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| In previous chapters we examined the relations between Hitler and twelve of his Generals. We continue our little trip in this chapter with four very famous Generals Rommel, Model, Senger and Paulus |
Erwin Rommel was born in 1891 near Ulm in a solidly bourgeois family who provided
lots of teachers but his mother was from a noble family. In 1910 he entered the 124th Infantry
Regiment at Weingarten as a cadet. He was then considered as even-tempered, careful,
business-like. At the outbreak of WW1, he was attached to the infantry and was wounded in
September in the thigh and received the Iron Cross 2nd Class. In 1915 he led a furious attack
with his platoon into a French position and got the upper hand to receive the Iron Cross 1st
class.
In 1916 he was attached to a mountain battalion, got married to Lucie Mollin and travelled to
Romania to join the Alpenkorps, a corps of moutain warfare troops renowned for its mobility. In
1917 he led several successful attacks against Romanian troops and in Italy he captured the
key Italian position of Monte Matajur in October which turned the Battle of Caporetto into an
Italian disaster. After that, he had staff assignments until the end of WW1. In 1921, he took
command of a company in Stuttgart in the 13th Infantry Regiment that he held for eight years.
In 1929 Rommel became instructor at the Infantry School in Dresden and wrote Infantry
Attacks, a book that sold 400,000 copies over the years and made him very famous, notably
to Adolf Hitler. In 1938, he was assigned as director of the War College at Wiener Neustadt but
he was often on duty with Hitler's personal security battalion. In August 1939, he was
promoted to major-General and transferred to Hitler's headquarters with responsibility for the
Führer' safety. Although not a Nazi, Rommel admired Hitler but had serious reservations about
his entourage. In 1940, Hitler asked him what sort of job he wanted and Rommel told him that
he would love to command a panzer division. On 15 February 1940, aged 48, he was given
command of the 7th Panzer division.
During the French campaign, he won the nickname of "Knight of the Apocalypse" and his
division that of "Ghost Division". His panzers penetrated the Maginot line on the 15 May 1940
and began his drive into France. He reached Arras (Nord) on the 20 May, the 26th continued his
advance towards Lille. He captured 10,000 prisoners, 100 tanks and 27 guns. Early in June,
his panzers reached the Seine river at Elbeuf, near Rouen, and eventually went North to trap
the French and the English near St Valery-en-Caux. On the 17th June, he reached Cherbourg,
accepted the surrender of 30,000 men on the 19th, the day where coward Marshall Petain
capitulated. Then he continued Southward towards Spain to take possession of the Atlantic
coast of France.
lots of teachers but his mother was from a noble family. In 1910 he entered the 124th Infantry
Regiment at Weingarten as a cadet. He was then considered as even-tempered, careful,
business-like. At the outbreak of WW1, he was attached to the infantry and was wounded in
September in the thigh and received the Iron Cross 2nd Class. In 1915 he led a furious attack
with his platoon into a French position and got the upper hand to receive the Iron Cross 1st
class.
In 1916 he was attached to a mountain battalion, got married to Lucie Mollin and travelled to
Romania to join the Alpenkorps, a corps of moutain warfare troops renowned for its mobility. In
1917 he led several successful attacks against Romanian troops and in Italy he captured the
key Italian position of Monte Matajur in October which turned the Battle of Caporetto into an
Italian disaster. After that, he had staff assignments until the end of WW1. In 1921, he took
command of a company in Stuttgart in the 13th Infantry Regiment that he held for eight years.
In 1929 Rommel became instructor at the Infantry School in Dresden and wrote Infantry
Attacks, a book that sold 400,000 copies over the years and made him very famous, notably
to Adolf Hitler. In 1938, he was assigned as director of the War College at Wiener Neustadt but
he was often on duty with Hitler's personal security battalion. In August 1939, he was
promoted to major-General and transferred to Hitler's headquarters with responsibility for the
Führer' safety. Although not a Nazi, Rommel admired Hitler but had serious reservations about
his entourage. In 1940, Hitler asked him what sort of job he wanted and Rommel told him that
he would love to command a panzer division. On 15 February 1940, aged 48, he was given
command of the 7th Panzer division.
