Born in Osterode am Harz (in the Kingdom of Hannover) on July 27, 1851, Johann Hans von Zwehl joined the military in 1870 with the “Graf Schwerin” (a.k.a. Third Pomeranian) Infantry Regiment Number 14 out of Bromberg. He soon participated in the Franco-Prussian War… and for his service, the young Zwehl received the Iron Cross, Second Class and became a second lieutenant.
After the birth of the German Empire in January 1871, Zwehl stayed in the military and rose through the ranks. He became a first lieutenant in 1878, a captain in 1885, and a major in 1890. Six years after his latter promotion, Zwehl served as General August von Lentze’s chief of staff in the recently formed XVII Corps out of Danzig. A month after taking the post, he was promoted yet again to lieutenant colonel.
In 1899, Zwehl was made a full colonel. One year later, he was named commander of the “GFM Prinz Albrecht von Preußen” (a.k.a First Hanoverian) Fusilier Regiment Number 73. In 1902, Zwehl was given command of the 30th Infantry Brigade out of Koblenz and promoted to major general.
Zwehl continue to rise through the military ranks in 1906 with his promotion to lieutenant general. He was also named commander of the 13th Infantry Division out of Münster. Zwehl remained in this post until his retirement from the German Army in 1909.
When the Great War began in August 1914, Hans von Zwehl was promptly brought out of retirement. He was assigned to lead the VII Reserve Corps, which was part of Karl von Bülow’s German Second Army in the West.
Zwehl participated in (and eventually led) the Siege of Maubeuge, which lasted from August 24 to September 7, 1914. He was credited for officially receiving the French surrender. In doing so, Zwehl was one of the first recipients of the prestigious Pour le Mérite the day after Maubeuge fell to the Germans. However, it has been recently argued that the two-week siege may have deprived the German First and Second Armies of troops needed to secure ultimate victory at the decisive Battle of the Marne!
In September 1915, VII Reserve Corps was transferred to Crown Prince Wilhelm’s German Fifth Army. It was later deployed in Operation Gericht, better known as the Battle of Verdun. But Zwehl’s unit suffering serious losses throughout the year-long campaign, and he was released from command on December 17, 1916.
Zwehl then served as Military Governor of Antwerp, a post he would hold until the end of the war. He received the oak leaves of the Pour le Merite exactly three years after earning the coveted Blue Max. But on November 25, 1918, with Germany in total defeat, Zwehl again retired from the army.
After the war, Hans von Zwehl wrote about military history, which also included Erich von Falkenhayn’s authorized biography. He died in Berlin on May 28, 1926 at the age of seventy-four.