PEEBLES PROFILES
EPISODE 218
Richard von Pawelsz
EARLY YEARS
Richard Wilhelm Heinrich von Pawelsz was born in Stade (in Lower Saxony) on December 7 , 1872, the son of a Prussian colonel. After attending cadet school, young Richard was an ensign with the Fourth Foot Guards Regiment in mid-February 1891. Eleven months later, he was promoted to second lieutenant.
As the spring of 1897 began, Pawelsz was transferred to the Guard Grenadier Regiment Number Five in Spandau. A little over two years later (in mid-August 1899), he became a first lieutenant. For a period of thirty-three months (beginning on the first of October 1899), Pawelsz received further training at Berlin’s prestigious Prussian War Academy. As the year of 1902 drew to a close, he was detached from Guard Grenadier Regiment Number Five to join the Great General Staff in Berlin.
Pawelsz was then assigned to the Great General Staff and promoted to captain on March 16, 1905. But two weeks later, he was sent to Breslau to join VI Corps. Pawelsz became second general staff officer on Remus von Woyrsch’s General Staff.
In late January 1907, Pawelsz returned to military service as a company commander in the Fourth Lower Silesian Infantry Regiment Number 51 in Breslau. But two years later, he was transferred back to Berlin’s Great General Staff and other staff assignments.
With another promotion to major in September 1911, Pawelsz travelled to Ulm to join the Second Royal Württemberg Infantry Division Number 27 as part of Eberhard von Kurowski’s General Staff. Just over two years later (October 1913), Pawelsz went back yet again to Berlin’s Great General Staff as part of the General Inspectorate of Foot Artillery. He served on Ludwig von Lauter’s General Staff.
THE GREAT WAR
Upon the outbreak of the First World War in the first week of August 1914. Richard von Pawelsz initially became adjutant to Ludwig von Lauter, General of Foot Artillery at Great HQ. For nearly a week beginning on August 25th, Pawelsz was on Eugen von Falkenhayn’s General Staff with XXII Reserve Corps. Then on the first of September, he was transferred to Admiral Ludwig von Schröder’s General Staff with the Marine Division in Flanders. Here, Pawelsz took part in the two-week siege (and eventual capture) of the fortress of Antwerp. He also participated in the two-week Battle of the Yser in late October 1914.
As the Western Front settled into trench warfare, Pawelsz was transferred to the Westphalian VII Corps on April 29, 1915. There, he held the position of Chief of Staff… first to Eberhard von Claer, then to Hermann von François on June 29, 1915. Pawelsz witnessed the “hell” of Verdun that raged throughout most of 1916.
In mid-August of that year, Pawelsz was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Eight months later (April 1917), he travelled to Le Cateau, France. There, he joined the German Second Army and became Georg von der Marwitz’ Chief of Staff. However, Pawelsz’ time in the post lasted just over four months. By September 1917, he was with the German Fifth Army as Max von Gallwitz’ Chief of Staff.
By 1918, the German Fifth Army (based in the Verdun sector of the Western Front) was redesigned as Army Group Gallwitz. By the end of March, the Kaiserschlacht was raging on the Western Front. Then in mid-April, Pawelsz was again Chief of Staff, this time to Otto von Below, head of the German 17th Army.
But by the end of September 1918, the tide of war had permanently turned against Imperial Germany! On October 12th (nine days after Prince Max of Baden became Chancellor), Pawelsz was named Johannes von Eben’s Chief of Staff with Army Department “A”. His time in the post lasted barely a month! One week before the armistice at Compiegne was signed, Pawelsz became Chief of Staff to Max von Boehn who led the German Seventh Army… still fighting the advancing Aliied forces in the Meuse-Argonne. On November 8th, Pawelsz was named Offizier von der Armee and assigned to the general command of XXXVII Reserve Corps… which was assigned to special disposal.
THE POST-WAR YEARS
Two weeks after hostilities ceased (November 24th) Richard von Pawelsz returned to the German Seventh Army as Chief of Staff to Max von Boehn. Then on January 14, 1919, he was again named Offizier von der Armee and made available to the War Ministry. In February 1919, he was appointed chairman of the Reichswehr Committee, which dealt with the development and creation of a new Wehrmacht.
After the Treaty of Versailles was signed in late June, Richard von Pawelsz remained active in military circles. In October 1919, he was absorbed into the Reichswehr and appointed department head in the Reichswehr Ministry. Six months later, he was transferred to Wehrkreis II (Military District II) as Chief of Staff. By June 1920, Pawelsz was made a full colonel and appointed Chief of Staff of the Second Division based in Stettin.
One year later (June 15, 1921), Pawelsz was given command of the Ninth (Prussian) Infantry Regiment. Then on the first of November 1922, he was named Chief of Staff of Gruppenkommando-1 (Group Command 1) in Berlin… followed by another promotion to major general on the first of February 1923.
After three years in Berlin, Pawelsz was appointed commander of the Fourth Division in Dresden on the first of November 1925. From there in 1926, he became commander of Wehrkreis IV (Military District IV) in Saxony. The following year, Pawelsz was the Weimar Republic’s representative for disarmament issues.
On September 30, 1928, Pawelsz stepped down from active service. He received the honorary rank of General der Infanterie upon his retirement in April 1930. However, Pawelsz remained at the disposal of the Chancellor as an expert.
DEATH AND DECORATIONS
Richard von Pawelsz died in Berlin on April 10, 1943 at the age of seventy. He was buried in the Invalidenfriedhof.
– Red Eagle Order, Fourth Class
– Prussian Service Decoration Cross
– Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy
– Officer of the Franz Joseph Order
– Iron Cross of 1914, Second and First Class
– Knight’s Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
– Pour le Mérite on December 23, 1917
– Cross of Honor of the Princely House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords and Crown
– Bavarian Military Merit Order, Third Class with Swords and Crown
– Officer of the Albrecht Order with Swords and Crown
– Commander of the Frederick Order, Second Class with Swords
– Knight’s Cross of the Order of the Zähringer Lion, Second Class
– Knight’s Cross of the Order of the Griffin with Crown
– Cross of Honor of the Lippe House Order, Second Class with Swords
– War Cross of Honor (for heroic deeds)
– Lippe War Merit Cross
– Austrian Military Merit Cross, Third Class (with the war decoration)