Karl Robert Max Bülowius (2 March 1890 – 27 March 1945) was a German Army officer who served during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. He also served eleven non-consecutive years for the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is ...

during the interwar period which began in 1919 and ended in September 1939.

Life and career

Early life and World War I

Karl Bülowius was born on 2 March 1890 in

Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was name ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

(now

Kaliningrad Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

). He joined the Prussian Army on 26 November 1907 and became an

officer cadet Officer Cadet is a rank held by military cadets during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Royal Naval Units, University Officer Training Corps and University Ai ...

of the

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

troops (Fahnenjunker) where he would make his promotion to

Leutnant () is the lowest Junior officer rank in the armed forces the German-speaking of Germany (Bundeswehr), Austrian Armed Forces, and military of Switzerland. History The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") from Middle High Ge ...

(second lieutenant) on 19 June 1909. Bülowius participated in the First World War, serving in various engineering departments of the German Army that were involved in military duties in both Europe and Palestine. During the year 1918 (which would become the final year of the war), Bülowius was elevated to the rank of

Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally ...

(captain). The First World War would end six months later on 11 November with a defeat for Germany and her allies - limiting Germany's army to 100000 men until

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

broke the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...

fifteen years later. He was relieved from the Army on December 31, 1920 due to unfortunate circumstances surrounding the structure of Germany's post-World War I military. However, Bülowius returned to active military service on 1 June 1924. He would serve in various engineering and cavalry units of the

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshape ...

during the 1920s and the 1930s.

World War II and suicide

At the beginning of World War II, he commanded Oberbaustab X. Bülowius became commanding officer (Pionierführer) of engineering parts of the 8th Army on 26 October 1939. Success in commanding the 8th Army would result in Bülowius holding on the same post when he was transferred to the 9th Army on 15 May 1940. Transferred to

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

, Bülowius commanded the engineers of

Panzer Army Africa As the number of German troops committed to the North African Campaign of World War II grew from the initial commitment of a small corps, the Germans developed a more elaborate command structure and placed the enlarged ''Afrika Korps'', with I ...

on 25 October 1942. Between 17 and 25 February 1943, he commanded the entire group. Bülowius held the position of post commander in von Manteuffel's former division in April 1943 and kept it until he was captured the following month. Von Manteuffel had been evacuated back to Germany due to

exhaustion Fatigue describes a state of tiredness that does not resolve with rest or sleep. In general usage, fatigue is synonymous with extreme tiredness or exhaustion that normally follows prolonged physical or mental activity. When it does not resolve ...

and later sent to the Eastern Front on a promotion to

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

. He was captured by U.S. troops on 9 May 1943 near the end of the North African campaign. The North Africa campaign would end seven days later on 16 May 1943 when the Axis (mostly containing troops from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy) forces were forced to retreat to Southern Italy in a decisive defeat.Playfair, p.460 Bülowius finished his career in the German Heer component by committing suicide on March 27, 1945 at the

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...

named

Camp Forrest Camp Forrest, located in a wooded area east of the city of Tullahoma, Tennessee, was one of the U.S. Army's largest training bases during World War II. It was an active army post between 1941 and 1946. History The camp, named after Civil War cav ...

in Coffee County, Tennessee,

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. He is interred at the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.

Credentials

Promotions

* Fahnenjunker – 26 November 1907 * Fähnrich – 18 August 1908 * ''Leutnant'' – 19 June 1909 * Oberleutnant – 18 June 1915 * ''Hauptmann (Captain)'' – May 1918 * Major – 1 April 1934 * Oberstleutnant – 1 August 1936 * Oberst – 5 January 1939 * '' Generalmajor'' – 1 April 1942 * ''

Generalleutnant is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of ...

'' – 1 April 1943

Awards

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...

(1914), II. and I. Class * Türkische Silberne Liakat-(Verdienst)-Medaille mit Schwertern * Türkischer Eiserner Halbmond * Königlich Bulgarische Tapferkeitsorden, IV. Klasse (II. Stufe) * Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer * Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung, IV. to I. Class * Iron Cross (1939), 2. and 1. Class * Kriegsverdienstkreuz (1939) II. und I. Klasse mit Schwertern * Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" * Ärmelband "Afrika" * DeutschesKreuzinGold

German Cross The War Order of the German Cross (german: Der Kriegsorden Deutsches Kreuz), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repe ...

in Silver – November 30, 1942 as Generalmajor and Armee-Pionier-Führer der 9. Armee

In fiction

Bülowius would make a "special

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...

" in the Japanese

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

'' Sgt. Saunders' Combat!''. This officer is only seen during the North Africa campaign of 1942–43; particularly during the

Tunisia Campaign The Tunisian campaign (also known as the Battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces from 17 November 1942 to 13 May 1943. Th ...

. He holds the rank of ''Generalmajor'' in the game and can be killed by any Allied Forces unit. In campaign mode, Bülowius can only be utilized by the AI opponent. He may be seen in other video games related to World War II that involve either the Eastern Front and/or the North Africa campaign.

Citations

Book

* *

Web

External links

Rommel's desert commanders (Google Books)

PRISONERS OF WAR—COLD WAR ALLIES: THE ANGLO-AMERICAN RELATIONSHIP WITH WEHRMACHT GENERALS
at Texas A&M University {{DEFAULTSORT:Bulowius, Karl 1890 births 1945 suicides Military personnel from Königsberg German people who died in prison custody German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States People who committed suicide in prison custody Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class Lieutenant generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht) German military personnel who committed suicide Prussian Army personnel Reichswehr personnel Recipients of the Silver Liakat Medal Recipients of the Order of Bravery, 4th class Suicides in Tennessee Prisoners who died in United States military detention