At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Beseler was brought out of retirement and given command of the 3rd Reserve Corps in the German First Army led by Generaloberst Alexander von Kluck. The Imperial German Army took Brussels on 20 August and the German command considered the Belgian Army defeated. The main force of the German armies marched toward France, leaving the 3rd Reserve Corps behind. Beseler was ordered to take possession of the city of Antwerp on 9 September. The Siege of Antwerp ended on 10 October, when Antwerp's Mayor Jan De Vos, surrendered the city. Beseler followed the Belgian army and was halted by Allied (mainly Belgian) forces in the Battle of the Yser (October 1914).
On 27 August 1915[2] Beseler was made Military Governor of the German-occupied part of the zone of Polish lands, or Congress Poland, and served as such until the end of the war. Beseler hoped to assemble three divisions of Polish volunteers for use by the Central Powers, and to this end wanted to present a "facade of independent Poland".[3] His official title was Governor-general of Generalgouvernement Warschau. Beseler gave his support to the Polish Border Strip plan, which would have seen mass expulsions of Poles and Jews from territory annexed by the German Empire from formerly Russian-held parts of Poland, and subsequent colonization of this area by German settlers.[4]
In November 1915, Beseler reopened the University of Warsaw and the Warsaw Polytechnic Institute and allowed the usage of the Polish language at the university for the first time since 1869.[5] Municipal councils were elected and the lower jurisdiction was organized by Polish locals.[5][6] Despite these efforts, German intentions were transparent, and German rule was not well tolerated by the Poles. German calls for Polish volunteers produced disappointing results. Most Poles saw an Allied victory as the best hope for genuine independence.[7]
Beseler (1st left) and Karl Kuk [de] (2nd left) in Lublin, 1916
After the Central Powers' Act of 5th November of 1916 held out the prospect of limited Polish autonomy, Beseler stayed and still wielded real power as the General Governor of the Government General of Warsaw, the German-occupied part of the Kingdom of Poland, alongside the Austrian Governor General Karl Kuk [de], who resided in Lublin. Beseler was also the titular commander of the so-called Polnische Wehrmacht. After the Act of 5 November was declared, he organized a ceremony in Warsaw's Royal Castle with such gestures as the unfurling of a Polish flag and the playing of the Polish national anthem; the event backfired as the Polish crowds started shouting "Out with the Germans!".[3] On 4 October 1916 Beseler issued a decree allowing forced labour by Polish men aged between 18 and 45.[8][9]
After Poland declared independence on 11 November 1918 and all German soldiers in Warsaw were disarmed, Beseler fled in disguise to Germany. A broken and disillusioned man, attacked by the German Conservatives and Nationalists as having been too liberal towards the Poles, but disliked in Poland for being too Prussian, Beseler died in 1921 in Neubabelsberg near Potsdam. He was buried at the Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin.
1.^As Beseler's predecessor, Oberhoffer succeeded Max von Hausen as Quartermaster-General of the German Army on 18 April 1896.
April 12, 2024
hans, hartwig, beseler, april, 1850, december, 1921, german, colonel, general, born, 1850, april, 1850greifswald, kingdom, prussiadied20, december, 1921, 1921, aged, potsdam, babelsberg, weimar, republicallegiance, prussia, north, german, confederation, german. Hans Hartwig von Beseler 27 April 1850 20 December 1921 was a German colonel general Hans Hartwig von BeselerBorn 1850 04 27 27 April 1850Greifswald Kingdom of PrussiaDied20 December 1921 1921 12 20 aged 71 Potsdam Neu Babelsberg Weimar RepublicAllegiance Prussia North German Confederation German EmpireService wbr branch Prussian Army Imperial German ArmyYears of service1868 1918RankGeneraloberstCommands held3rd Reserve CorpsBattles warsFranco Prussian WarWorld War I Battle of the Yser Siege of NovogeorgievskAwardsPour le Merite with oak leaves Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Military career 1 2 Administrative career 1 3 Ranks 2 Decorations 3 Bibliography 4 References 5 External linksBiography editBeseler was born in Greifswald Pomerania as the son of Georg Beseler then a law professor at the University of Greifswald Military career edit He entered the Prussian Army in 1868 fought in the Franco Prussian War of 1870 1871 and had a successful military career until his retirement in 1910 Beseler was ennobled in 1904 by William II German Emperor 1 At the outbreak of World War I in 1914 Beseler was brought out of retirement and given command of the 3rd Reserve Corps in the German First Army led by Generaloberst Alexander von Kluck The Imperial German Army took Brussels on 20 August and the German command considered the Belgian Army defeated The main force of the German armies marched toward France leaving the 3rd Reserve Corps behind Beseler was ordered to take possession of the city of Antwerp on 9 September The