Otto Kreß Von Kressenstein
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Paul Otto Felix Freiherr Kreß von Kressenstein (13 September 1850 – 19 February 1929) was a
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
n
Colonel General Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...
and
Minister of War A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
from 16 February 1912 to 7 December 1916.


Biography

Kreß von Kressenstein came from the old Nuremberg patrician family Kreß von Kressenstein . According to the
dance statute The Dance Statute established in 1521 a set of politically influential town hall balls that the magistrate of the Imperial City of Nuremberg held on certain days of the year, such as Sundays of the Lord's Carnival, or in honor of princes in the ...
, the family was one of the new lines eligible to participate in government in the free imperial city and was represented on the city council for centuries. Kreß von Kressenstein was born in
Germersheim Germersheim () is a town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, of around 20,000 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Germersheim (district), Germersheim district. The neighboring towns and cities are Speyer, Landau, Philippsburg, Karlsru ...
. After joining the Bavarian cadet corps he served as an officer candidate in the 2nd Royal Bavarian Chevauleger Regiment. He served in the Franco-Prussian War with the rank of a
Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
. From 1874 to 1877 he visited the Bavarian Kriegsakademie (''war academy'') in
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
. With the rank of a
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
he was transferred to the staff of the
II Royal Bavarian Corps The II Royal Bavarian Army Corps / II Bavarian AK (german: II. Königlich Bayerisches Armee-Korps) was a corps level command of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the German Army, before and during World War I. As part of the 1868 army reform, the ...
. In 1888 he became
Rittmeister __NOTOC__ (German and Scandinavian for "riding master" or "cavalry master") is or was a military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in the armies of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Scandinavia, and some other countries. A ''Rittmeister'' is typic ...
, in 1891
Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
, and was transferred to the 1st Royal Bavarian Heavy Cavalry Regiment in 1893, where he became
lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
in 1896. In the following year he became commander of the 6th Royal Bavarian Chevauleger Regiment "Prince Albrecht of Prussia", in 1898
colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
, and in 1901
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 a ...
. In 1902 he received command of the 4th Royal Bavarian Cavalry Brigade. He was made
Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) 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 ...
and named Inspector of the Cavalry Troops in 1904. From 1906, Kressenstein became the commander of the
1st Royal Bavarian Division The 1st Royal Bavarian Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army that served alongside the Prussian Army as part of the German Army (German Empire), Imperial German Army. The division was formed on November 27, 1815, as the Infantry Division ...
. His successful command of those units caught the eyes of King Ludwig III. He was selected to replace Carl von Horn as Minister of War in 1812, and was promoted to
Colonel General Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...
on 1 August 1914. He resigned in 1916 and died in Munich.''Kreß von Kressenstein, Otto Freiherr von''
House of the Bavarian history (HdBG).
One of his sons was the later general Franz Otto Freiherr Kreß von Kressenstein.


External links

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References and notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kress Von Kressenstein, Otto Freiherr Von Bavarian Ministers of War Bavarian generals People from the Kingdom of Bavaria 1850 births 1929 deaths