Hans Ritter von Hemmer
Encyclopedia
Hans Ritter von Hemmer, (* June 26, 1869 in Munich
, Germany
; † December 15, 1931), son of Colonel Anthony Hemmer, was an officer in the Royal Bavarian Army
and Knight Commander of the Military Order of Max Joseph
.
He attended school at the humanistic Gymnasium in Regensburg
, then joined on 12 August 1888 the 11th Bavarian Infantry Regiment (not the same as the 11th Bavarian Infantry Division (German Empire)
of World War I). In 1896 he was sent for 3 years training at the Bavarian war academy, followed in 1900 by two years at the Royal Bavarian Army General Staff
, and from 1909 he worked at the Prussian General Staff
in Berlin
. Then, from 19 September 1912 he was at the Bavarian army General Staff.
In World War
I he participated in the fighting in August 1914 at the Battle of Lorraine
, and part of the Somme
. On 30 November 1914 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and took over as Head of the General Staff of the I. Corps Reserve.
On 6 July 1915, he became the Chief of General Staff of the Imperial German Southern Army in Galicia under General Felix Graf von Bothmer
. On the Eastern Front
in 1916 he was in heavy fighting during the fighting in Galicia, the Carpathians and Sereth, today in Romania
.
In 1917 he was involved in the battles for Berezhany
, and other places now in the Ukraine
and was awarded the Pour le mérite, and promoted to Colonel. Then he coordinated the operation planned in eastern Galicia against the Russians
. After the peace of Brest-Litovsk with the Bolsheviks, he moved in February 1918 back to the western front and was chief of the General Staff Armed Forces High Command Army 19 (again with General von Bothmer) covering Lorraine
. In this role, he oversaw the situation in Lorraine, and, after the armistice
on November 11, he and von Bothmer oversaw the withdrawal back to Bavarian territory.
After the war he served the Reichswehr
of the Weimar republic
and in 1920 was promoted to Major General. He died on 15 December 1931.
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; † December 15, 1931), son of Colonel Anthony Hemmer, was an officer in the Royal Bavarian Army
Bavarian army
The Bavarian Army was the army of the Electorate and then Kingdom of Bavaria. It existed from 1682 as the standing army of Bavaria until the merger of the military sovereignty of Bavaria into that of the German State in 1919...
and Knight Commander of the Military Order of Max Joseph
Military Order of Max Joseph
The Military Order of Max Joseph was the highest purely military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria...
.
He attended school at the humanistic Gymnasium 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...
, then joined on 12 August 1888 the 11th Bavarian Infantry Regiment (not the same as the 11th Bavarian Infantry Division (German Empire)
11th Bavarian Infantry Division (German Empire)
The 11th Bavarian Infantry Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the Imperial German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on March 24, 1915 and organized over the next few weeks. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in the spring of 1915...
of World War I). In 1896 he was sent for 3 years training at the Bavarian war academy, followed in 1900 by two years at the Royal Bavarian Army General Staff
Chief of the General Staff (Kingdom of Bavaria)
The Chief of the General Staff of the Bavarian army was the military leader of the armed forces in the Kingdom of Bavaria.- Names of the General Staff of the Army commanders :...
, and from 1909 he worked at the Prussian General Staff
German General Staff
The German General Staff was an institution whose rise and development gave the German armed forces a decided advantage over its adversaries. The Staff amounted to its best "weapon" for nearly a century and a half....
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Then, from 19 September 1912 he was at the Bavarian army General Staff.
In World War
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
I he participated in the fighting in August 1914 at the Battle of Lorraine
Battle of Lorraine
The Battle of Lorraine was a battle of World War I fought in August 1914 between France and Germany. This followed Plan XVII, which proposed a French offensive through Lorraine and Alsace, and into Germany itself.- French Offensive :...
, and part of the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
. On 30 November 1914 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and took over as Head of the General Staff of the I. Corps Reserve.
On 6 July 1915, he became the Chief of General Staff of the Imperial German Southern Army in Galicia under General Felix Graf von Bothmer
Felix Graf von Bothmer
Felix Graf von Bothmer was a German general of the Brusilov offensive. His father was army general and belonged to the German nobility. In 1871 Bothmer joined the Bavarian Army...
. On the Eastern Front
Eastern 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...
in 1916 he was in heavy fighting during the fighting in Galicia, the Carpathians and Sereth, today in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
In 1917 he was involved in the battles for Berezhany
Berezhany
Berezhany is a city located in the Ternopil Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Berezhanskyi Raion , and rests about 100 km from Lviv and 50 km from the oblast capital, Ternopil. The city has a population of about 20,000, and is about 400 m above sea level...
, and other places now in the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and was awarded the Pour le mérite, and promoted to Colonel. Then he coordinated the operation planned in eastern Galicia against the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
. After the peace of Brest-Litovsk with the Bolsheviks, he moved in February 1918 back to the western front and was chief of the General Staff Armed Forces High Command Army 19 (again with General von Bothmer) covering Lorraine
Lorraine (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
. In this role, he oversaw the situation in Lorraine, and, after the armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
on November 11, he and von Bothmer oversaw the withdrawal back to Bavarian territory.
After the war he served the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
of the Weimar republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
and in 1920 was promoted to Major General. He died on 15 December 1931.