Georg von Kameke
Arnold Karl Georg von Kameke (14 April 1817, in Pasewalk – 12 October 1893, in Berlin) was a Prussian General of the Infantry and Minister of War.
Kameke began his military career in 1834 in the 2nd military engineers section in Stettin. In 1836 he became an officer in the engineer corps and in 1850 was assigned to the General Staff, after being promoted to Captain. In 1861 he was made a Colonel and in 1863 Chief of Staff of the VIII. Armee-Korps. In 1865 he became a Major General and a short while later became Chief of Staff of the II. Armee-Korps.
He participated in the Austro-Prussian War as Chief of Staff of the II. Armee-Korps. In 1867 he was made head of the entire engineering corps; in 1868 he was made a Lieutenant General.
In the Franco-Prussian War Kameke commanded the 14. Infanteriedivision and fought in the Battle of Spicheren, the Battle of Borny-Colombey and the Battle of Gravelotte. After the surrender of the fortress of Metz he conquered Thionville, Montmédy and besieged Mézières. But before Méziéres fell he was called to Versailles on 23 December 1870 to lead the engineers' attack against Paris. On 18 February 1871 he was made head of the engineering corps and general inspector of the fortresses.
On 9 November 1873, Kameke succeeded Albrecht von Roon as Minister of War. On 22 March 1875 he was appointed General of the Infantry. On 3 March 1883 he retired from his posts and withdrew to his property, Hohenfelde near Kolberg in Pomerania.
Honours
He received the following orders and decorations:[1]
Prussia:
- Pour le Mérite (military), 20 September 1866; with Oak Leaves, 2 January 1871[2]
- Grand Cross of the Red Eagle, with Oak Leaves and Swords on Ring
- Iron Cross, 1st Class
- Service Award Cross
- Knight of Justice of the Johanniter Order
- Knight of the Black Eagle, with Collar
Austria-Hungary:
- Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Leopold
- Knight of the Iron Crown, 1st Class
Bavaria: Commander of the Military Order of Max Joseph
Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (military), 7 December 1876[3]
France: Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour
Hesse-Kassel: Commander of the Wilhelmsorden, 2nd Class, 19 January 1863[4]
Japan: Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun
Lippe:
- Cross of Honour of the House Order of Lippe, 1st Class with Swords
- Military Merit Medal, with Swords
Mecklenburg: Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown, with Golden Crown
Oldenburg: Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Swords, 26 March 1871[5]
Portugal: Grand Cross of the Military Order of Aviz
Russia:
- Knight of the White Eagle, with Swords
- Knight of St. Anna, 1st Class with Swords
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of the White Falcon, 1881[6]
Saxony:
- Grand Cross of the Albert Order, 1871[7]
- Grand Cross of the Civil Merit Order
Sweden-Norway: Grand Cross of St. Olav, with Swords, 1 June 1875[8]
Württemberg:[9]
- Grand Cross of the Friedrich Order, with Swords, 1871
- Grand Cross of the Military Merit Order, 16 November 1874
- Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown, 1876
References
- ^ Handbuch über den Königlich Preussischen Hof und Staat. 1881. p. 107.
- ^ Lehmann, Gustaf (1913). Die Ritter des Ordens pour le mérite 1812–1913 [The Knights of the Order of the Pour le Mérite] (in German). Vol. 2. Berlin: Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn. p. 478.
- ^ Almanach royal officiel: 1879. 1877. p. 51.
- ^ Kurfürstlich Hessisches Hof- und Staatshandbuch: 1866. Waisenhaus. 1866. p. 28.
- ^ Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Oldenburg: 1879. Schulze. 1879. p. 44.
- ^ Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1891), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 36
- ^ Staatshandbuch für den Freistaat Sachsen: 1873. Heinrich. 1873. p. 131.
- ^ Norges Statskalender (in Norwegian), 1890, pp. 595–596, retrieved 2018-01-06 – via runeberg.org
- ^ Staatshandbuch für Württemberg. 1889. pp. 41, 59, 88.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
- Prussian Ministers of War
- 1817 births
- 1893 deaths
- Independent politicians in Germany
- People from Pasewalk
- People from the Province of Pomerania
- Generals of Infantry (Prussia)
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Red Eagle
- Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)
- Recipients of the Iron Cross, 1st class
- Knights of the Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg)
- Recipients of the Order of the Iron Crown (Austria)
- Commanders of the Military Order of Max Joseph
- Grand Crosses of the House Order of the Wendish Crown
- Grand Crosses of the House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis
- Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur
- Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Aviz
- Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia)
- Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class