Hugo von Kirchbach

He was born in 1809 at Neumarkt in Silesia, to the Saxon noble family of Kirchbach. His father, Franz Karl Helmuth von Kirchbach, was a captain in the Prussian Army, serving as an adjutant to Major General Michael Heinrich von Losthin in the 1813 Campaign during the Napoleonic Wars.

First entering the cadet school in 1824, von Kirchbach was named an ensign in the Regiment Fürst Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau in 1826, before being promoted to sub-lieutenant a year later. From 1831 to 1834 he studied at the Prussian Military Academy, which was a prerequisite to joining the General Staff. In 1838 he joined the Prussian General Staff's topography division. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1840, captain in 1845 and major in 1850. From 1855 to 1858 he was a divisional chief on the General Staff. In 1859 von Kirchbach became commander of the 36th Infantry Regiment. Before being promoted to major general in 1863, von Kirchbach served as the chief of staff of the 3rd Army corps in Berlin.

During the Second Schleswig War von Kirchbach was given command of the 21st Infantry brigade. At the start of the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 von Kirchbach was promoted to lieutenant general and named the commander of the 10th Infantry division. He distinguished himself in the battle of Nachod, and in engagements at Skalitz and Schweinschädel. For these actions he was awarded the Pour le Mérite. His division was not engaged at Königgrätz

When the Franco-Prussian War erupted in 1870 von Kirchbach was promoted to General der Infanterie and appointed commander of the Prussian V Corps. He played a prominent role in the early battles of the war at Wissembourg and Wörth. At Sedan von Kirchbach and his V Corps were tasked with closing the ring on the northern side around the French Army of Châlons trapped at Sedan. During the siege of Paris, V Corps occupied positions to the southwest of the city. Von Kirchbach was able to repel all French attempts to break through his positions at Mont Valerien, for which he was awarded the oak leaves to his Pour le Mérite. In February 1871, the V Corps was sent to Orléans and in March to Vesoul.

In 1872 he was given 100.000 thalers and an estate in Niesky. In 1880 von Kirchbach was granted the title of Count. Hugo von Kirchbach died in 1887 in Niesky, Oberlausitz.

Von Kirchbach married Anna Karoline Davide Schwartz (1826–1905) at Magdeburg on 11 March 1844. Their son, Günther, served as a colonel general during the First World War.

• {{flagicon image|Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg}} Kingdom of Prussia:{{citation|title=Rangliste de Königlich Preußischen Armee|year=1887|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015062308716&view=1up&seq=191&skin=2021 175]|location=Berlin|publisher=Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn|language=German|via=hathitrust.org}}
• Knight of the Royal Order of the Crown, 3rd Class, 18 October 1861{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste|journal=Preussische Ordens-Liste|volume=1|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=4&skin=2021|pages=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=15&skin=2021 7], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=31&skin=2021 23], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=644&skin=2021 636], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=1071&skin=2021 999]|lang=German|location=Berlin|year=1886|via=hathitrust.org}}
• Knight of Honour of the Johanniter Order, 1863; Knight of Justice, 1869
• Service Award Cross
• Pour le Mérite (military), 20 September 1866; with Oak Leaves, 16 February 1871{{cite book|last1=Lehmann|first1=Gustaf|title=Die Ritter des Ordens pour le mérite 1812–1913|year=1913|trans-title=The Knights of the Order of the Pour le Mérite|lang=de|url=https://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/id/PPN135808618|page=486|volume=2|location=Berlin|publisher=Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn}}
• Iron Cross (1870), 1st Class with 2nd Class on Black Band{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste|volume=3|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878856&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021|chapter=Eisernes Kreuz von 1870|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878856&view=1up&seq=26&skin=2021 22]|lang=German|location=Berlin|year=1877|via=hathitrust.org}}
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle, with Oak Leaves, 27 March 1873
• Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, 18 September 1875; with Collar, 1876
• {{flagicon image|Flagge Herzogtum Anhalt.svg}} Duchy of Anhalt: Grand Cross of the House Order of Albert the Bear, 1877{{citation|title=Hof- und Staats-Handbuch für des Herzogtum Anhalt|year=1883|chapter=Herzoglicher Haus-Orden Albrecht des Bären|location=Dessau|language=German|page=[https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb11040880?page=38 18]|via=digitale-sammlungen.de}}
• {{flag|Kingdom of Bavaria}}: Commander of the Military Order of Max Joseph, 18 October 1870{{cite book|last=Ruith|first=Max|title=Der K. Bayerische Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx3bms&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx3bms&view=1up&seq=103&skin=2021 87]|location=Ingolstadt|publisher=Ganghofer'sche Buchdruckerei|year=1882|via=hathitrust.org}}
• {{flag|Mecklenburg-Schwerin}}: Military Merit Cross, 1st Class
• {{flag|Russian Empire|1858}}:
• Knight of the Order of St. George, 3rd Class, 27 December 1870{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DYwWAQAAIAAJ |author=V. M. Shabanov|title=Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George: A Nominal List, 1769-1920|year=2004|location=Moscow|page=928|isbn=5-89577-059-2}}
• Knight of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, January 1874
• {{flag|Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}: Knight of the Order of the White Falcon, 1st Class, 24 November 1846{{citation|title=Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach|year=1869|chapter=Großherzogliche Hausorden|location=Weimar|page=[https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00285410/Staatshandbuch_Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach_1869_0034.tif?logicalDiv=jportal_jpvolume_00095968 24]}}
• {{flag|Kingdom of Saxony}}: Grand Cross of the Albert Order, with War Decoration, 1871{{citation|title=Staatshandbuch für den Freistaat Sachsen: 1886/87|year=1886–1887|language=German|chapter=Königliche-orden|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924012426437&view=1up&seq=25&skin=2021|location=Dresden|publisher=Heinrich|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924012426437&view=1up&seq=116&skin=2021 94]|via=hathitrust.org}}
• {{flag|Schaumburg-Lippe}}: Military Merit Medal with Swords
• {{flag|Württemberg}}: Grand Cross of the Military Merit Order, 30 December 1870{{citation|author=Württemberg|title=Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreichs Württemberg: 1886/87|chapter=Königliche-orden|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433082046032&view=1up&seq=67&skin=2021|year=1887|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433082046032&view=1up&seq=100&skin=2021 54]|via=hathitrust.org|location=Stuttgart|lang=German}}

{{notelist}}

• Howard, Michael, The Franco-Prussian War: The German Invasion of France 1870–1871, New York: Routledge, 2001. {{ISBN|0-415-26671-8}}.
• Hansen, Wolfgang: "General der Infanterie Hugo Ewald Graf von Kirchbach" in Deutsches Soldatenjahrbuch 1987, Seite 125 ff. Schild Verlag, München 1987; {{ISBN|3-88014-087-1}}.

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Category:1809 births

Category:1887 deaths

Category:People from Środa Śląska

Category:Military personnel from the Province of Silesia

Category:Generals of Infantry (Prussia)

Category:Counts in Germany

Category:German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War

Category:Prussian people of the Austro-Prussian War

Category:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)

Category:Recipients of the Iron Cross (1870), 1st class

Category:Commanders of the Military Order of Max Joseph

Category:Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree