Eberhard von Hofacker Eberhard Alfred Konrad Karl von Hofacker ( born 25 June 1861 in Hemmingen - died 19 January 1928 in Tübingen ) was a Württemberg army officer who was a Generalleutnant in the First World War and awarded the Pour le Mérite with oak leaves . Early life and military career . On 29 September 1879 he joined the 25th ( 1st Württemberg ) Dragoons " Queen Olga " in Ludwigsburg as an Officer Cadet . On 10 May 1880 he was appointed Ensign and on 6 February 1881 he was promoted to Second Lieutenant . From 28 March 1886 , he served as regimental adjutant and was in this position on 18 December 1888 when promoted to First Lieutenant . From 21 July 1891 to 11 September 1894 , he was assigned to the Prussian Military Academy . This was followed by appointment as squadron commander with the 25th Dragoons and promotion to Captain on 12 September 1894 . In 1898 , Hofacker was adjutant to the 26th Division ( 1st Royal Württemberg ) . From 16 December 1899 to 17 October 1901 he served on the General Staff in Berlin with promotion in May 1901 to Major . He was then First General Staff Officer in the General Staff of the 21st Division , from 27 January 1903 in the same role at the 26th Division , and from 27 April 1904 likewise with the XIII ( Royal Württemberg ) Corps . On 21 June 1906 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel as an aide of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the commander of the Palace Guard Company . Two years later he was named commander of the 20th ( 2nd Württemberg ) Uhlans " King William I " . On 7 September 1909 Hofacker was promoted to Colonel . On 24 July 1910 he was promoted to Generalmajor and appointed as Chief of Staff of XVIII Army Corps . His final peacetime appointment from 1 October 1912 was as commander of the 45th Cavalry Brigade in Saarlouis . World War I . At the outbreak of the war , he was serving with the 45th Cavalry Brigade which , on mobilisation , was assigned to the 6th Cavalry Division on the Western Front . Subsequently he was given command of the 4th Landwehr Division and from 15 December 1915 the 5th Cavalry Division on the Eastern Front in the Pripet marshes . From 13 August 1916 he commanded the 82nd Reserve Division and during this time was promoted to Generalleutnant ( 1 November ) . On 22 December 1916 he briefly took command of 22nd Reserve Division before transferring to command the 26th Division on 6 January 1917 . He led this division in the Battle of Arras and for his performance he was awarded the Pour le Mérite on 26 April 1917 . He was transferred with his division to the Italian Front in September 1917 to help shore up the Austro - Hungarian Army ( as part of 51st Corps , 14th Army ) . During the Battle of Caporetto he took command of 51st Corps from 3 November when its previous commander , Generalleutnant Albert von Berrer , was killed in action . He was awarded the Oakleaves to the Pour le Mérite ( signifying a second award ) on 24 November 1917 . On 23 January 1918 the 14th Army Command was recalled ( to form a new 17th Army on the Western Front ) . The German troops remaining on the Italian front came under the command of 51st Corps until it was also withdrawn in February 1918 . Back on the Western Front , he commanded 51st Corps in the Battle of Amiens in August 1918 . Later life . From 23 August 1918 , Hofacker was put on active reserve status ( temporary retirement ) . After the war Hofacker was deputy director of the Württemberg military academy . He retired from active duty on 8 May 1919 . Family . Eberhard von Hofacker was married to Albertine , Countess of Üxküll - Gyllenband . Their son Caesar von Hofacker was involved in the July 20 plot to kill Adolf Hitler .