MILITARY RISE
Born on Christmas Day 1856 in the Prussian city of Danzig, Georg Fuchs was a college graduate Prussian Army soldier at the age of twenty. Georg later became a Fahnenjunker in the 33rd “Count Roon” (East Prussian) Fusiliers based in Gumbinnen… and later in Danzig and Königsberg. Two years later, he received his commission as a second lieutenant.
Beginning in 1885, Fuchs attended the Prussian Staff College for three years being promoted to Oberleutnant. This allowed him to join the German General Staff in 1890. In February 1893, Fuchs was on Hans von Welder’s general staff with I Corps based in Königsberg. He then led a company in the Magdeburg Fusilier Regiment Number 36 in Halle (Saale) in 1894. By this time, Fuchs held the rank of Hauptmann.
In 1898, Fuchs (now Major) taught at the Prussian War Academy for two years. In September 1900, he was on Friedrich von Baden’s general staff with VIII Corps based in Koblenz. Fuchs then took a leadership role with the Seventh Thuringian Infantry Regiment Number 96 (based in Gera) in April 1902. Three years later, he was again promoted to Oberstleutnant and served as Friedrich von Bock und Polach’s Chief of Staff with IX Corps in Altona.
Further promotions soon followed for Georg Fuchs. As Oberst in 1907, he commanded the Fourth Lower Alsatian Infantry Regiment Number 143 based in Straßburg. In April 1911, he headed the 20th Infantry Brigade based in Posen with the rank of Generalmajor. When Fuchs was made Generalleutnant in February 1914, he was given command of the 16th Division based in Trier.
THE WESTERN FRONT
At the beginning of the Great War, Fuchs was commissioned for the Occupation of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on August 2, 1914. Soon, he fought in association with Tülff von Tschepe’s VIII Corps, which was part of the Duke of Württemberg’s German Fourth Army. Weeks later, Fuchs and his men saw action during the fight for Neufchâteau, one of the many engagements that made up the Battle of the Frontiers.
Two years later (August 28, 1916), Fuchs became the commanding general of X Reserve Corps, replacing General der Infanterie Robert Kosch. On October 29th of that year, his command shifted to XIV Reserve Corps, replacing Generalleutnant Hermann von Stein. This corps was the focus of the British Fifth Army when the Battle of the Somme was launched on the first of July 1916.
On the Ides of March 1917, Fuchs assumed command over Armee-Abteilung C, replacing General der Infanterie Max von Boehn. This unit was made up from the southern wing of General der Artillierie Max von Gallwitz’s German Fifth Army. It was situated between the Meuse and Moselle Rivers… and in September 1918, the Germans faced a fledgling American Expeditionary Force that would be participating in its largest battle in over half a century!
SAINT-MIHIEL
Though less important than the great fortress of Verdun, Saint-Mihiel was historically one of the fortified towns guarding the strategic line of the Meuse River on the approach to the Paris Basin from the east. In the immediate aftermath of the Battle of the Marne, Saint-Mihiel was captured by the Germans in September 1914. They managed to cut two main rail lines… and by doing so, the fortress of Verdun to the east was left dangling… with only a single narrow-gauge railway to supply the ancient Roman town. For nearly four years, the Saint-Mihiel Salient was under control of the Teutonic forces.
The American commander-in-chief in France, General John J. Pershing, had fought off attempts to use his divisions piecemeal in support of French and British operations. He preferred to hold them back to form what became the U.S. First Army. An attack on the Saint-Mihiel Salient gave Pershing the opportunity to use the U.S. First Army in combat for the first time. The American part of the assault was to be conducted by two “super” corps: each of them with three divisions in attack and one in reserve. Two smaller French corps would provide support on the western part of the salient.
General Erich von Ludendorff, now short of men and aware of the coming Allied offensive, had decided to withdraw from the salient to a shorter and more easily defended line to the rear. As the Germans were withdrawing on September 12, 1918, the Franco-American offensive began!
With much of their artillery not in place, the Germans were poorly prepared to maintain the front line. It was an advantage that the attacking Americans were quick to exploit. The relative ease of the initial attack came as a surprise to Pershing, and he sent orders to his commanders to speed up their advance.
By September 13th, lead units of the U.S. First Army had met up with Allied troops advancing from the west. Three days later, the offensive was halted, with the Saint-Mihiel Salient in Allied hands. American casualties numbered at seven thousand. The Germans lost over 17,000 men, with another 10,000 taken prisoner.
Although lacking some of the tactical skills of the French and British, the U.S. First Army carried the day through sheer determination and its multifaceted plan of attack. Saint-Mihiel was also noteworthy as the first major use of the U.S. Army Air Service (the precursor to the U.S. Air Force), led by William “Billy” Mitchell. The aggressive tank assaults were led by thirty-two-year-old Colonel George S. Patton, who boldly led his charges from the front lines… and not from the rear as many other officers did during the war.
For Georg Fuchs and Armee-Abteilung C, their positions were yielded east of Verdun. Two days before the signing of the November armistice, General der Infanterie Eduard von Below succeeded Fuchs as commander of Armee-Abteilung C. However, the change was short-lived… and on November 24th, Fuchs was back in command.
DEATH
One week before his sixty-second birthday, Fuchs was given command of the German Fifth Army. He replaced General Georg von der Marwitz, who went into retirement. But by February 1919, defeated Germany was now a republic, the Fifth Army was disbanded, and Fuchs was no longer in active service. However, he was given the character title of General der Infantrie on October 6, 1919.
Georg Fuchs died in Münster on September 30, 1939, four weeks after Hitler’s armies marched into Poland. He was eighty-two years old.
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
– Order of the Red Eagle, Second Class with Oak Leaves
– Order of the Crown, Second Class with Star
Prussian Service Award Cross
– Knight’s Cross, First Class of the Zähringer Lion
– Order of the Griffon
– House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis
– Princely Reuss Honor Cross, Second Class
– Commander’s Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph
– Iron Cross, Second and First Class
– Pour le Mérite (August 22, 1917)