Erich von Ludendorf Biography and Timeline

Birth of Erich von Ludendorf

Birth of Erich von Ludendorf

Army Staff Officer

Apointed German Army Staff Officer

Mobilization

Appointed head of the Mobilization Section, becoming Moltkes closest adviser

Battle of Liege

Ludendorf commands the 14th Infantry Brigade in Liege & accepts its surrender. Ludendorf calls up the zeppelins to drop bombs into the city and citadel, and personally leads 14th Brigade in between the forts into the city, forcing the Belgian garrison there to surrender

Role range: 1914-1918

Capture of Liege

Ludendorf commands the 14th Infantry Brigade in Liege & accepts its surrender. Ludendorf calls up the zeppelins to drop bombs into the city and citadel, and personally leads 14th Brigade in between the forts into the city, forcing the Belgian garrison there to surrender

Role range: 1914-1918

Siege of Liege

Ludendorf calls up the zeppelins to drop bombs into the city and citadel, and personally leads 14th Brigade in between the forts into the city, forcing the Belgian garrison there to surrender

Role range: 1914-1918

Battle of Liege

The last of the forts surrounding Liege surrenders to Ludendorfs forces. The forts around Liege are finally taken

Role range: 1914-1918

Capture of Liege

The forts around Liege are finally taken

Role range: 1914-1918

Siege of Liege

The forts around Liege are finally taken

Role range: 1914-1918

Battle of Belgium, 1st

The German Second Army, together with First and 3rd Armies, began to implement the next stage of the Schlieffen Plan, embarking upon a wide sweeping wheel movement through Belgium, forcing the Belgian army back to Antwerp

Role range: 1914-1918

Battle of Liege

The German Second Army, together with First and 3rd Armies, began to implement the next stage of the Schlieffen Plan, embarking upon a wide sweeping wheel movement through Belgium, forcing the Belgian army back to Antwerp

Role range: 1914-1918

Invasion of Belgium

The German Second Army, together with First and 3rd Armies, began to implement the next stage of the Schlieffen Plan, embarking upon a wide sweeping wheel movement through Belgium, forcing the Belgian army back to Antwerp

Role range: 1914-1918

Second Army

The German Second Army, together with First and 3rd Armies, began to implement the next stage of the Schlieffen Plan, embarking upon a wide sweeping wheel movement through Belgium, forcing the Belgian army back to Antwerp

Role range: 1914-1918

Siege of Liege

The German Second Army, together with First and 3rd Armies, began to implement the next stage of the Schlieffen Plan, embarking upon a wide sweeping wheel movement through Belgium, forcing the Belgian army back to Antwerp

Role range: 1914-1918

Battle of Belgium, 1st

Brussels is captured without resistance by General von Kluck of the First Army

Role range: 1914-1918

Capture of Brussels

Brussels is captured without resistance by General von Kluck of the First Army

Role range: 1914-1918

Invasion of Belgium

Brussels is captured without resistance by General von Kluck of the First Army

Role range: 1914-1918

Siege of Brussels

Brussels is captured without resistance by General von Kluck of the First Army

Role range: 1914-1918

Battle of Tannenberg

The Russians lose 92,000 compared to 13,000 Germans. Ludendorf & Hindenberg outflank & defeat the Russian Second Army

Role range: 1914-1918

Dismissal

Paul von Hindenburg replaces Erich von Falkenhayn as Chief of Staff of the German Army

Dismissal

Paul von Hindenburg replaces Erich von Falkenhayn as Chief of Staff of the German Army

Role range: 1914-1918

Constitution of Germany

Ludendorff and Hindenburg become the leaders of the military-industrial dictatorship 3rd Supreme Command

Third Supreme Command

Ludendorff and Hindenburg become the leaders of the military-industrial dictatorship 3rd Supreme Command

Quartermaster General

Hindenburg appoints Ludendorff as his Quartermaster General

Peace

Ludendorff supports unrestricted submarine warfare and successfully puts pressure on Kaiser Wilhelm II to dismiss those in the armed forces that favour a negotiated peace settlement

Role range: 1914-1918

Quartermaster General

Hindenburg appoints Ludendorff as his Quartermaster General

Role range: 1914-1918

Submarine Warfare

Ludendorff supports unrestricted submarine warfare and successfully puts pressure on Kaiser Wilhelm II to dismiss those in the armed forces that favour a negotiated peace settlement

Role range: 1914-1918

Third Supreme Command

Ludendorff and Hindenburg become the leaders of the military-industrial dictatorship 3rd Supreme Command

Role range: 1914-1918

Constitution of Germany

Ludendorff becomes the dominant figure in the 3rd Supreme Command and after the resignation of Theobald Bethmann Hollweg takes political, military and economic control of Germany

Third Supreme Command

Ludendorff becomes the dominant figure in the 3rd Supreme Command and after the resignation of Theobald Bethmann Hollweg takes political, military and economic control of Germany

Third Supreme Command

Ludendorff becomes the dominant figure in the 3rd Supreme Command and after the resignation of Theobald Bethmann Hollweg takes political, military and economic control of Germany

Role range: 1914-1918

Battle of Caporetto

Victory enables the German March offensive on the Western Front. Bombards Caporetto & crosses the River Isonzo. 300,000 Italians are taken prisoner

Role range: 1914-1918

Battle of Caporetto

Bombards Caporetto & crosses the River Isonzo

Role range: 1914-1918

Siege of River Isonzo

Ludendorf crosses the River Isonzo

Role range: 1914-1918

Meeting

Convenes a General Staff Meeting to consider an offensive in the west

Role range: 1914-1918

Battle of Cambrai, 1st

A surprise British tank attack.

Role range: 1914-1918

Battle of Cambrai, 1st

During the battle casualties were high, the Germans suffered losses of approximately 50,000 and the British 45,000.

Role range: 1914-1918

Battle of Cambrai, 1st

Orders an immediate counter-attack only to discover that reserves could not be brought forward for a further two days, at one stage he even contemplates a general withdrawal from the Cambrai front.

Role range: 1914-1918

Battle of Cambrai, 1st

Within hours the lightly defended Germans are forced back 6 km to Cambrai, the three trench systems of the Hindenburg Line pierced for the first time in the war.

Role range: 1914-1918

Hindenburg Line

Within hours the lightly defended Germans are forced back 6 km to Cambrai, the three trench systems of the Hindenburg Line pierced for the first time in the war

Role range: 1914-1918