Robert Ritter von Greim
June 22, 1892 – May 24, 1945 (aged 52)
Place of birth	Bayreuth, Germany
Place of death	Salzburg, Austria
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Years of service	1911-1945
Rank	Generalfeldmarschall
Commands held	Luftwaffe
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, Pour le Mérite, Military Order of Max Joseph

Robert Ritter von Greim (Robert Greim; June 22, 1892 – May 24, 1945) was a German Field Marshal, pilot, army officer, and the last commander of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) until its recreation in (1956)

Biography

Early years

Born in Bayreuth, son of a Bavarian police captain, Greim was an army cadet before World War I and initially served in the artillery before transferring to the German Air Service (Fliegertruppe) in 1915. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Bayreuth ( pronounced) is a City in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Frankish Alb is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich 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 Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Field Marshal General, in German Generalfeldmarschall ( (usually translated simply as Field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. 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 The Pour le Mérite, known informally during World War I as the Blue Max (Blauer Max was the Kingdom of Prussia 's highest military order until The Military Order of Max Joseph (German Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden) was the highest purely military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. For other meanings see Field Marshal (disambiguation Field marshal is a military officer rank ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Bayreuth ( pronounced) is a City in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Frankish Alb Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte or Imperial German Army Air Service ( Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches) was the over-land air arm of the German Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year First flying two-seaters, Greim then joined the Jasta (Jagdstaffel, fighter squadron) 34b flyers for a period in 1918, after Jasta 34b had been equipped with 'cast-offs' from Jagdgeschwader (JG) I, the unit which had been commanded by Manfred von Richthofen until his death in action on April 21. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Even though the machines were second-hand, they were warmly welcomed by Jasta 34b as being superior to the older Albatros and Pfalz fighters that they had been previously equipped with. Albatros-Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer that supplied the German airforces during World War I. Pfalz Flugzeugwerke was a World War I German aircraft manufacturer located at the Speyer airfield in the Rhineland-Palatinate. In June 1918, von Greim had an encounter with a Bristol Fighter, and his aircraft lost its cowling. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout This struck and damaged his top wing, along with the lower left interplane strut, but he managed to land the machine successfully. An interplane strut is an aircraft Airframe component used on Biplanes and other aircraft with multi-wing designs

By the war's end he had scored 28 victories, and had been awarded the Pour le Mérite, and the Bavarian Military Order of Max Joseph (Militär-Max Joseph-Orden). The Pour le Mérite, known informally during World War I as the Blue Max (Blauer Max was the Kingdom of Prussia 's highest military order until This latter award made him a Knight (Ritter), and allowed him to add both this honorific title and the style 'von' to his name. Ritter is the second-lowest-ranking Title of Nobility in German-speaking areas just above an Edler, considered roughly equal to the title Thus Robert Greim became Robert Ritter von Greim.

Between the wars

After the war, Ritter von Greim struggled to find a place in the Reichswehr, the 100,000-man army that the Versailles Treaty prescribed to Germany, and was unsuccessful. The Reichswehr ( German for "National Defence" formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935 when it was The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. As a result he decided to focus on attaining a career in law, and even succeeded in passing Germany's rigorous law exams. However, the lure of aircraft and pilots was too strong, and he was asked by Chiang Kai-Shek's government, to come to Canton, China to help build a Chinese air force. Chiang Kai-shek ( POJ: Chiúⁿ Kài-se̍k Jyutping: zoeng2gaai3sek6 GCB ( October 31, 1887 &ndash Guangzhou ( Jyutping: Gwong²zau¹; Yale: Gwóngjàu) is the Capital and a Sub-provincial city China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Ritter von Greim went with his family to China where he founded a flying school and laid some preliminary measures regarding the development of an air force. He built on these later in his career. Ritter von Greim's opinion of his Chinese pupils was not high, perhaps because of the contemporary belief among Europeans that Asians were unable to operate complicated machinery. He said in a letter that "The Chinese will never make good fliers, they have absolutely no fine touch with the stick". Even before the Nazis came to power, von Greim realized that his proper place was not in the expatriate community in China, but in Germany, and he returned to his native country. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German

In 1933, Ritter von Greim was asked by Hermann Göring to help rebuild the German Air Force and in 1934 was appointed to the command of the first fighter pilot school, following the closure of the secret flying school established near the city of Lipetsk in the Soviet Union during the closing days of the Weimar Republic. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lipetsk (Ли́пецк is a city located in the Central Federal District of Russia. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 (Germany had been forbidden to have an air force under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, so it had to train pilots in secret. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common )

In 1938, he assumed command of the Luftwaffe department of research. Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. Later, Ritter von Greim was awarded command of Jagdgeschwader 132 Richthofen (later JG 2), based in Doeberitz, a fighter group named after Manfred von Richthofen. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

World War II

When the war began, Ritter von Greim was given command of a Luftflotte (Air Wing) and was involved in the invasion of Poland, the Battle for Norway, the Battle of Britain and Operation Barbarossa. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II Hitler awarded Ritter von Greim the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Das Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern des Eisernen Kreuzes), which made him one of the most highly decorated military officers. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) was a grade of the Iron Cross

In late 1942, his only son, Hubert Greim,^[1] a Bf-109 pilot with 11. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout /JG 2 "Richthofen" was listed as missing in Tunisia. Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2 Richthofen was a World War II Luftwaffe wing. Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. He was shot down by a Spitfire flown by an RAAF pilot, but bailed out and spent the remainder of the war in a prison camp in the United States. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Ritter von Greim's greatest tactical achievement was his Luftflotte's involvement in the battle of Kursk and his planes bombing of the Orel bulge. The Battle of Kursk (Курская битва refers to a series of German and Soviet operations on the Eastern Front of World War II History While there are no historical records archaeological evidence proves that a fortress settlement existed between the Oka and Orlik Rivers as early as the 12th century It was for this battle that he was awarded the swords to his Knights Cross.