During the French campaign, he won the nickname of "Knight of the Apocalypse" and his
division that of "Ghost Division". His panzers penetrated the Maginot line on the 15 May 1940
and began his drive into France. He reached Arras (Nord) on the 20 May, the 26th continued his
advance towards Lille. He captured 10,000 prisoners, 100 tanks and 27 guns. Early in June,
his panzers reached the Seine river at Elbeuf, near Rouen, and eventually went North to trap
the French and the English near St Valery-en-Caux. On the 17th June, he reached Cherbourg,
accepted the surrender of 30,000 men on the 19th, the day where coward Marshall Petain
capitulated. Then he continued Southward towards Spain to take possession of the Atlantic
coast of France.
| Main Rommel's Battles * Battle of Caporetto (1917) * Battle of Arras (1940) * Siege of Tobruk (1941) * Battle of Gazala (1942) * Battle of Bir Hakeim (1942) * First Battle of El Alamein (1942) * Battle of Alam Halfa (1942) * Second Battle of El Alamein (1942) * Battle of the Kasserine Pass (1943) * Battle of Normandy (1944) |
In a campaign that last six weeks, Rommel captured 100,000 prisoners and 450
tanks. No one had conducted Blitzkrieg with such assurance and speed, his
photograph was plastered on every wall in Germany and his name was on everyone's
lips. He was a hero.
When Mussolini invaded Egypt in September 1940 to control the Suez canal, he
encountered fierce resistance from the Brits : he called to Hitler for help and Rommel
was sent in February 1941 with only two divisions named Afrika Korps. In March after
receiving the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross for his actions in France, he was
ordered to reconquer Cyrenaica that the Italians had lost to the British. He struck on 31
March by surprise and in April he had regained Cyrenaica except Tobruk. In
November the British counterattacked and forced him into retreat. In January 1942,
helped by General Kesselring's convoy of tanks and supplies, he launched a
counter-offensive that was quite sucessful and came to an hal in February. In May he
struck again and moved towards the Egyptian border : in June, he almost wrote off the
8th British Army's armoured forces, took the fortress of Tobruk and was made
Field-Marshall by Hitler at the age of only 49. Churchill became obsessed with
Rommel.
But Rommel made the great mistake contrary to his orders to go on with his
triumphant march and went on towards Alexandria (Egypt). There the counter-attack of
General Sir Claude Auchinleck stopped him in his tracks and in September he was
defeated in the Battle of Alam Hafa by Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Montgomery. He
departed from Africa in September 1942 on health leave, took some rest with his wife
near Vienna and started his first criticism of Hitler's conduct of the war which was to
his opinion lost. In october 1942, Montgomery launched a massive attack on
El-Alamein and Hitler begged Rommel to depart for Tripoli again. But this time he ran
no chance and in spite of Hitler's orders he ordered a general withdrawal and on 8
November 1942 his forces retired from Egypt. His retreat was a mastermind made in
the worst conditions under British air superiority. At the end of November, he was 600
miles West of El Alamein where he paused. He then departed to Germany where he
met Hitler but failed to convince him to abandon North Africa. He continued his retreat,
evacuated Tripoli and moved his headquarters in Tunisia where he held the famous
Mareth Line. From there he planned to counter-attack Montgomery but his offensive
met fierce American, French and English resistance and came to no avail in spite of
the heavy losses inflicted notably to the Americans because of General von Arnim
refusal to support his offensive.
tanks. No one had conducted Blitzkrieg with such assurance and speed, his
photograph was plastered on every wall in Germany and his name was on everyone's
lips. He was a hero.
When Mussolini invaded Egypt in September 1940 to control the Suez canal, he
encountered fierce resistance from the Brits : he called to Hitler for help and Rommel
was sent in February 1941 with only two divisions named Afrika Korps. In March after
receiving the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross for his actions in France, he was
ordered to reconquer Cyrenaica that the Italians had lost to the British. He struck on 31
March by surprise and in April he had regained Cyrenaica except Tobruk. In
November the British counterattacked and forced him into retreat. In January 1942,
helped by General Kesselring's convoy of tanks and supplies, he launched a
counter-offensive that was quite sucessful and came to an hal in February. In May he
struck again and moved towards the Egyptian border : in June, he almost wrote off the
8th British Army's armoured forces, took the fortress of Tobruk and was made
Field-Marshall by Hitler at the age of only 49. Churchill became obsessed with
Rommel.
