EARLY YEARS
Georg Wetzell was born in Nieder-Erlenbach, Oberhessen (in the Grand Duchy of Hesse) on March 5, 1869. At the age of twenty, he was a Fahnenjunker in the Pioneer Battalion Number 16 of the Prussian Army based in Metz. Wetzell was then promoted to second lieutenant by the autumn of 1891.
In October 1893, Wetzell was transferred to the Pioneer Battalion Number 20 (also based in Metz) and attended the Unified Artillery and Engineering School for further training. Five years later, he was assigned to Infantry Regiment Number 144 based in the Metz/Diedenhofen area. In October 1899, Wetzell became a first lieutenant. Then from 1901 to 1903, he attended the Prussian Staff College and later assigned to the General Staff.
In March 1906, Wetzell attained the rank of captain. One year later, he was part of Ritter Hentschel von Gilgenheim’s general staff with XV Corps based in Straßburg. In March 1909, Wetzell became company commander of the First Lower Alsatian Infantry Regiment in Straßburg. He was then transferred to East Prussia in May 1911. There, he was part of Freiherr von Hügel’s general staff with the Second Infantry Division based in Insterburg. With yet another promotion to major in October 1912, Wetzell was assigned to Ewald von Lochow’s general staff with III Corps in Berlin six months later.
PLANNER FOR H-L
When the Great War began in August 1914, Wetzell remained with III Corps. On March 9, 1915 he became the unit’s chief of staff, subordinate to Max von Fabeck’s German First Army. But as the conflict hit a fever pitch, Wetzell was assigned a greater task…
On August 20, 1916, Wetzell was transferred to Oberste Heeresleitung (Supreme Army Command) and appointed Operations Section Chief, replacing Gerhard Tappen. In this capacity, he was responsible for planning several major offensives. On December 11, 1916, Wetzell was awarded Imperial Germany’s highest military decoration, the Pour le Mérite.
In 1917, Wetzell worked closely with First Quartermaster General Erich Ludendorff, who was directing the German war effort. Wetzell was responsible for developing the plan for the Battle of Caporetto on the Italian Front. The offense was launched in late October 1917, and the result was a major victory for the Germans and their Austro-Hungarian allies. For his achievements in planning the campaign, Wetzell was awarded the oak leaves for his Pour le Mérite on November 1, 1917.
Around the same time, Wetzell urged Ludendorff to launch an attack on the Western Front in the early spring of 1918… before the arrival of the American Expeditionary Forces. On November 11, 1917 Wetzell accompanied Ludendorff to the Mons Conference for discussions with Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria (commander of Army Group A) and Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (commander of Army Group B). The respective chiefs of staff, von Kuhl (under Rupprecht) and von der Schulenburg (under Wilhelm), were also present.
Wetzell preferred to attack the French Army, because he considered it the larger and more dangerous enemy. But Ludendorff decided to direct the assault against the British Expeditionary Force… and as such, he ordered the planning for Operation Michael. Wetzell also planned the follow-up offensives, namely Operations Georgette and Blücher. Although these attacks were somewhat successful, the initiative had swung to the Allies by August 1918.
Less than two months later, Wetzell (now a lieutenant colonel) joined the German Fifth Army as Georg von der Marwitz’ chief of staff. He remained in this position when the fighting ceased in November. Then on December 19, 1918, Wetzell served temporarily as Guenther von Etzel’s chief of staff with XVIII Corps.
LATER YEARS
With a defeated Germany now a republic, Wetzell was named inspector of the Reichswehr Signal Troops in 1921, a position he would hold for five years… along with a promotion to major general in December 1923. In February 1926, Wetzell was appointed chief of the Troop Office… but was relieved of his post fourteen months later. He was then transferred to the staff of Gruppenkommando I in Berlin. Wetzell retired from military service on October 31, 1927 with the honorary rank of General der Infanterie. He remained active in Reichswehr affairs through his founding of the Deutsche Wehr military magazine.
Beginning in 1930, Wetzell worked for four years as a general advisor on military matters to the Chinese government in Nanking. He then worked as editor-in-chief of the newspaper Militär-Wochenblatt from October 1934 until December 1942… when the paper was discontinued. Wetzell was also an author and editor of many military and political essays.
Georg Wetzell died in Augsburg on January 3, 1947 at the age of seventy-seven.
NOTABLE WORKS
– Von Falkenhayn zu Hindenburg-Ludendorff (1921)
– Der Bündniskrieg (1937)
– Die deutsche Wehrmacht (1939)