The end of the war

On 26 April 1945, when Soviet forces had reached Berlin and the Reich was all but doomed, Generaloberst (Colonel-General) Ritter von Greim flew into Berlin from Munich with the noted female pilot (and also his intimate companion) Hanna Reitsch, in response to an order from Hitler. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 For the bombing campaign on Berlin by the RAF from November 1943 to March 1944 see Battle of Berlin (air. Colonel General is a senior Military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Hanna Reitsch ( 29 March 1912 &ndash 24 August 1979) was a German Aviatrix who was once Adolf Hitler 's Their Fieseler Storch was hit by anti-aircraft fire over the Grunewald and Ritter von Greim was wounded in the leg. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Reitsch took over the aircraft and landed on an improvised air strip in the Tiergarten near the Brandenburg Gate. TiergartenViewjpg|thumb|right|View within the Tiergarten]] Tiergarten ( German for Animal Garden) is the name of both a large Park in the The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor is a former City gate and one of the main symbols of Berlin and Germany. ^[2]

Hitler promoted Ritter von Greim to Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshal), making him the last German officer to achieve that rank, and then appointed Ritter von Greim head of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) to replace Hermann Göring. Field Marshal General, in German Generalfeldmarschall ( (usually translated simply as Field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall For other meanings see Field Marshal (disambiguation Field marshal is a military officer rank ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member Hitler had recently dismissed Göring in absentia for treason. In absentia is Latin for "in the absence" In legal use it usually pertains to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings In Law, treason is the Crime that covers some of the more serious acts of disloyalty to one's sovereign or Nation. Ritter von Greim thus became the second man to command the German Air Force. However, with the end of the war in Europe fast approaching, his tenure as Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe would last only a matter of days.

On 28 April, Hitler ordered Ritter von Greim to leave Berlin and have Reitsch fly him to Plön so that he could arrest Heinrich Himmler for treason. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Hanna Reitsch ( 29 March 1912 &ndash 24 August 1979) was a German Aviatrix who was once Adolf Hitler 's Plön (ˈpløːn is the district seat of the Plön district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and has about 13000 inhabitants Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. That night, they only just managed to get away, taking off from the Tiergarten strip before the eyes of soldiers of the Soviet 3rd Shock Army - who initially feared they had just seen Hitler's escape. TiergartenViewjpg|thumb|right|View within the Tiergarten]] Tiergarten ( German for Animal Garden) is the name of both a large Park in the Later, in an interview, both Ritter von Greim and Reitsch kept repeating: "It was the blackest day when we could not die at our Führer's side. Hanna Reitsch ( 29 March 1912 &ndash 24 August 1979) was a German Aviatrix who was once Adolf Hitler 's " Then they added as tears kept running down Reitsch's cheeks: "We should all kneel down in reverence and prayer before the altar of the Fatherland. Hanna Reitsch ( 29 March 1912 &ndash 24 August 1979) was a German Aviatrix who was once Adolf Hitler 's " When asked what the "Altar of the Fatherland" was, completely taken aback, they responded: "Why, the Fuhrer's bunker in Berlin . . . " ^[3]

Death

On 8 May, the same day as the surrender of the Third Reich, Ritter von Greim was captured by American soldiers in Austria. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen 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 United States of America —commonly referred to as the Ritter von Greim was to be part of a Soviet-American prisoner exchange program and, fearing torture and execution at the hands of the Soviets, committed suicide in Salzburg, Austria, on 24 May. Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental is intentionally Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned His final words before taking potassium cyanide were: "I am the head of the Luftwaffe (airforce), but I have no Luftwaffe. A cyanide is any Chemical compound that contains the cyano group (C≡N which consists of a Carbon Atom triple-bonded to a "

Portrayal in the media

Robert Ritter von Greim has been portrayed by the following actors in film and television productions.

• Otto Wögerer in the 1955 West German film Der Letzte Akt (Hitler: The Last Ten Days). The year 1955 in film involved some significant events Events November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( ^[4]
• Eric Porter in the 1973 British film Hitler: The Last Ten Days. Eric Richard Porter (8 April 1928 - 15 May 1995 was a distinguished English actor who appeared on stage as well as in cinema and television The year 1973 in film involved some significant events Events The Marx Brothers ' Zeppo Marx divorces his second The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Hitler The Last Ten Days is a 1973 film depicting the days leading up to Adolf Hitler 's suicide. ^[5]
• Willy Bowman in the 1973 British television production The Death of Adolf Hitler. The year 1973 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1973. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[6]
• Dietrich Hollinderbäumer in the 2004 German film Downfall (Der Untergang). The year 2004 in film involved some significant events Major releases of sequels took place Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Downfall ( Der Untergang) is a 2004 German / Austrian Drama film depicting the final twelve days of Adolf Hitler ^[7]

External links

• Victories of von Greim in World War I

References