But Rommel made the great mistake contrary to his orders to go on with his
triumphant march and went on towards Alexandria (Egypt). There the counter-attack of
General Sir Claude Auchinleck stopped him in his tracks and in September he was
defeated in the Battle of Alam Hafa by Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Montgomery. He
departed from Africa in September 1942 on health leave, took some rest with his wife
near Vienna and started his first criticism of Hitler's conduct of the war which was to
his opinion lost. In october 1942, Montgomery launched a massive attack on
El-Alamein and Hitler begged Rommel to depart for Tripoli again. But this time he ran
no chance and in spite of Hitler's orders he ordered a general withdrawal and on 8
November 1942 his forces retired from Egypt. His retreat was a mastermind made in
the worst conditions under British air superiority. At the end of November, he was 600
miles West of El Alamein where he paused. He then departed to Germany where he
met Hitler but failed to convince him to abandon North Africa. He continued his retreat,
evacuated Tripoli and moved his headquarters in Tunisia where he held the famous
Mareth Line. From there he planned to counter-attack Montgomery but his offensive
met fierce American, French and English resistance and came to no avail in spite of
the heavy losses inflicted notably to the Americans because of General von Arnim
refusal to support his offensive.
| Churchill heard of the fall of Tobruk while he was at the White House with FDR |
Again he flew to Berlin to try to convince Hitler that war in Africa was a waste of men and resources but Hitler refused to yield in
and sent him once more on sick leave. Then the Allies completely destroyed his divisions in Africa, taking 250,000 prisoners. In
July 1943, Rommel took command of Army Group B to occupy Northern Italy after Mussolini's abdication but as he disagreed
with the overall strategy Hitler sent him to the West and Northern coasts of France to prepare defenses against an Allies landing
there. In January 1944, his Army Group B was strengthened and Rommel was placed in command of 7th and 15th Armies in
France and the Low Countries. The Allies called his works as defensor of the French and Dutch coasts the Rommelbelt.
But in spite of all his merits and efforts, the global strategy chosen by Hitler did not fit Rommel's or Rundsedt's requirements
and when D-Day (6 June 1944) occurred the German war machine was incapable to stop the Allies' advances. Rommel then
thought about abandoning France to devote all Germany efforts to defend the motherland. Once more, Hitler disagreed and
ordered Cherbourg and all positions to be defended at all costs. It was by the way Hitler's unique line of strategy since
Stalingrad with the dreadful results that everybody knows. At mid-July, the German armies had lost 100,000 men in Normandy
alone. On 17 July his car was straffed by an English aircraft and he got a severe wound to the head, three fractures to his skull
and several splinters to the face. On the 20th of July, an attack against Hitler in East Prussia led the Führer's entourage to think
that Rommel was implicated in the attempt : after complete recovery, Rommel was joined on 14 October 1944 by two Generals
at home with the drastic choice of committing suicide or standing trial for high treason. Rommel decided to swallow a cyanide
capsule he had with him and died two hours later supposedly of an embolism. He was never directly implicated in the attack
against the Führer and received a state funeral. He was close to his 53th birthday.
and sent him once more on sick leave. Then the Allies completely destroyed his divisions in Africa, taking 250,000 prisoners. In
July 1943, Rommel took command of Army Group B to occupy Northern Italy after Mussolini's abdication but as he disagreed
with the overall strategy Hitler sent him to the West and Northern coasts of France to prepare defenses against an Allies landing
there. In January 1944, his Army Group B was strengthened and Rommel was placed in command of 7th and 15th Armies in
France and the Low Countries. The Allies called his works as defensor of the French and Dutch coasts the Rommelbelt.
