Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff
Encyclopedia
Walther Franz Georg Bronsart von Schellendorff (21 December 1833 in Danzig – 13 December 1914 at Gut Marienhof, Amt Güstrow
, Mecklenburg
), Dr. jur. h.c.
, was a Prussian General of the Infantry
à la suite
, Adjutant-General to the Kaiser and King, and Prussian Minister of War
.
He was born into an old Prussian noble family and was the son of the Prussian Lieutenant General Heinrich Bronsart von Schellendorff (1803–1874) and Antoinette de Rège (1810–1873).
On 26 September 1863 in Altona, Bronsart von Schellendorf married Harriet Donner (born 14 November 1841 in Altona; died 21 September 1917 at Gut Marienhof, Amt Güstrow), the daughter of the Hamburg business magnate and banker Bernhard Donner, adviser to the Danish government and landowner at Schloss Bredeneek, and of Helene Schröder (from a Freiherr
family).
He was the younger brother of Paul Bronsart von Schellendorff, and became Minister of War 10 years after him.
Bronsart von Schellendorf left cadet school in 1851 and joined the 1st Infantry Regiment and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1852. After studying at the Allgemeine Kriegsschule (General War College; later the Prussian Military Academy) from 1855 to 1858 he was made adjutant of the I Corps
in 1859, after having been assigned to the 8. Jäger-Bataillon. In 1860 he was moved to the topographical department of the General Staff and in 1862 was transferred to the General Staff as a Captain.
In the Second Schleswig War in 1864, Bronsart von Schellendorff participated in the Battle of Dybbøl
. He experienced the Austro-Prussian War
from the headquarters of the King of Prussia. He was subsequently made a Major
.
From 1866 to 1869 Bronsart von Schellendorff was on the staff of the 17th Division
. In 1869 he was placed in command of a battalion of the 87th Infantry Regiment. At the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 he was Chief of Staff of the IX Army Corps and participated in all battles of this army corps during the war. From 1871 to 1875 he occupied the same post in the XIII Army Corps
.
In 1875 Bronsart von Schellendorff was appointed commander of the 89th Infantry Brigade, and in 1879 Commander of the 34th Infantry Brigade. In 1880 he became a Major General
and in 1881 was transferred as Chief of Staff to the X Army Corps.
In 1884 he became a Lieutenant General
and at the same time commander of the 17th Division, and in 1888 was made general officer commanding (Kommandierender General) of the III Army Corps
and in 1890 that of the X Army Corps. From January 1893 he did not have a fixed assignment, and was appointed Minister of War in October of that year. In this capacity, he defended the army against the criticisms of the Social Democrats, and announced a reform of the military criminal justice procedure as demanded by the Reichstag
. Due to disagreements with the Military Cabinet
, he resigned on 14 August 1896.
Bronsart von Schellendorff died in 1914 at Gut Marienhof in the Amtsbezirk Güstrow. He was also the owner of the Güstrow properties Groß- and Klein-Tessin.
Güstrow
Güstrow is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany the capital of the district of Güstrow. It has a population of 30,500 and is the seventh largest town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Since 2006 Güstrow has the official suffix Barlachstadt.-Geography:The town of Güstrow is located...
, Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
), Dr. jur. h.c.
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
, was a Prussian General of the Infantry
General of the Infantry (Germany)
General of the Infantry is a rank of general in the Imperial Army, Reichswehr or Wehrmacht - the second-highest regular rank. The same rank spread to the Imperial Russian Army and the Defence forces of Finland between the world wars...
à la suite
À la suite
À la suite was a military title, given to those who were entitled to wear a regimental uniform but otherwise had no official position. It can best be translated as "in the entourage of".In Prussia, these were:...
, Adjutant-General to the Kaiser and King, and Prussian Minister of War
Prussian Minister of War
The Prussian War Ministry was gradually established between 1808 and 1809 as part of a series of reforms initiated by the Military Reorganization Commission created after the disastrous Treaty of Paris. The War Ministry was to help bring the army under constitutional control, and, along with the...
.
