Moritz von Bissing

Moritz von Bissing
Moritz von Bissing
Born	(1844-01-30)30 January 1844 Ober Bellmannsdorf, Prussia
Died	18 April 1917(1917-04-18) (aged 73) Trois Fontaines near Brussels, Belgium
Allegiance	Prussia  German Empire
Service/branch	Prussian Army
Years of service	1865–1908 1914–1917
Rank	Generaloberst
Commands held	Gardes du Corps 29th Division VII Army Corps
Battles/wars	Austro-Prussian War Franco-Prussian War World War I

Moritz Ferdinand Freiherr von Bissing (30 January 1844 – 18 April 1917) was a Prussian General.

Bissing was born at Ober Bellmannsdorf in the Province of Silesia. He was the son of Moritz von Bissing, a member of the landed gentry who was known to speak his mind to the Kaiser. In 1865 Bissing entered the Prussian Army as a Lieutenant in the cavalry, and he soon saw active service in the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War. Gaining steady promotion, in 1887 the young Major was appointed as an aide-de-camp to the crown prince, who later became the Emperor Wilhelm II. He served in the guards cavalry until 1897, when he was given command of the 29th Infantry Division. From 1901 to 1907 Bissing commanded the VII Army Corps in Münster. In 1902 he was promoted to General of the Cavalry, and he retired from the army in 1908. After his retirement, he was a strong tennis player, appearing in the 1912 Wimbledon Championships and losing in the second round.

Upon the outbreak of the First World War, Bissing was recalled to active duty as deputy commander of the VII Army Corps, serving in that post from August until November 1914. After the fall of Belgium during the early months of the War, Bissing was promoted to Generaloberst and appointed as Governor-General of occupied Belgium, serving from December 1914 until a few days before his death in 1917.