__NOTOC__
Konrad Friedrich August Henry William Balck (October 19, 1858 in
Osnabrück
Osnabrück (; wep, Ossenbrügge; archaic ''Osnaburg'') is a city in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population ...
July 15, 1924 in
Aurich
Aurich (; East Frisian Low Saxon: ''Auerk'', West Frisian: ''Auwerk'', stq, Aurk) is a town in the East Frisian region of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Aurich and is the second largest City in East Frisia, both i ...
) 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 ...
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 ...
and
military officer who reached the rank of ' 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 ...
.
Life
He was the son of British
Lieutenant Colonel George Philipp Balck and his wife Charlotte née Lütgen, daughter of
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 ...
Conrad Friedrich Lütgen (1790–1854) and his wife Dorothee Charlotte Lackemann.
His 1903 six-volume work Taktik (English: ''Tactics'') was translated into English by
Walter Krueger
Walter Krueger (26 January 1881 – 20 August 1967) was an American soldier and general officer in the first half of the 20th century. He commanded the Sixth United States Army in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. He rose fr ...
and published in the United States in two volumes, ''Introduction and Formal Tactics of Infantry'' in 1911 and ''Cavalry, Field and Heavy Artillery in Field Warfare'' in 1914.
[ This translation attracted the attention of Major General ]Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood (October 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927) was a United States Army major general, physician, and public official. He served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba, and Governor-General of the Philipp ...
, the Chief of Staff of the United States Army
The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and ...
, and was widely read, and acclaimed, by American Army officers.[ He was appointed as Chief Inspector of Telegraphy/Signals Troops on 9 May 1914.]
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) 2nd and 1st Class
* Wound Badge
The Wound Badge (german: Verwundetenabzeichen) was a German military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was first awarded to soldiers of the German Army who were wounded during World War I. Between ...
(1918) in Black
* Order of the Crown 2nd Class with Star and Swords (1917)
* Pour le Mérite
The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by 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 Order of the Red Eag ...
(9 March 1918)
* 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 Star, Oak Leaves and Swords (18 August 1918)
Writings
* ''Taktik'' (''Tactics'') (Berlin: Eisenschmitt, 1903)[
* ''Kriegsspiel und Übungsritt als Vorschule für die Truppenführung'', (''War Games and Exercise Rides as Preschool for the Leading of Combined Arms Formations'') (Berlin: Eisenschmitt, 1913)
* ''Die englische Armee im Felde'', (''The English Army in the Field''), (Berlin : Bath, 1913)
* ''Nachtgefechte und Nachtübungen'', (''Night Engagements and Night Exercises''), (Berlin : Eisenschmidt, 1910)
* ''Kleiner Krieg'', (''Small Wars''), (Berlin-Charlottenburg : Verlag Offene Worte, 1923)
* ''Entwickelung der Taktik im Weltkriege'', (''Development of Tactics in the World War''), first edition (Berlin : Eisenschmidt, 1920)
* ''Entwickelung der Taktik im Weltkriege'', (''Development of Tactics in the World War''), expanded edition (Berlin : R. Eisenschmidt, 1922)
]
References
* Hildebrand, Karl-Friedrich and Zweng, Christian (1999). ''Die Ritter des Ordens Pour le Mérite des I. Weltkriegs, Band 1: A-G''. Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. .
External links
Complete text of ''Tactics'' Volume I
in English at the Open Library
Complete text of ''Tactics'' Volume II
in English at the Open Library
*
1858 births
1924 deaths
19th-century Prussian people
20th-century Prussian people
Military personnel from Osnabrück
Lieutenant generals of Prussia
German Army generals of World War I
Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class
People from the Kingdom of Hanover
German people of English descent
German military writers
{{Germany-mil-bio-stub