| Erwin von Witzleben | |
|---|---|
| 4 December 1881 – 8 August 1944 (aged 62) | |
 Generalfeldmarshall Erwin von Witzleben |
|
| Place of birth | Breslau, Poland |
| Place of death | Berlin (Plötzensee Prison) |
| Allegiance |  German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Heer |
| Years of service | 1901-1944 |
| Rank | Generalfeldmarschall |
| Commands held | 1. Armee |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Job-Wilhelm Georg "Erwin" von Witzleben (4 December 1881 - 8 August 1944) was a German army officer (by 1940 a Generalfeldmarschall) and in the Second World War an Army commander and a resistance fighter in the July 20 Plot. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Wrocław (Breslau Vratislav Vratislavia or Wratislavia Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief City of the historical region of Lower Silesia Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Heer was the land forces component of the German armed forces ( Wehrmacht) from 1935 to 1945, which also included the Navy ( Field Marshal General, in German Generalfeldmarschall ( (usually translated simply as Field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall The 1st Army (German 1 Armee) was a World War I and World War II field army World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) was a grade of the Iron Cross "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Field Marshal General, in German Generalfeldmarschall ( (usually translated simply as Field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The German Resistance refers to those individuals and groups in Nazi Germany who opposed the regime of Adolf Hitler between 1933 and 1945 [1]
Contents |
Early years
Erwin von Witzleben was born in Breslau to a Thuringian family of officers. Wrocław (Breslau Vratislav Vratislavia or Wratislavia Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief City of the historical region of Lower Silesia The Free State of Thuringia (Freistaat Thüringen is located in central Germany. He completed the Prussian cadet corps programme in Wahlstatt and Lichterfelde and on 22 June 1901 joined the Grenadier Regiment (König Wilhelm I) No. Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state Legnickie Pole (Wahlstatt is a village in Legnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Lichterfelde West is part of Lichterfelde in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf borough of Berlin. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting 7 in Liegnitz as lieutenant. Legnica (Liegnitz is a City on the Kaczawa river in Lower Silesia in south-western Poland. Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services In 1910, he was promoted to first lieutenant. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting First Lieutenant is a Military rank. The rank of Lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations (see Comparative military ranks
He was married to Else Kleeberg (who was born in Chemnitz, Saxony). The couple had a son and a daughter.
First World War
At the beginning of the First World War, von Witzleben served as brigade adjutant in the 19th Reserve Infantry Brigade, before he rose to captain and company chief in the Reserve Infantry Regiment no. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists 6 in October 1914. Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Later, in the same regiment, he became battalion commander. Von Witzleben's unit fought at Verdun, in the Champagne Region, and in Flanders, among other places. The Battle of Verdun was one of the most critical battles in World War I on the Western Front, fought between the German and French Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. He was seriously wounded and was awarded the Iron Cross, both first and second classes. For other meanings please see Iron Cross (disambiguation The Iron Cross ( was a Military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia After being wounded, he went to General Staff Training and saw the war end as First General Staff Officer of the 121st Division. A military staff is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commander and subordinate units
Between the wars
