Curt Ernst von Morgen (1 November 1858 in Neiße – 15 February 1928 in

Lübeck Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the stat ...

) was a

Prussian Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

and

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

, later

General of Infantry General of the Infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to: * General of the Infantry (Austria) * General of the Infantry (Bulgaria) * General of the Infantry (Germany) ('), a rank of a general in the German Impe ...

during

World War I 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 ...

. He was a recipient of

Pour le Mérite The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Or ...

with Oak Leaves.

Explorer in Cameroon

Curt von Morgen was stationed in

German Kamerun Kamerun was an African colony of the German Empire from 1884 to 1916 in the region of today's Republic of Cameroon. Kamerun also included northern parts of Gabon and the Congo with western parts of the Central African Republic, southwestern p ...

and undertook two research journeys to central Cameroon in 1889 and from 1890 to 1891. After the expeditions, Morgen returned to Germany but in 1894 he was tasked with the formation of the Kamerun Schutztruppe. He also led two military expeditions against the Abo north of Douala and the Kwe (Bakwiri) near

Mount Cameroon Mount Cameroon is an active volcano in the South West region of Cameroon next to the city of Buea near the Gulf of Guinea. Mount Cameroon is also known as Cameroon Mountain or Fako (the name of the higher of its two peaks) or by its indigenous n ...

The Middle East

In 1896-97, he followed as military observer the English Dongola-Expedition against the Mahdists. In 1897, he became Military Attaché in Istanbul. He followed as observer the

Greco-Turkish War (1897) The Greco-Turkish War of 1897 or the Ottoman-Greek War of 1897 ( or ), also called the Thirty Days' War and known in Greece as the Black '97 (, ''Mauro '97'') or the Unfortunate War ( el, Ατυχής πόλεμος, Atychis polemos), was a w ...

and prepared the visit of Kaiser William II to Palestine in 1898.

Military service in Germany

On 27 January 1912, he was promoted to

Generalmajor is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-star ...

and assigned as commander of the 81st Infantry Brigade in

. On 9 August 1913, when the emperor visited the town, he reported to him.

World War I

On mobilisation for

in August 1914, he became commander of the 3rd Reserve Division from Danzig, and promoted to

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 O ...

on the 19th of that month. He commanded this division as part of the 8th Army in the pivotal

Battle of Tannenberg The Battle of Tannenberg, also known as the Second Battle of Tannenberg, was fought between Russia and Germany between 26 and 30 August 1914, the first month of World War I. The battle resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Russi ...

at the opening of the war on the Eastern Front, and at the subsequent

First Battle of the Masurian Lakes The First Battle of the Masurian Lakes was a German offensive in the Eastern Front 2–16 September 1914, during the second month of World War I. It took place only days after the Battle of Tannenberg where the German Eighth Army encircled an ...

. For his performance in this period, he was awarded the

on 1 December 1914. On 24 November 1914, he took over command of I Reserve Corps from

Otto von Below Otto Ernst Vinzent Leo von Below (18 January 1857 – 15 March 1944) served as a Prussian general officer in the Imperial German Army during the First World War (1914–1918). He arguably became most notable for his command, along with the Aust ...

. He led this Corps for almost the entire war, only swapping places with Richard Wellman in command of XIV Reserve Corps in August 1918. With the I Reserve Corps, he fought in the

Battle of Łódź (1914) The Battle of Łódź took place from 11 November to 6 December 1914, near the city of Łódź in Poland. It was fought between the German Ninth Army and the Russian First, Second, and Fifth Armies, in harsh winter conditions. The Germans red ...

and in the Romanian campaign (1916-1917) in which he failed to achieve a decisive breakthrough after being

defeated Defeated may refer to: * "Defeated" (Breaking Benjamin song) * "Defeated" (Anastacia song) *"Defeated", a song by Snoop Dogg from the album ''Bible of Love'' *Defeated, Tennessee, an unincorporated community *''The Defeated ''The Defeated'', al ...

by the Romanians at

Dragoslavele Dragoslavele is a commune in the northern part of Argeș County, Muntenia, Romania, located by the former border between Wallachia and Transylvania, on the Wallachian side. It is a relatively important location for boarding house tourism. The com ...

, 8 miles from the town of

Câmpulung Câmpulung (also spelled ''Cîmpulung'', , german: Langenau, Old Romanian ''Dlăgopole'', ''Длъгополе'' (from Middle Bulgarian)), or ''Câmpulung Muscel'', is a municipality in the Argeș County, Muntenia, Romania. It is situated among t ...

