Germany, Imperial. A Large Wartime Signed Photo Of General Otto Von Below, C.1915

(Otto von Below Foto mit Unterschrift). A large, studio-reproduced group photograph depicting General der Infanterie Otto von Below with uniformed members of his staff, measuring 165 mm (w) x 220 mm (h), affixed to a large off-white card stock backer which bears von Below’s handwritten signature in clear black ink, above a dedication in his capacity as commander of the German 8th Army and date of “WINTER 1914/15”, set within a period lacquered wooden frame measuring 290 mm (w) x 380 mm (h) and retaining an original glass face, with minor scratching visible to the frame, a superb dedicated display piece in overall extremely fine condition.

Footnote: A notable example of a General who held command positions in all German theatres in the First World War, Otto von Below was a recipient of the Pour le Mérite (awarded 16 February 1915) with Oak Leaves (awarded 27 April 1917). What was arguably his finest moment came at the Battle of Caporetto between October and November 1917, when his use of pioneering stormtrooper and infiltration tactics, combined with the liberal use of poison gas, played a key role in the Central Powers’ victory over Italy and the destruction of the Italian Second Army, a loss cited as the worst defeat in Italian military history.