But in spite of all his merits and efforts, the global strategy chosen by Hitler did not fit Rommel's or Rundsedt's requirements
and when D-Day (6 June 1944) occurred the German war machine was incapable to stop the Allies' advances. Rommel then
thought about abandoning France to devote all Germany efforts to defend the motherland. Once more, Hitler disagreed and
ordered Cherbourg and all positions to be defended at all costs. It was by the way Hitler's unique line of strategy since
Stalingrad with the dreadful results that everybody knows. At mid-July, the German armies had lost 100,000 men in Normandy
alone. On 17 July his car was straffed by an English aircraft and he got a severe wound to the head, three fractures to his skull
and several splinters to the face. On the 20th of July, an attack against Hitler in East Prussia led the Führer's entourage to think
that Rommel was implicated in the attempt : after complete recovery, Rommel was joined on 14 October 1944 by two Generals
at home with the drastic choice of committing suicide or standing trial for high treason. Rommel decided to swallow a cyanide
capsule he had with him and died two hours later supposedly of an embolism. He was never directly implicated in the attack
against the Führer and received a state funeral. He was close to his 53th birthday.
Otto Walter Model . was born in 1891 in Gentheim, near Magdeburg, in a devout
Lutheran schoolmasters' family. In 1908 he joined the 6th Brandenburgers of the 52nd
Infantry Regiment as an officer cadet. He graduated in 1910 as a Lieutenant and had
become a passionate rider and hunter. He gained the reputation ti speak up his mind
and to form no close friendships with his fellow officers which is too the sign of an
independent mind.
During WW1, he was severely wounded in the shoulder and was hospitalized for a
month. He was awarded the Iron Class 1st Class and was assigned a staff job with
Prince Oskar von Preussen, one of the Kaiser's six sons who found he was quite a
difficult subordinate. In 1916 he returned to the font, was badly wounded again and was
then sent to Turkey in 1917. He ended the war as a Captain with the Knight's Cross with
Swords. Throughout his career Model constantly avoided involving himself in politics,
believing that it was not the function of the Army to do so. In 1919 he met his wife Herta
Huyssen and they got married : they had three children but even at home he never
discussed politics or even military subjects. He combined powerful ambition with the
traditional German values of religion and country. He was very close to General Beck and
to Pastor Martin Niemöller, the former U-boat commander and soon-to-be opponent to
Nazism. Actually he was very much fitting the conceptions of von Seeckt of a German
officer corps uncorrupted by politics. In 1929 Model published a monograph on von
Gneisenau and began to epitomize the perfect Prussian General although he was not at
all from this lineage. Rough and outspoken, he was remote from the social sophistication
of the Junkers but stranger to the working-class or peasant background of Hitler and his
entourage. However as the above picture show he was not alien to a certain imitation of
the Junkers notably by wearing the typical monocle of every Prussian officer.
He had emerged from WW1 with an hatred of Bolshevism and a belief that order took
precedence over democracy. So he willingly embraced the Hitler régime and in the 30s
Model served in several Staff and Command assignments, was remarked for some
pro-nazi tendencies and in 1934 was promoted to Colonel and assumed command of the
2nd Infantry Regiment. He was an early advocate of the mechanized divisions and was a
backer of Guderian's ideas. Hardly popular, he was promoted in 1938 Chief of Staff of the
4th Corps in Dresden that was an active participant in the Polish campaign of 1939. In
1940 he had become a major General and the driving force of the 16th Army during the
French campaign.
Always opportunist although outspoken he had several violent bouts against Hitler,
sometimes to the point that Hitler himself was scared by his "furious eyes". After the
French campaign he was given command of the 3rd Panzer Division and was diversely
appreciated : his staff found him obnoxious, his troops admired his courage and his
forcefulness. His iron will was reflected in his philosophy of command :"He who leads
troops has no right to think about himself." At the front, he was a busybody, always
roaming the lines and overruling his commanders but during Operation Barbarossa he
more than often stave off the Red Army while the Germans were in desperate positions.
Doing so he very much impressed Hitler who dubbed him "my best Field-Marshall" which
gave Model the rare privilege to be able to overtly defy Hitler and even berate him : he even
asked Hitler "who is commander of the 9th Army, mein Führer, you or I?" In some sort,
Model stood up to the Führer in a way hardly anyone else dared.
