9 March 1872 he qualified as an artillery officer with the rank of lieutenant. Between 1874-1876 he studied at the artillery school in Berlin and 1901 was promoted to colonel. In 1908 he was appointed to command the 21st Division of the Imperial Army and on 1 October 1912 was promoted to General of the Artillery
General of the Artillery
General of the Artillery may be:*General of the Artillery and Austria-Hungary*General of the Artillery...
and assigned to command the XX Army Corps.
First World War
With the outbreak of the First World War, von Schultz was transferred together with his army corps to the Eastern FrontEastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
where he took part in the Battle of Tannenberg
Battle of Tannenberg
Battle of Tannenberg may refer to :* Battle of Grunwald , also known as the First Battle of Tannenberg* Battle of Tannenberg , also known as the Second Battle of Tannenberg...
and Battle of Łódź (1914).On May 26, 1915 he was appointed commander of the 8th Army troops and was sent to secure the lines at Verdun.
On April 22, 1917 was transferred to Balkans where he replace general Otto von Below
Otto von Below
Otto von Below was a Prussian general. He was born at and died at Danzig .Before World War I, Otto von Below became major-general in 1909 and lieutenant-general in 1912. On August 1, 1914 he took command of the I. Reserve Corps, which on the outbreak of the war was to be assigned to the Eight Army...
as commander of the army group consisting of the 11th German Army
11th Army (Germany)
The 11th Army was a World War I and a World War II field army.-World War I:The 11th Army was formed in early 1915. It briefly fought on the Western Front during the Battle of Ypres, holding the line against the allied attack...
and 1st Bulgarian Army. His force was almost entirely made up from Bulgarian units as most of the German forces were pulled out of the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. The 11th German Army
11th Army (Germany)
The 11th Army was a World War I and a World War II field army.-World War I:The 11th Army was formed in early 1915. It briefly fought on the Western Front during the Battle of Ypres, holding the line against the allied attack...
was no exception and by 1918 it had six Bulgarian infantry divisions and one infantry division with German staff but made up of Bulgarian units. Von Scholtz managed to coordinate the activities on the Macedonian Front and gain a respectable reputation with his Bulgarian allies.
September 1918 Allied forces launched an offensive under the command of French General Louis Franchet d'Espèrey an offensive along the valley of the river Vardar
Vardar
The Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
against Army Group "Scholtz". The Allies managed to break through the lines of the 11th Army and force general Scholtz to order a retreat in the sector of Dobro Pole
Battle of Dobro Pole
The Battle of Dobro Pole was a World War I battle, fought on 15 September 1918. The battle resulted in a decisive Entente victory, with a defeated Bulgaria left to sign an armistice, which removed it from World War I....
but the Bulgarian First Army had achieved a victory at the Battle of Doiran
Battle of Doiran
The third Battle of Doiran was fought from 18 September to 19 September 1918, with the Greeks and the British assaulting the positions of the Bulgarian First Army near Dojran Lake. The battle was part of World War I and took place in the Balkan Theatre...
. So now the Allied forces were advancing up the Vardar
Vardar
The Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
but their flanks were exposed to a possible blow from the right wing of the 11th Army, which was still fighting in good order and the 1st Bulgarian Army. General Scholtz however thought that such an attack was not prepared enough and preferred to order a general retreat of his army group, hoping that the situation will stabilize. The Army Group Headquarters was moved from Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
to Jagodina
Jagodina
Jagodina is a city and municipality located in central Serbia, 136 km south of Belgrade, on the banks of Belica River. Its name stems from the word for strawberry in Serbian. It is the administrative centre of the Pomoravlje District of Serbia...
but the situation continued to deteriorate and some Bulgarian soldiers even revolted and headed towards Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
. This forced the capitulation of Bulgaria on 29 September 1918. The news came as a shock to the Bulgarian officers who were serving in units on the right wing of 11th Army but eventually they obeyed the order to lay down their weapons. As a last gesture some of them delayed the Allies long enough so that the German soldiers and officers who were fighting with them could retreat and escape being captured. The army group was now dissolved and general Scholtz was sent to Romania to organize the defense there.
With the end of the war von Scholtz was dismissed from military service on January 24, 1919. He retired to his private life and died eight years later at the age of 76 years
Sources
- Ferdinand von Notz: General v. Scholtz- Ein deutsches Soldatenleben in großer Zeit
- Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Adelslexikon Band XIII, Band 128 der Gesamtreihe, C. A. Starke Verlag, Limburg (Lahn) 2002, .