. Von Morgen argued that much more of the Romanian Army could have been captured if a breakthrough would have been achieved at Câmpulung. He insisted that this would have achieved "a real victory, a Cannae, a Tannenberg".Michael B. Barrett, Indiana University Press, 2013, ''Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania'', pp. 158 and 300 He was awarded the Oakleaves to the

(signifying a second award) on 11 December 1916.

Later life

After his retirement he became General of Infanterie and returned to Lübeck.

Family

His son Heinrich-Joachim von Morgen (1902–1932) was an early

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

race car driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

. His daughter Elizabeth married in 1923 the aircraft designer

Anthony Fokker Anton Herman Gerard "Anthony" Fokker (6 April 1890 – 23 December 1939) was a Dutch aviation pioneer, aviation entrepreneur, aircraft designer, and aircraft manufacturer. He produced fighter aircraft in Germany during the First World War such ...

(1890-1939).

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 est ...

of 1914, 1st and 2nd class *

(1 December 1914) and Oak Leaves (11 December 1916) * Order of the Crown, 2nd class with Swords on rings * Knight's Cross, First Class of the

Order of the Zähringer Lion The Order of the Zähringer Lion was instituted on 26 December 1812 by Karl, Grand Duke of Baden , house = Zähringen , father = Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden , mother = Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt ...

with oak leaves (Baden) *

Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...

, 2nd class with Oak Leaves and Swords on rings * Knight's Cross Second Class

Order of the White Falcon Order of the White Falcon (german: Hausorden vom Weißen Falken) is a grand-ducal order of Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, founded by Duke Ernest Augustus on 2 August 1732, and renewed in 1815 by Charles Augustus. Description In the early 2 ...

* Commander of the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

(Netherlands) * Commander of the

Order of St. Michael , status = Abolished by decree of Louis XVI on 20 June 1790Reestablished by Louis XVIII on 16 November 1816Abolished in 1830 after the July RevolutionRecognised as a dynastic order of chivalry by the ICOC , founder = Louis XI of France , h ...

(Bavaria) * Knight's Cross, First Class of the Ducal

Saxe-Ernestine House Order The Saxe-Ernestine House Order (german: link=yes, Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden)Hausorden
Herz ...

(Saxon duchies) *

Service Award A Service award was awarded by a country to a soldier or civilian for long service. It is comparable to a service medal but can be awarded to civilians as well as soldiers. Germany Kingdom of Bavaria * Königliches Ludwigsorden for 50 years' ser ...

(Prussia) * Grand Commander of the

Order of the Griffon (Mecklenburg) The Order of the Griffon (German: ''Greifenorden'') was a State Order of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Established on 15 September 1884, it was created to honour benevolence and outstanding service to the public. In August 1904, the Ord ...

* Cross of Merit, First Class of the Lippe House Order with Swords * Commander Second Class of the

Order of the Crown (Württemberg) The Order of the Württemberg Crown (''Orden der Württembergischen Krone'') was an order of chivalry in Württemberg. History First established in 1702 as the St.-Hubertus-Jagdorden (Order of St Hubert), in 1807 it was renamed the "Ritterorden ...

* Knight's Cross, First Class of the

Friedrich Order The Friedrich Order (german: Friedrichs-Orden or ''Friedrichsorden'') was an order of merit of the German Kingdom of Württemberg. It was instituted on 1 January 1830 by the second king of Württemberg, Wilhelm I in remembrance of his father, Kin ...

(Württemberg) * Grand Officer of the

Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria) The Order of Military Merit ( bg, Орден за Военна Заслуга) is a Bulgarian order during the Kingdom of Bulgaria and the Republic of Bulgaria. It is the third highest order in the Republic of Bulgaria along with the Order of Civi ...

Order of the Double Dragon The Imperial Order of the Double Dragon () was an order awarded in the late Qing dynasty. The Order was founded by the Guangxu Emperor on 7 February 1882 as an award for outstanding services to the throne and the Qing court. Originally it was a ...

, 3rd Degree, First Class * Commander of the

Order of the Crown (Romania) The Order of the Crown of Romania is a chivalric order set up on 14 March 1881 by King Carol I of Romania to commemorate the establishment of the Kingdom of Romania. It was awarded as a state order until the end of the Romanian monarchy in 1947. ...

