Peter Freiherr von Hofmann

General of Infantry Peter Baron von Hofmann was born on the 10th June 1865 in Vienna as the son of an army officer. After attending the military secondary school and then the Maria Theresa Military Academy at Wiener Neustadt, he was commissioned on the 18th of August 1884 as a Leutnant in IR.34 then garrisoned in Vienna. Following his successful completion of the War Academy course in 1889 he was assigned to the General Staff. Promoted to captain in 1892 he spent the years until 1904 in various General Staff appointments culminating with his post as chief of staff of the14th Infantry Division at Pozsony as a lieutenant colonel. He was appointed to the command of a battalion of IR.7 on the 1st of May 1905 followed by command of IR.47 a year later. In 1907 he was transferred back to a General Staff appointment becoming head of the1st department in the War Ministry. Following his promotion to major general he was given command of the 15th Infantry Brigade in 1911 followed by an attachment to XI Corps Headquarters at Lemberg in 1913. Promoted to lieutenant general in 1914 he was appointed military commander in Munkäcs with responsibility for security of the Hungarian border in the Carpathians against the advancing Russians. As commander of Gruppe Hofmann, a combined Austro-German corps sized unit he successfully cleared the Russians from the Uzsok Pass and was consequently awarded the Military Order of Maria Theresa. One of the more successful Austrian corps commanders, General Hofmann terminated his military career as commanding general of the XXV Army Corps in the Autumn of 1918. Promoted to General der Infanterie on the 28th February 1918, he counted among his decorations the Order of Leopold 1st Class with War Decoration and Swords, the Knights' Cross 1st Class of the Order of the Iron Crown and the Military Service Cross 2nd Class. Raised to the nobility after the award of his Maria Theresa order, General der Infanterie Peter Freiherr von Hofmann died on the 8th May 1923 in Vienna.

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