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Prinz Leopold von Bayern (Wittelsbach)

Leopold von Wittelsbach, a prince of Bavaria, was born in 1846.   Prince of Bavaria and later son-in-law of Kaiser Franz Josef of Austria.   Like most royals, he became an officer in the army.   His Bavarian army fought against Prussia during the Seven Weeks' War in 1866.   King Ludwig II sent him to the battlefields of France in 1870 as an ally of Prussia, and Leopold witnessed the great victory at Sedan.    He remained in the Bavarian army after the war and was promoted to German Field Marshal in 1905.   Leopold retired in 1912.   But, like so many other old German generals, he would not enjoy retirement for long.  When WWI started, Leopold was recalled to active service and he was given the  command of the IX. Army on the Eastern Front, where he engaged in several fierce battles around Lodz and Warsaw during autumn 1914.  Following the spectacular and difficult drive east begun by General Mackensen (now in command of the IX. Army) in spring 1915, Army Group Prinz Leopold von Bayern was formed on 5 August 1915 to centralise the German effort against Poland.  He was made commander of the IX. Army at this time.  In fact, Leopold kept this command all the way through 30 July 1916, when the Austrians subordinated their half of the Eastern Front to the German High Command, and heavy reorganisation followed.  Leopold’s Army Front was redefined to include the Austrian Army Group Böhm-Ermolli, with its II. And III. Armies and the German Südarmee.  After the brutal summer campaigns succeeded in reversing Brussilov's drive against the Austrians, Leopold was called to replace Hindenburg as Commander in Chief of the Eastern Front, because Hindenburg had become Chief of Staff to Kaiser Wilhelm (replacing Erich Falkenhayn).  Meanwhile, General Max Hoffmann became his Chief of Staff on the Eastern Front.   On 31 August 1916, Leopold became the Supreme Commander of the Eastern front, and Army Group Prinz Leopold became Army Group von Woyrsch.  Still, Leopold kept himself involved intimately with what was happening in the Austrian sector; during the Kerensky offensive, he devoted his attentions to an entire front, named after himself.  Leopold retained this post until war's end.  After the war, he retired once again.  Prince Leopold died at Munich in 1930. GWS, 5/01 [rev. 9/03]