Model's ascent to high command was the antithesis of the fate which befell most of the
senior commanders in Russia : Rundstedt, Leeb, Bock, Guderian, Manstein were all one
by one dismissed. Model was not. As D-Day approached, Model grew more hostile to
Barbarossa and violently voiced his opposition to the continuation of the war in the East.
Nevertheless Hitler promoted him Commander-in-Chief Army Group North and in MArch
1944 he became the youngest Field-Marshal. He was just 53. However the advance of
the Red Army was such that even Model could not stop it but even according to Hitler "his
heroic efforts and his wise leadership of brave troops" slowed the thrust of the Soviets
and prevented them to reach Berlin in 1944 instead of 1945. Model was awarded the
Diamond Clasp of the Knight's Cross in August 1944.
Lutheran schoolmasters' family. In 1908 he joined the 6th Brandenburgers of the 52nd
Infantry Regiment as an officer cadet. He graduated in 1910 as a Lieutenant and had
become a passionate rider and hunter. He gained the reputation ti speak up his mind
and to form no close friendships with his fellow officers which is too the sign of an
independent mind.
During WW1, he was severely wounded in the shoulder and was hospitalized for a
month. He was awarded the Iron Class 1st Class and was assigned a staff job with
Prince Oskar von Preussen, one of the Kaiser's six sons who found he was quite a
difficult subordinate. In 1916 he returned to the font, was badly wounded again and was
then sent to Turkey in 1917. He ended the war as a Captain with the Knight's Cross with
Swords. Throughout his career Model constantly avoided involving himself in politics,
believing that it was not the function of the Army to do so. In 1919 he met his wife Herta
Huyssen and they got married : they had three children but even at home he never
discussed politics or even military subjects. He combined powerful ambition with the
traditional German values of religion and country. He was very close to General Beck and
to Pastor Martin Niemöller, the former U-boat commander and soon-to-be opponent to
Nazism. Actually he was very much fitting the conceptions of von Seeckt of a German
officer corps uncorrupted by politics. In 1929 Model published a monograph on von
Gneisenau and began to epitomize the perfect Prussian General although he was not at
all from this lineage. Rough and outspoken, he was remote from the social sophistication
of the Junkers but stranger to the working-class or peasant background of Hitler and his
entourage. However as the above picture show he was not alien to a certain imitation of
the Junkers notably by wearing the typical monocle of every Prussian officer.
He had emerged from WW1 with an hatred of Bolshevism and a belief that order took
precedence over democracy. So he willingly embraced the Hitler régime and in the 30s
Model served in several Staff and Command assignments, was remarked for some
pro-nazi tendencies and in 1934 was promoted to Colonel and assumed command of the
2nd Infantry Regiment. He was an early advocate of the mechanized divisions and was a
backer of Guderian's ideas. Hardly popular, he was promoted in 1938 Chief of Staff of the
4th Corps in Dresden that was an active participant in the Polish campaign of 1939. In
1940 he had become a major General and the driving force of the 16th Army during the
French campaign.
Always opportunist although outspoken he had several violent bouts against Hitler,
sometimes to the point that Hitler himself was scared by his "furious eyes". After the
French campaign he was given command of the 3rd Panzer Division and was diversely
appreciated : his staff found him obnoxious, his troops admired his courage and his
forcefulness. His iron will was reflected in his philosophy of command :"He who leads
troops has no right to think about himself." At the front, he was a busybody, always
roaming the lines and overruling his commanders but during Operation Barbarossa he
more than often stave off the Red Army while the Germans were in desperate positions.
Doing so he very much impressed Hitler who dubbed him "my best Field-Marshall" which
gave Model the rare privilege to be able to overtly defy Hitler and even berate him : he even
asked Hitler "who is commander of the 9th Army, mein Führer, you or I?" In some sort,
Model stood up to the Führer in a way hardly anyone else dared.
Model's ascent to high command was the antithesis of the fate which befell most of the
senior commanders in Russia : Rundstedt, Leeb, Bock, Guderian, Manstein were all one
by one dismissed. Model was not. As D-Day approached, Model grew more hostile to
Barbarossa and violently voiced his opposition to the continuation of the war in the East.
