# Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb

> German field marshal and war criminal (1876–1956)

**Wikidata**: [Q70546](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q70546)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Ritter_von_Leeb)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/wilhelm-ritter-von-leeb

## Summary
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb was a German field marshal and war criminal who lived from 1876 to 1956. Serving as a career military officer for Germany, he participated in three major conflicts: the Boxer Rebellion, World War I, and World War II. His military career spanned nearly five decades, beginning in 1895 and concluding in 1942.

## Biography
- **Full Name:** Wilhelm Josef Franz Ritter von Leeb
- **Born:** September 5, 1876
- **Died:** April 29, 1956
- **Nationality:** Germany
- **Occupation:** Military Personnel
- **Known for:** Serving as a German Field Marshal across three major conflicts.
- **Active Service:** 1895 – 1942

## Contributions
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb's primary contributions were rooted in his military service to Germany. He served as a member of the armed forces during the Boxer Rebellion (an anti-imperialist uprising in China from 1899–1901), World War I (1914–1918), and World War II (1939–1945). His career as military personnel lasted from 1895 until his work period ended in 1942.

## FAQs
**What was Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb's role in the military?**
He was a German field marshal who served as active military personnel. His career spanned from 1895 until 1942, during which he was involved in the Boxer Rebellion, World War I, and World War II.

**What major awards did Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb receive?**
Throughout his military career, he received numerous prestigious decorations, including the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the House Order of Hohenzollern, the Military Merit Order (Bavaria), the Military Order of Max Joseph, the Albert Order, the Order of the Crown (Württemberg), the Hanseatic Cross, the Clasp to the Iron Cross, the Military Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary), and the Gallipoli Star.

**When did Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb live?**
He was born on September 5, 1876, and died on April 29, 1956.

**How is Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb classified historically?**
He is classified as a German field marshal and a war criminal. He is documented as a human entity within various academic and historical knowledge bases.

## Why They Matter
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb represents a significant, albeit controversial, continuity in German military history, bridging the imperial era, the Weimar Republic, and Nazi Germany. His career longevity—serving in conflicts from the Boxer Rebellion to the Second World War—illustrates the trajectory of the German military machine over the first half of the 20th century. He was ultimately convicted as a war criminal, a designation that defines his historical legacy and reflects the accountability of high command figures in the conflicts he helped lead. His influence is cemented by the extensive records and cataloging of his life in major international libraries and archives.

## Notable For
- **Rank:** Achieved the rank of German Field Marshal.
- **Historical Designation:** Designated historically as a war criminal.
- **Service Tenure:** A military career spanning 47 years (1895–1942).
- **Multinational Decorations:** Receiving high honors from various German states (Bavaria, Saxony, Württemberg) and empires (Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire).
- **Key Awards:**
    - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
    - Military Order of Max Joseph
    - House Order of Hohenzollern
    - Military Merit Order (Bavaria)
    - Military Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary)
    - Gallipoli Star (Ottoman Empire)
- **Global Conflicts:** Participation in the Boxer Rebellion, World War I, and World War II.

## Body

### Early Life and Career
Wilhelm Josef Franz Ritter von Leeb was born on September 5, 1876. He embarked on his professional military career in 1895. As a member of the military personnel serving Germany, his early career would intersect with the waning days of the German Empire and various European colonial expansions.

### Military Conflicts
Leeb's service record encompasses participation in three distinct, major global conflicts:
*   **Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901):** He served during this anti-imperialist uprising which took place in China.
*   **World War I (1914–1918):** He was an active participant in this global war originating in Europe.
*   **World War II (1939–1945):** He served in this global conflict, eventually rising to the rank of Field Marshal.

His active work period as a military leader concluded in 1942, prior to the end of the Second World War. He died over a decade later on April 29, 1956.

### Decorations and Honors
Throughout his service, Leeb was the recipient of numerous military orders and crosses from Germany and its allied nations. The awards he received include:
*   **Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross:** The highest military award of Nazi Germany, established in 1939.
*   **Clasp to the Iron Cross:** A courage award instituted in 1939 for soldiers who had received the Iron Cross in the First World War.
*   **Military Order of Max Joseph:** A military award of the Kingdom of Bavaria, established in 1806.
*   **Military Merit Order (Bavaria):** A Bavarian order of merit and war honor active from 1866 to 1921.
*   **House Order of Hohenzollern:** A dynastic order founded in 1841.
*   **Albert Order:** An order of the Kingdom of Saxony active from 1850 to 1918.
*   **Order of the Crown:** A Württembergian order established in 1818.
*   **Hanseatic Cross:** A military decoration of the Hanseatic city-states of Bremen, Hamburg, and Lübeck during World War I, established in 1915.
*   **Military Merit Cross:** A military decoration of Austria-Hungary founded in 1849.
*   **Gallipoli Star:** A military medal issued by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1922.

### Archival and Identifying Records
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb is widely documented in national libraries and historical archives across the world, indicated by his extensive list of unique identifiers. He is registered under the Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) `n87836426` and the German National Library (GND) ID `118570870`. His bibliographic records include VIAF ID `118864585`, ISNI `0000000118864585`, and BNF ID `12810384q`. 

Additional academic and encyclopedia references include identifiers for Encyclopædia Britannica, Oxford Reference, Store norske leksikon, Treccani, and the Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana. He is listed in the Munzinger archive as `00000001346` and has associated visual media in the Bundesarchiv (Bild 146-1969-048B-01A) and a grave image documented (`Grab Wilhelm von Leeb.jpg`).

## References

1. BnF authorities
2. Integrated Authority File
3. International Standard Name Identifier
4. SNAC
5. Munzinger Personen
6. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
7. National Archives Identifier
8. Virtual International Authority File
9. [Nuremberg Trials Project](https://nuremberg.law.harvard.edu/documents/151682-title-page-table-of-contents?q=laternser#p.1)