August von Mackensen

August von Mackensen was born on December 6th 1849. After his high-school education and study at university he joined the 2nd Leibhusaren-Regiment as a one year volunteer, on October 1st 1869. Together with this Regiment he took part in the war against France in 1870/71 and two years later he became an active officer. After another post he joined the Great General Staff in 1880. He became the Commander of the 1st Husaren-Regiment and was the designated Wing-Adjutant of His Majesty the Kaiser. In 1901 he was promoted to General à la suite of His Majesty. Shortly after the start of the First World War he took over the command of the 9th Army(Lodz) and became the owner of the k.u.k. Austrian-Hungarian Husaren-Regiment No. 10, on June 11th 1915. After his promotion to general field marshal he held command of the occupation army in Rumania, at the end of the First World War. In 1920, after the end of the war, he retired from active duty.

Figures

There have been a total of three portrait-figures produced by Hausser/Elastolin and Lineol, which represent August von Mackensen. Though these figures were made upon 1934, after August von Mackensen had already left active duty, they all show him in the Husar-uniform. The reason for this may be that he quite often wore this uniform in public during the 3rd Reich, representing with it the old imperial power.

List of References

• Who's Who in Nazi Germany, 2nd edition, Robert S. Wistrich, Routledge, New York, USA, 1995.
• Who's Who in World Politics, from 1860 to the present day, Alan Palmer, Routledge, New York, USA, 1996.
• Who's Who in Military History, from 1453 to the present day, John Keegan and Andrew Wheatcraft, Routledge, New York, USA, 1996.
• Deutsches Führer-Lexikon, edition 1934-35, page 294f.

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