A cheerful Prinz Leopold sports a camouflagued pickelhaub helmet in 1915

Orders of battle:  Roumanian and Eastern Front, November 1916 Immediately following Roumania’s defeat by the Central Powers Southern Front, Prinz Leopold von Bayern, Supreme Commander Böhm-Ermolli Army Group, Generaloberst von Böhm-Ermolli III. Armee, Generaloberst von Kirchbach VIII. Korps, Feldz. von Benigni   V. inf. div., Genmj. von Felix   II. kav. div., Genmj. von Abele XIII. Korps, Feldmlt. von Csicserics   XLII. Honved inf. div., Feldmlt. Snjaric   XXXVI. inf. div., Genmj. Nöhring Hadfy Group, Feldmlt. von Hadfy   XXI. Schützen div., Genmj. von Podhajsky   XLVII. Deutsch res. div., Genlt. von Oppeln-Bronikowski Deutsch Südwest Armee, Gen. d. Inf. von Bothmer X. Deutsch Korps, Gen. d. Inf. von Eberhardt   CXIX. Deutsch inf. div., Genmj. von Grönert   LXXV. Deutsch res. inf. div., Genmj. Eisenhart-Rothe   CIC. Deutsch inf. div., Genlt. von Puttkammer XXIV. Deutsch res. Korps, Gen. d. Inf. von Gerok   III. Deutsch Guards inf. div., Genmj. Lindequist   XLIX. Deutsch res. div., Genmj. Zöllner   XXXVI. Deutsch res. div., Genlt. Kruge XV. Türkisch Korps, Genmj. Sevki Pasha   XIX. Türkisch Korps, inf. div., Lt. Col. Sedad Bey   XX. Türkisch inf. div., Lt. Col. Jasin Hilm Bey Hoffman K.u.K. Korps, Feldmlt. von Unschuld   LV. inf. div., Genmj. von Unschuld   LIV. inf. div., Genmj. von Severus   XXXVIII. Honved inf. div., Genmj. von Molnar II. K.u.K. Armee, Generaloberst von Böhm-Ermolli Eben Group, Gen. d. Inf. von Eben IX. K.u.K. Korps, Feldmlt. von Kletter   XIX. inf. div., Feldmlt. Eduard v. Böltz   XXXII. inf. div., Genmj. von Willerding IV. K.u.K. Korps, Feldmlt. von Hordt   XXXIII. K.u.K. inf. div., Genmj. Iwanski V. K.u.K. Korps, Feldmlt. von Goglia   XXXI. inf. div., Genmj. Lieb   XXVII. inf. div., Genmj. Kosak   IV. kav. div., Genmj. Berndt XVIII. K.u.K. Korps, Feldmlt. Klaudius Czibulka   II. Deutsch kav. div., Genmj. von Etzel   I. Landsturm inf. div., Genmj. von Soretic   CVI. Landsturm inf. div., Genmj. Karl Kratky   XXV. inf. div., Genmj. von Boog Orders of Battle:  Eastern Front, mid-July 1917 Immediately preceding the Kerensky offensive Prinz Leopold von Bayern Front, GFM Prinz Leopold Böhm-Ermolli Group, GdI von Böhm-Ermolli 3. K.u.K. Armee, GO von Tersztyánszky          V. inf. div., GM von Felix     XIII. Korps, FML von Schenk         XLII. honved inf. div., GM Mihaljevic         XXXVI. inf. div., GM Nöhring     XXVI. Korps, FML von Hadfy         XV. inf. div., GM von Aust         II. kav. div., GM von Abele     reserve: XVI. inf. div., GM von Kaltenborn         LXXXIII. Deutsch inf. div., GM von Stumpf Assigned in July:  VIII. Bayerisch res. div., GM Jehlin         XVI. Deutsch res. inf. div., GLt Sieger         XX. Deutsch inf. div., GLt Wellmann         Bayerisch kav. div., GM von Egloffstein Deutsch Süd Armee, GdI von Bothmer     XXVII. Deutsch res. Korps, GdK Krug von Nidda         XXXVIII. Honved inf. div., GM von Than         LIII. Sächsisch res. div., GLt Leuthold         LXXV. Deutsch res. div., GM von Eisenhart-Rothe     XV. Türkisch Korps, GM Javid Pasha          XX. Türkisch inf. div., Obst Jasin Hilmi Bey     XXXV. Deutsch rs. Korps, GLt von Heineccius          XV. Deutsch res. div., GLt Limbourg          XXIV. Sächsisch res. div., ?     XXV. K.u.K. Korps, FML Peter Hofmann          LV. inf. div., GM v. Unschuld          LIV. inf. div., GM von Severus      reserves: CCIV. Sächsisch inf. div., GM Fortmüller          IV. Deutsch ersatz div., GdK. von Werder II. Armee, Generaloberst von Böhm-Ermolli     Zloczow Group, GdI on Winckler     IX. K.u.K. Korps, FML Kletter          XIX. inf. div., FML Eduard v.  Böltz          XXXII. inf. div., GM von Willerding          CXCVII. Deutsch inf. div., GLt Wilhelmi          XXXIII. inf. div., GM von Iwanski     Zloczow reserves:  CCXXIII. Deutsch inf. div., GM Hävernick          XCVI. Sächsisch inf. div., GM von der Decken     Anrollen Group, GM von Jacobi         CCXXXVII. Deutsch inf. div., GM von Jacobi     V. K.u.K. Korps, FZM von Goglia         XII. Deutsch Landswehr div., GM Drabich-Wächter         XVII. inf. div., FML Kosak         IV. kav. div., GM Berndt     XVIII. Korps, FML Czibulka         XV. Deutsch Landwehr div., GLt Sack         XXV. K.u.K. inf. div., GM von Boog

Prinz Leopold greets the heir to the throne Archduke Karl on the Eastern Front, 1915.