Siege of Antwerp ended on 10 October when Antwerp s Mayor Jan De Vos surrendered the city Beseler followed the Belgian army and was halted by Allied mainly Belgian forces in the Battle of the Yser October 1914 In the spring of 1915 Beseler was sent to the Eastern Front with Max von Gallwitz s 9th Army There he led the successful siege of Novogeorgievsk in August 1915 Administrative career edit On 27 August 1915 2 Beseler was made Military Governor of the German occupied part of the zone of Polish lands or Congress Poland and served as such until the end of the war Beseler hoped to assemble three divisions of Polish volunteers for use by the Central Powers and to this end wanted to present a facade of independent Poland 3 His official title was Governor general of Generalgouvernement Warschau Beseler gave his support to the Polish Border Strip plan which would have seen mass expulsions of Poles and Jews from territory annexed by the German Empire from formerly Russian held parts of Poland and subsequent colonization of this area by German settlers 4 In November 1915 Beseler reopened the University of Warsaw and the Warsaw Polytechnic Institute and allowed the usage of the Polish language at the university for the first time since 1869 5 Municipal councils were elected and the lower jurisdiction was organized by Polish locals 5 6 Despite these efforts German intentions were transparent and German rule was not well tolerated by the Poles German calls for Polish volunteers produced disappointing results Most Poles saw an Allied victory as the best hope for genuine independence 7 nbsp Beseler 1st left and Karl Kuk de 2nd left in Lublin 1916After the Central Powers Act of 5th November of 1916 held out the prospect of limited Polish autonomy Beseler stayed and still wielded real power as the General Governor of the Government General of Warsaw the German occupied part of the Kingdom of Poland alongside the Austrian Governor General Karl Kuk de who resided in Lublin Beseler was also the titular commander of the so called Polnische Wehrmacht After the Act of 5 November was declared he organized a ceremony in Warsaw s Royal Castle with such gestures as the unfurling of a Polish flag and the playing of the Polish national anthem the event backfired as the Polish crowds started shouting Out with the Germans 3 On 4 October 1916 Beseler issued a decree allowing forced labour by Polish men aged between 18 and 45 8 9 After Poland declared independence on 11 November 1918 and all German soldiers in Warsaw were disarmed Beseler fled in disguise to Germany A broken and disillusioned man attacked by the German Conservatives and Nationalists as having been too liberal towards the Poles but disliked in Poland for being too Prussian Beseler died in 1921 in Neubabelsberg near Potsdam He was buried at the Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin Ranks edit nbsp Grave of Hans Hartwig von Beseler on the Invalidenfriedhof Berlin1870 71 Leutnant 1875 06 15 Oberleutnant 1882 04 18 Hauptmann 1888 09 19 Major 1893 10 17 Oberstleutnant 1897 03 22 Oberst 1900 01 27 Generalmajor 1903 04 18 Generalleutnant 1907 11 09 General der Infanterie 1918 01 27 GeneraloberstDecorations editBeseler besides many minor decorations received the Pour le Merite with oak leaves and the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Classes and was a Commander with Star and Crown of the Prussian Order of the House of Hohenzollern Bibliography editBogdan Graf von Hutten Czapski Sechzig Jahre Politik und Gesellschaft Volunme 1 2 Berlin Mittler 1936References edit Biography in German Chisholm Hugh ed 1922 Beseler Hans von Encyclopaedia Britannica 12th ed London amp New York The Encyclopaedia Britannica Company a b Roshwald Aviel 2002 European Culture in the Great War University of Cambridge p 70 ISBN 9780521013246 Retrieved 26 April 2011 Armies of occupation Roy Arnold Prete A Hamish Ion page 121 Wilfrid Laurier University Press 1984 a b Leslie R F 1983 The History of Poland since 1863 University of Cambridge ISBN 9780521275019 Retrieved 21 January 2010 Wandycz Piotr Stefan 1980 The United States and Poland ISBN 9780674926851 Retrieved 21 January 2010 Imperial Germany and the Great War 1914 1918 Roger Chickering page 86 Cambridge University Press 2002 Warszawa w latach 1914 1939 Marian Marek Drozdowski Panstwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe page 49 1990 Polska XX wieku 1914 2003 Marek Derwich Horyzont page 12 2004External links editKauffman Jesse Beseler Hans von in 1914 1918 online International Encyclopedia of the First World War nbsp Media related to Hans Hartwig von Beseler at Wikimedia Commons Newspaper clippings about Hans Hartwig von Beseler in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBWMilitary officesPreceded byFranz Xaver von Oberhoffer 1 Quartermaster General of the German Army17 October 1899 7 February 1902 Succeeded byKarl von BulowNotes1 As Beseler s predecessor Oberhoffer succeeded Max von Hausen as Quartermaster General of the German Army on 18 April 1896 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hans Hartwig von Beseler amp oldid 1190674592, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
