Generalleutnant Konrad Friedrich August Henry William Balck was an officer of the General Staff of the Imperial German Army, holder of the order 'Pour le Mérite', and a well-known author of books on military subjects during the early twentieth century. His most famous work is the six volume study 'Taktik', the last volume of which was published in 1903. His son, General der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck was a prominent Wehrmacht commander during the Second World War.