Friedrich Freiherr von Esebeck
(23.8.1870 - 25.5.1951)
place of birth:  Weimar


Freiherr von Esebeck launched his service career in 1890 when he joined the 1st Guards Regiment in Berlin. He spent much of his early career in staff work, either at the corps level or in Berlin with the Great General Staff.

As Germany entered the Great War in August of 1914, von Esebeck was serving as von Mudra's Chief Operations Officer (Ia) with the XVI Army Corps based in Metz. A few months into the war, von Esebeck was promoted to XVI Corps' Chief of Staff. He was then transferred to Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz to work as Crown Prince Wilhelm's Chief Operations Officer (Ia). This was followed up in April 1917 with a move to headquarters of Armeeabteilung A, where Major von Esebeck once again functioned as General von Mudra's Chief of Staff. He served for just a couple months in 1918 as Fritz von Below's Chief of Staff at Ninth Army headquarters at Crepy, and then spent the final months of the War as Chief of Staff of the Military Government of Metz.

In the aftermath of World War One, Oberstleutnant von Esebeck continued his military service, ultimately commanding 1st Infantry Division in Königsberg and simultaneously acting as commander of Wehrkreis I. He retired from active duty in September 1929 at the rank of General der Infanterie.