He was born into an old Prussian noble family and was the son of the Prussian Lieutenant General Heinrich Bronsart von Schellendorff (1803–1874) and Antoinette de Rège (1810–1873).
On 26 September 1863 in Altona, Bronsart von Schellendorf married Harriet Donner (born 14 November 1841 in Altona; died 21 September 1917 at Gut Marienhof, Amt Güstrow), the daughter of the Hamburg business magnate and banker Bernhard Donner, adviser to the Danish government and landowner at Schloss Bredeneek, and of Helene Schröder (from a Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
family).
He was the younger brother of Paul Bronsart von Schellendorff, and became Minister of War 10 years after him.
Bronsart von Schellendorf left cadet school in 1851 and joined the 1st Infantry Regiment and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1852. After studying at the Allgemeine Kriegsschule (General War College; later the Prussian Military Academy) from 1855 to 1858 he was made adjutant of the I Corps
I Corps (German Empire)
The I Corps was a formation of the Imperial German Army. The headquarters of the corps were located in Königsberg. At the beginning of World War I, the corps was attached to the 8th Army and transferred to the Eastern Front....
in 1859, after having been assigned to the 8. Jäger-Bataillon. In 1860 he was moved to the topographical department of the General Staff and in 1862 was transferred to the General Staff as a Captain.
In the Second Schleswig War in 1864, Bronsart von Schellendorff participated in the Battle of Dybbøl
Battle of Dybbøl
The Battle of Dybbøl was the key battle of the Second War of Schleswig and occurred on the morning of 18 April 1864 following a siege lasting from 7 April. Denmark suffered a severe defeat against the German Confederation which decided the war...
. He experienced the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
from the headquarters of the King of Prussia. He was subsequently made a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
.
From 1866 to 1869 Bronsart von Schellendorff was on the staff of the 17th Division
17th Division (German Empire)
The 17th Division was a unit of the Prussian/German Army. It was formed on October 11, 1866 and initially headquartered in Kiel. It moved its headquarters to Schwerin in 1871. The division was subordinated in peacetime to the IX Army Corps...
. In 1869 he was placed in command of a battalion of the 87th Infantry Regiment. At the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 he was Chief of Staff of the IX Army Corps and participated in all battles of this army corps during the war. From 1871 to 1875 he occupied the same post in the XIII Army Corps
XIII (Royal Württemberg) Corps
The XIII Army Corps was a corps of the Imperial German Army. It was, effectively, also the army of the Kingdom of Württemberg, which had been integrated in 1871 into the Prussian Army command structure, as had the armies of most German states...
.
In 1875 Bronsart von Schellendorff was appointed commander of the 89th Infantry Brigade, and in 1879 Commander of the 34th Infantry Brigade. In 1880 he became a Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and in 1881 was transferred as Chief of Staff to the X Army Corps.
In 1884 he became a Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
and at the same time commander of the 17th Division, and in 1888 was made general officer commanding (Kommandierender General) of the III Army Corps
III Corps (German Empire)
The III Army Corps was a formation in the Imperial German Army. It was established in 1814 as the General Headquarters in Berlin and became the III Army Corps on April 3, 1820...
and in 1890 that of the X Army Corps. From January 1893 he did not have a fixed assignment, and was appointed Minister of War in October of that year. In this capacity, he defended the army against the criticisms of the Social Democrats, and announced a reform of the military criminal justice procedure as demanded by the Reichstag
Reichstag (German Empire)
The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....
. Due to disagreements with the Military Cabinet
German Imperial Military Cabinet
The Prussian Military Cabinet or the German Military Cabinet was a military institution under the direct command authority of the Prussian king and German emperor for handling personnel matters of the army officer corps....
, he resigned on 14 August 1896.
Bronsart von Schellendorff died in 1914 at Gut Marienhof in the Amtsbezirk Güstrow. He was also the owner of the Güstrow properties Groß- and Klein-Tessin.
Honours and decorations
- Order of the Black EagleOrder of the Black EagleThe Order of the Black Eagle was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg . In his Dutch exile after WWI, deposed Emperor Wilhelm II continued to award the order to his family...
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....