In the Reichswehr, von Witzleben was taken on as a Company Chief. The Reichswehr ( German for "National Defence" formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935 when it was In 1923, he found himself on the Fourth Division staff in Dresden as a major. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Dresden (etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest, Drježdźany is the Capital city of the German In 1928, he became battalion commander in Infantry Regiment No. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 6 and retained that position as lieutenant-colonel the following year. After being promoted to full colonel in 1931, he took over as head of Infantry Regiment No. Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 8 in Frankfurt (Oder). Frankfurt (Oder is a City in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River on the German- Polish border directly opposite the Early in 1933 came a transfer to the post of Infantry Leader VI in Hanover. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hanover (i ( haˈnoːfɐ on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony ( Niedersachsen
In the Wehrmacht, von Witzleben was promoted to major-general on 1 February 1934 and moved to Potsdam as the new commander of the Third Infantry Division. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Also see Potsdam New York (in the USA For the Potsdam Conference see Potsdam Conference. He succeeded General Werner von Fritsch as Commander of Wehrkreis (Military District) III (Berlin). Werner Freiherr (Baron von Fritsch ( 4 August 1880 &ndash 22 September 1939) was a prominent Wehrmacht officer member of the Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. In this position, he was promoted to lieutenant-general and in September 1935, became Commanding General of III Army Corps in Berlin. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1936, he received his promotion to general of the infantry. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Even as early as 1934, von Witzleben had taken up a position against the Nazi regime when he and Erich von Manstein, Wilhelm von Leeb and Gerd von Rundstedt demanded an inquiry into Kurt von Schleicher's and Ferdinand von Bredow's deaths in the Night of the Long Knives. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Erich von Manstein ( November 24, 1887 &ndash June 9 1973) served the German military as a lifelong professional soldier Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb ( September 5, 1876 - April 29, 1956) was a German Field Marshal during World War II Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt ( December 12, 1875 - February 24, 1953) was a Generalfeldmarschall of the German Ferdinand von Bredow ( 16 May 1884 - 30 June 1934) was a German Generalmajor and former head of the Abwehr (the The Night of the Long Knives (German) or " Operation Hummingbird " was a Purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July As a result of this and also his criticism of Adolf Hitler's persecution of General Werner von Fritsch, von Witzleben was forced into early retirement. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Werner Freiherr (Baron von Fritsch ( 4 August 1880 &ndash 22 September 1939) was a prominent Wehrmacht officer member of the His "retirement", however, did not last, as Hitler would later need von Witzleben upon the outbreak of war.
By 1938, von Witzleben belonged to the group of plotters around Colonel General Ludwig Beck, Generals Erich Höpner and Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel, and Abwehr Chief Wilhelm Canaris. Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ludwig August Theodor Beck (29 June 1880 &ndash 21 July 1944 was a German General and the Chief of the General Staff of the Oberkommando des Heeres Erich Hoepner ( September 14, 1886 &ndash August 8, 1944) was a German General in World War II. Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel, ( 2 January, 1886 &ndash 30 August, 1944) was a German General and a member of the Wilhelm Franz Canaris ( January 1, 1887 &ndash April 9, 1945) was a German Admiral and head of the Abwehr These men planned to overthrow Hitler in a military coup d'état, which seemed feasible at the time of the Sudeten Crisis in 1938. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Following the Anschluss of Nazi Germany and Austria in March 1938 Nazi leader Adolf Hitler 's next target for annexation was Czechoslovakia Von Witzleben's command, through the key Berlin Defence District, was to play a decisive role in the plan. However, Hitler's success in the Munich Agreement thwarted the conspirators' plans, and they were not put into operation. The Munich Agreement (Mnichovská dohoda Mníchovská dohoda Münchner Abkommen Accords de Munich was an agreement regarding the Sudetenland, which were areas along borders
Von Witzleben was likewise involved in Colonel-General Kurt Freiherr von Hammerstein-Equord's 1939 conspiracy plans. Kurt Freiherr von Hammerstein-Equord ( September 26, 1878 &ndash April 25, 1943) was a German General who served for a Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Von Hammerstein-Equord planned to seize Hitler forthrightly, in a kind of frontal assault. It was to be von Witzleben's job to shut down Party Headquarters, but this plan also fell through.
