Years of service 1868-1919 Rank Generaloberst | Name Gunther Kirchbach | |
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Allegiance Prussia Imperial Germany Service/branch Prussian ArmyGerman Imperial Army Commands held 2nd Foot Guards71st Infantry Brigade17th DivisionV CorpsX Reserve CorpsLandwehr CorpsArmee-Abteilung D8th ArmyHeeresgruppe Kiev | ||
Günther Emanuel Graf von Kirchbach (9 August 1850 - 6 November 1925) was a German Generaloberst who served during the First World War.
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Biography
Günther von Kirchbach was born in Erfurt in 1850, the son of Hugo von Kirchbach. He entered the Prussian army in April 1868 as a second lieutenant in the Garde-Füsilier-Regiment and served with this regiment in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. He married Adda Freiin von Liliencron in 1883. By 1899 Kirchbach had been promoted to Generalmajor. In 1903 he was promoted to Generalleutnant and in 1907 to General der Infanterie. From 1908 to 1911 he was commanding officer of V Corps, a command his father had previously held during the Franco-Prussian War. Kirchbach's last position before the First World War broke out was as President of the Military Tribunal.
On the outbreak of the war in August 1914, Kirchbach was given command of X Reserve Corps which served as part of the 2nd Army on the Western front. On 29 August 1914 Kirchbach was wounded on active service and hospitalized. Relieved of his command due to his injuries, he resumed his former post as head of the Military Tribunal. In September 1916 Kirchbach was given command of the Landwehr Corps. He was given command of Army group Woyrsch in November 1916. In April 1917 Kirchbach was given command of Armee-Abteilung D. In December 1917 he was given command of the 8th Army fighting in the Baltic states. In August 1918 he succeeded Generalfeldmarschall Hermann von Eichhorn as commander of Heeresgruppe Kiew. Kirchbach held this position until 5 February 1919, when he was retired by the new government.