Magnus von Eberhardt

Magnus von Eberhardt
General Magnus von Eberhardt
Born	6 December 1855 Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia
Died	24 January 1939 (aged 83) Berlin, Germany
Allegiance	German Empire
Service/branch	Imperial German Army
Years of service	1874-1918
Rank	General der Infanterie
Commands held	Guards Fusilier Regiment 19th Division XV Reserve Corps X Reserve Corps 7th Army 1st Army
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Pour le Mérite with Oakleaves Knight of Justice, Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg)

Magnus von Eberhardt (6 December 1855 – 24 January 1939) was a Prussian military officer and a German General der Infanterie during World War I. He received the Pour le Mérite (Prussia's and Germany's highest military honor) with Oakleaves (signifying a second award) and was a Rechtsritter (Knight of Justice) of the Johanniterorden (Order of Saint John).

Pre war

Magnus von Eberhardt was born on 6 December 1855 in Berlin. He began his military career in 1874 (at age 19) as a Sekonde-Lieutenant in the 93rd (Anhalt) Infantry Regiment at Zerbst.^[1]

World War I

At the outbreak of the war, von Eberhardt was Military Governor of Straßburg, then in the German Imperial territory of Alsace-Lorraine.^[2] On 1 September 1914 he took command of the temporary Corps Eberhardt^[3] named for him. On 1 December 1914 it was established as XV Reserve Corps and on 1 September 1916 it was renamed as XV Bavarian Reserve Corps. On 16 October 1916, he transferred to command X Reserve Corps.^[4]

In August 1918, he temporarily took command of 7th Army from Max von Boehn on the Western Front before going on to command 1st Army just before the end of the War.

Von Eberhardt was awarded the Pour le Mérite on 20 May 1917. He was awarded the Oakleaves on 22 September 1917.^[5]

Post war

In 1919, von Eberhardt was appointed to the defense of Eastern Prussia as commander of the Kulmer Land Defence Forces. In the spring of 1919, he received the order to withdraw from the territory of Soldau and Polish troops took possession.^[6]

Von Eberhardt died in Berlin on 24 January 1939 at the age of 83. He was interred in the Invalidenfriedhof.

References

1. "Biography on The Prussian Machine". Retrieved 27 October 2012.
2. "Biography on The Prussian Machine". Retrieved 27 October 2012.
3. Cron 2002, p. 88
4. "Reserve Corps on The Prussian Machine". Retrieved 27 October 2012.
5. "Pour le Mérite". Retrieved 27 October 2012.
6. "Magnus von Eberhardt". Retrieved 27 October 2012.

Bibliography

• Cron, Hermann (2002). Imperial German Army 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle [first published: 1937]. Helion & Co. ISBN 1-874622-70-1.