Meanwhile, in November 1938, von Witzleben was posted as commander-in-chief of Army Group 2 to Frankfurt (Oder). Frankfurt (Oder is a City in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River on the German- Polish border directly opposite the
Second World War
In September 1939, von Witzleben, now a colonel-general, assumed command over the First Army, stationed in the West. When Germany attacked France on 10 May 1940, von Witzleben's army belonged to Army Group C. In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On 14 June, it broke through the Maginot Line, and within three days had forced several French divisions to surrender. Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the The Maginot Line (IPA, Ligne Maginot named after French Minister of Defense André Maginot, was a line of concrete Fortifications tank obstacles artillery For this, von Witzleben was decorated with the Knight's Cross, and on 19 July 1940, he was promoted to Generalfeldmarschall. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) was a grade of the Iron Cross Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. In 1941, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief West, but only a year later, he took his leave of this position for health reasons. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Some sources, however, claim that he was forcibly retired at this time after criticizing the regime after Operation Barbarossa. Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II
In 1944, the conspirators around Claus Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg saw Erwin von Witzleben as the key man in their plans. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg ( 15 November 1907 &ndash 21 July 1944) was a German army officer Whereas Colonel-General Beck was foreseen as provisional head of state and Colonel-General Höpner as Commander of the Ersatzheer ("Reserve Army"), Generalfeldmarschall von Witzleben was to take over supreme command of the whole Wehrmacht as the highest German soldier. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state Von Witzleben, however, was arrested on 20 July 1944 – the day of von Stauffenberg's attempt on Hitler's life at the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia – upon arriving at OKH-HQ (Oberkommando des Heeres Headquarters) in Berlin to assume command of the coup forces. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. East Prussia (Ostpreußen; Rytų Prūsija or Rytprūsiai; Prusy Wschodnie Восточная Пруссия or Vostochnaya Prussiya) refers to the main part The Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH was Germany 's Army High Command from 1936 to 1945 He was then unceremoniously cast out of the Wehrmacht by the so-called Ehrenhof der Wehrmacht ("The Regular Army's Court of Honour"), a conclave of officers set up after the attempted assassination to remove officers from the Wehrmacht who had been involved in the plot, mainly so that they could be tried at the Volksgerichtshof rather than at a court-martial. The People's Court (Volksgerichtshof was a court established in 1934 by German Dictator Adolf Hitler, who had been dissatisfied with the outcome of the A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a Military court. These military courts can determine Punishments for members of the Military subject
On 7 August 1944, von Witzleben was in the first group of accused conspirators to be brought before the Volksgerichtshof. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. The presiding judge was Roland Freisler, and that same day, he sentenced von Witzleben to death for his part in the plot. Early life In contrast to most of the Nazi leadership not much beyond basic details is known about Freisler Von Witzleben's closing words in court – addressed to Freisler – were:
| “ | You can hand us over to the hangman. In three months, the disgusted and harried people will bring you to book and drag you alive through the dirt in the streets! | ” |
Erwin von Witzleben was put to death that same day at Plötzensee Prison in Berlin. He was hanged, with the execution filmed for Hitler's viewing. Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death
Decorations
- Honor Cross for Combatants
- Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st class
- Cross of the Königlicher Hausorden von Hohenzollern with Swords
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st class
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
- Wound Badge
Notes about personal names
- The term Graf in "Claus Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg" is a title, not part of Stauffenberg's name as such. The Cross of Honour, also known as the Honour Cross or popularly the Hindenburg Cross, was a commemorative medal inaugurated on July 13, 1934 For other meanings please see Iron Cross (disambiguation The Iron Cross ( was a Military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia The House Order of Hohenzollern ( Hausorden von Hohenzollern or Hohenzollernscher Hausorden) was an order of chivalry of the House of Hohenzollern For other meanings please see Iron Cross (disambiguation The Iron Cross ( was a Military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia Wound Badge (das Verwundetenabzeichen was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Reichswehr, Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service It means "Count". A count is a Nobleman in European countries The word count comes from French comte, itself from Latin
- The term Freiherr in "Kurt Freiherr von Hammerstein-Equord" is also a title, similar to "Baron". Baron is a specific Title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin (liber
External links
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by none |
Commander of 1. Armee 26 August 1939 - 23 October 1940 |
Succeeded by General Johannes Blaskowitz |
| Preceded by Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt |
Oberbefehlshaber West 1 May 1941 – 15 March 1942 |
Succeeded by Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt |
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