* Officer of the

Order of the White Eagle (Serbia) The Royal Order of the White Eagle was a Royal Order in the Kingdom of Serbia (1883–1918) and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1945). It continues as a dynastic order, with appointments currently made by Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavi ...

* Gold Imtiaz Medal (Ottoman Empire) *

Order of Osmanieh The Order of Osmanieh or Order of Osmaniye ( ota, نشانِ عثمانیہ) was a civil and military decoration of the Ottoman Empire. History The order was created in January 1862 by Sultan Abdülaziz. With the obsolescence of the Nişan-i If ...

, 2nd class (Ottoman Empire) *

Order of the Medjidie Order of the Medjidie ( ota, نشانِ مجیدی, August 29, 1852 – 1922) is a military and civilian order of the Ottoman Empire. The Order was instituted in 1851 by Sultan Abdulmejid I. History Instituted in 1851, the Order was awarded in fi ...

, 2nd class (Ottoman Empire) *

Hanseatic Cross The Hanseatic Cross (German: ''Hanseatenkreuz'') was a military decoration of the three Hanseatic city-states of Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck, who were members of the German Empire during World War I. Each republic established its own version of ...

of Lübeck (2 November 1915) * Gold

Liakat Medal The Liakat Medal ( tr, Liyakat Madalyasi) translated as "Medal of Merit," was a decoration of the Ottoman Empire established in 1890. It could be awarded in two classes, gold or silver. The medal was a common military decoration of the late Ottoma ...

(Ottoman Empire)

References

* Hanns Möller: ''Geschichte der Ritter des Ordens pour le mérite im Weltkrieg'', Band II: M–Z, Verlag Bernard & Graefe, Berlin 1935 * Florian Hoffmann: ''Okkupation und Militärverwaltung in Kamerun. Etablierung und Institutionalisierung des kolonialen Gewaltmonopols 1891–1914'', Göttingen 2007 + ''Rangliste der Königlich Preußischen Armee und des XIII. (Königlich Württembergischen) Armeekorps für 1914'', Hrsg.: Kriegsministerium, Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1914, S.82 * ''Lübecker General-Anzeiger'', Obituary in the Newspaper from Lübeck of 16th, 21 and 22 February 1928 « Reisen im Hinterlande von Kamerun 1889/91 » in Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin 1891, cahier 7. Durch Kamerun von Süd nach Nord. Reisen und Forschungen im Hinterlande 1889 bis 1891, F. A. Brockhaus, 1893, 451 p. ire en ligne [archive. À travers le Cameroun du Sud au Nord : voyages et explorations dans l'arrière pays de 1889 à 1891 (traduction, présentation, commentaire et bibliographie de Philippe Laburthe-Tolra), Université Fédérale du Cameroun, Yaoundé, Université de Haute-Bretagne, Rennes, 1971-1974, 2 vol. (XVIII-375 p.-19 p. de pl.), compte-rendu de Thierno Mouctar Bah (Université de Yaoundé), in Revue française d'histoire d'outre-mer, 1984, vol. 71, no 262, p. 106-107, ire en ligne [archive Kriegs- und Expeditionsführung in Afrika, Berlin, 1893 Zeitskizzen, Berlin, 1919. Meiner Truppen Heldenkämpfe, Berlin, 1920. Cet article est partiellement ou en totalité issu de l’article de Wikipédia en allemand intitulé « Kurt von Morgen » (voir la liste des auteurs). (de) Florian Hoffmann, Okkupation und Militärverwaltung in Kamerun. Etablierung und Institutionalisierung des kolonialen Gewaltmonopols 1891–1914, Göttingen, 2007, 433 p. (). (en) « Kurt von Morgen » [archive], sur La machine prussienne (consulté le 19 août 2015). Notices d'autoritéVoir et modifier les données sur Wikidata : Fichier d’autorité international virtuel • International Standard Name Identifier • Bibliothèque nationale de France (données) • Système universitaire de documentation • Bibliothèque du Congrès • Gemeinsame Normdatei • WorldCat {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgen, Curt von 1858 births 1928 deaths People from Nysa, Poland People from the Province of Silesia German Army generals of World War I Generals of Infantry (Prussia) Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class Commanders of the Order of Orange-Nassau Grand Officers of the Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria) Commanders of the Order of the Crown (Romania) Recipients of the Gold Imtiyaz Medal Recipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 2nd class Recipients of the Hanseatic Cross (Lübeck) Recipients of the Gold Liakat Medal German colonial people in Kamerun