Hans von Zettour

Hans von Zettour a.k.a Zettour is a staff officer in the Imperial army, currently serving as the Deputy Director of the Service Corps in the General Staff. He is renowned as scholarly general with a profound mind, and is regarded as a vital pillar of the Imperial Army along with his partner, Rudersdorf.

Appearance
In the manga, he wears his 1940's German-designed general official suit (the gorget patches are identical to an SS-Standartenführer during WW2) with his medals hanging near his left chest. He has also a monocle in his left eye.

In the anime, both his eyes are closed, but he is able to move balanced like a normal individual. He wears a World War I German-designed general official suit.

Personality
He seems quietly serious and ordinary in the eyes of his fellow officers. However, he has a tremendous and outstanding mindset and beliefs. He has an academically inclined personality, always making risk assessments to their military actions. He is clever, thoughtful, and knowledgeable about both strategies and combat operations. He believes in rationalism and hates unfounded speech and idealism. He is loyal to the country, always keeps the best soldiers and deciding the best solution for the Empire.

Plot
He first showed up as a talented staff officer attending a military conference. Here, he and Rudersdorf lodge a strong objection, opposing launching a major offensive against Legadonia. Unfortunately, they fail.

After the Republic Army invades the Empire, many of the staff officers within General Staff who supported the plan to launch the attack are replaced and demoted. Zettour is assigned to the Deputy Director of the Service Corps. One day, while in the library of Charloburg War College, he runs into Tanya and has a discussion about the Great War with her. He is inspired by her, and promises her a mage battalion under her command. Later, he publishes a paper titled "The form of the current war and prediction on its development".

One day, while in Conference Room One, he suggests that General Staff find a quick reaction mage battalion, which gets accepted. Later, he is seen having dinner with Tanya and Kordel in the Imperial General Staff (Army) First Dining Hall. They discuss the the unit she will be assigned to. After Colonel von Kordel leaves, they start talking about her exact assignment in General Staff. She will be assigned to the organizing officer, an ancient post that organizes the mercenaries into the army. Since a captain is not allowed to organize a mage battalion, in this way, she can organize her mage battalion by the power of the organizing officer.

During the war against Principality of Dacia, he deploys troops and arranges for the necessary supplies to arrive prior to the start of the battle, fully demonstrating his frightening ability at the management of logistics. Due to this achievement, he is promoted to Major General. On October 23, 1924, he has dinner with Rudersdorf in the First Dining Hall. He suggests that Rudersdorf attack Osfjord.

On April 28, 1925, in the Joint Meeting of the Service Corps and Operations, he advocates focusing on eliminating enemy soldiers instead of occupying land. On May 4, he proposes a swift, ruthless way to “cope with” the Arene Incident. On August 24, he has dinner with Rudersdorf in the First Dining Hall. They congratulate each other on their promotion to Lieutenant General and discuss the situation and dilemma the Empire has to deal with.

On March 15, 1926, in the General Staff Office, Conference Room 1, he is busy at work trying to send resources and reinforcements to the Eastern Army Group. He also supports the request of Tanya to assault the Federation capital, not expecting that she will make it far out of a simply propaganda. On April 10, he attends the court of inquiry as the president to investigate the raid of Moskva that was carried out by the 203rd Mage Battalion. Later, he has a fierce discussion with Tanya and finally sends her to Western for research and development. On June 25, he calls Tanya and discusses about her new experimental kampfgruppe.

Quotes
A Review of the Dacian War: Modern war measures the obvious gap between developed nations and developing ones──with corpses.

''Lieutenant General Hans von Zettour at the eastern situation review meeting: Horrible things have many friends. Take bad news, for instance: You always get a lot at once.''

Trivia

 * His name is a reference to Hans von Seeckt, a well known German general during World War I.
 * He has been criticized to be ‘‘having a personality that was too academically inclined, thus not suitable to become a general’’ by the judge of Imperial War College Selection Review Conference.
 * In the light novel, the joint conference is on 4/28, and Arene Incident on 5/4. In the anime, the joint conference happens later than the 'Arene Incident'.
 * He has an unmarried granddaughter.

Reference
Hans von Zettour