Karl von Bulow (April 24, 1846 – August 31, 1921) was a German General commanding the German 2nd Army during World War I from 1914 to 1918. April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ... General is a military rank, in most nations the highest rank, although some nations have the higher rank of Field Marshal. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Born on April 24, 1846 to a distinguished Prussian military family, Bulow enlisted in the Prussian Army during the Seven Weeks' War in 1866 and later the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 as a junior officer. A Captain of the German General Staff in 1877 Bulow was promoted to Colonel assigned to the 9th Guards Regiment in 1894. In 1897 Bulow became director of the Central Department in the German War Ministry. Commander of the German III Corps from 1903 until his appointment to Army Inspector of the German 3rd Army in 1912 shortly before the outbreak of WWI. The national name Prussia (in Prussian: Prusa, German: Preußen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian Prusai, Latin: Prussia or Borussia) was used by a wide variety of political factions during the 2nd millennium. ... The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 The word Prussia ( German: Preußen or Preussen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian: Prūsai, Latin: Borussia) has had various (often contradictory) meanings: The land of the Baltic Prussians (in what is now parts of southern Lithuania, the Kaliningrad exclave of Russia and... The Austro-Prussian War (also called the Seven Weeks War or the German Civil War) was a war fought between Austria and Prussia in 1866 that resulted in Prussian dominance in Germany. ... Battle of Gravelotte Main article: Battle of Gravelotte Battle of Sedan Main article: Battle of Sedan The French were soundly defeated in several battles owing to the military superiority of the Prussian forces and their commanders. ... Captain is both a nautical term and a military rank. ... A Colonel is also a non-military honorary title awarded by some U.S. Southern states. ...

Assigned to the German 2nd Army in August 1914 invaded Belgium capturing the fortress of Namur on August 22-23, 1914. Advancing into France Bulow defeated Gen. Charles Lanrezac commanding the French Fifth Army at Charleroi on August 23-24, 1914 and again at Guise-Saint Quentin on August 29-30, 1914. As the 2nd Army and Gen. Alexander von Kluck's 1st Army neared Paris from August 31 to September 2 Bulow, concerned of the growing gap between the two Armies, ordered Kluck to turn the 1st Army on his right towards him. This decision however would result in Kluck's advancing south and east of Paris, instead of north and west as specified in the Schlieffen Plan. As Bulow crossed the Marne on September 4 deciding to retreat to Aisne however after the sucessful counterattack by combined French and British forces against Kluck's 1st Army at the First Battle of the Marne on September 5-10. Promoted to Field Marshal in January of the next year however, after suffering a heart attack two months later, was allowed to retire in early 1916 living in Berlin until his death on August 31, 1921. The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... Namur is the name of a city in Belgium, capital of Wallonia, as well as a province named after it; also a locality in Wisconsin, USA, founded by Walloon immigrants. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... For other uses, see Charleroi (disambiguation). ... Alexander Heinrich Rudolph von Kluck ( May 20, 1846 - October 19, 1934) was a German general during World War I. He was born in Münster, Westphalia. ... The Schlieffen Plan The Schlieffen Plan, the German General Staffs overall strategic blueprint for victory on the Western Front against France in the years up to 1914, takes its name from its author, Alfred Graf von Schlieffen. ... Aisne is a département in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River. ... First Battle of the Marne Conflict World War I Date 5 September – 9 September 1914 Place Marne River near Paris, France Result Allied victory The First Battle of the Marne was a World War I battle fought from September 5 to 9, 1914. ... Note: This article is about the military usage of the word marshal. For other usages, see the end of this article. ...

Further Reading

• Barbra Tuchman, The Guns of August, New York, 1972

External Links

• FirstWorldWar.com Who's Who: Karl von Bulow (http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/bulow.htm)