Nevertheless Hitler promoted him Commander-in-Chief Army Group North and in MArch
1944 he became the youngest Field-Marshal. He was just 53. However the advance of
the Red Army was such that even Model could not stop it but even according to Hitler "his
heroic efforts and his wise leadership of brave troops" slowed the thrust of the Soviets
and prevented them to reach Berlin in 1944 instead of 1945. Model was awarded the
Diamond Clasp of the Knight's Cross in August 1944.
| Field Marshal Otto Walter Model |
| A (not very resembling) Sketche of Otto Walter Model |
| Otto Walter Model was never afraid to speak up his mind to Hitler |
The very same day of the tentative plot against Hitler in July 1944 , he was assigned the defense of the West front, a
situation worse than on the Eastern Front where he rapidly realized that the German Armies were in shambles. In
September he told Hitler that "the unequal struggle cannot long continue" and in private he told General Jodl that
the Allies had complete superiority in the West. He was forced to flee from Frande and set up his headquarters in
the Low Countries. He was very successful in thwarting the British ill-conceived Operation Market Garden and in
December 1944 he was in charge of the Ardennes offensive. He took great part in the operation, going down to the
minute details of even directing himself the traffic at St Vith. He had to withdraw his batterted Army Group and by
March 1945 the Allies were almost on the Rhine river. When the famous Ludendorff bridge was captured at
Remagen, the battle was over : 300,000 troops of Army Group B were trapped in the Ruhr.
Hitler's decree of a "scorched earth" was the last straw for Model. In accordance with Albert Speer's initiiatives, he
quietly defied Hitler's orders and even dissolved in April 1945 his own Army Group B : most soldiers were told to
discharge or to try to break out in small groups. Having then learnt that the Red Army would charge him for war
crimes in the East (which were committed by the SS) and that the Allies would judge him before a court-martial, he
decided to take his life. On the 21 April 1945, he walked in the nearby forest and killed himself of a single shot with
his Walther pistol.
What can be said about Model's life and attitude during the war is that he only challenged Hitler on military issues
and never political ones. His humble background, his confidence, his coldness and his precision impressed the
Führer who had contempt for the elite class of the Junkers Generals and their emotional or sometimes erratic
behaviour. He had an outstanding talent for improvisation, a trait that endeared him to Hitler whose Bohemian
character recognized in Model some sort of companion. Never in the whole war Hitler had entrusted so much
military responsibility to one single man. But among his fellow officers he was widely disliked and more of all he
was criticized for being unable to get rid of "details of tactical leadership" when he should have thought only in
strategical terms.
situation worse than on the Eastern Front where he rapidly realized that the German Armies were in shambles. In
September he told Hitler that "the unequal struggle cannot long continue" and in private he told General Jodl that
the Allies had complete superiority in the West. He was forced to flee from Frande and set up his headquarters in
the Low Countries. He was very successful in thwarting the British ill-conceived Operation Market Garden and in
December 1944 he was in charge of the Ardennes offensive. He took great part in the operation, going down to the
minute details of even directing himself the traffic at St Vith. He had to withdraw his batterted Army Group and by
March 1945 the Allies were almost on the Rhine river. When the famous Ludendorff bridge was captured at
Remagen, the battle was over : 300,000 troops of Army Group B were trapped in the Ruhr.
Hitler's decree of a "scorched earth" was the last straw for Model. In accordance with Albert Speer's initiiatives, he
quietly defied Hitler's orders and even dissolved in April 1945 his own Army Group B : most soldiers were told to
discharge or to try to break out in small groups. Having then learnt that the Red Army would charge him for war
crimes in the East (which were committed by the SS) and that the Allies would judge him before a court-martial, he
decided to take his life. On the 21 April 1945, he walked in the nearby forest and killed himself of a single shot with
his Walther pistol.
What can be said about Model's life and attitude during the war is that he only challenged Hitler on military issues
and never political ones. His humble background, his confidence, his coldness and his precision impressed the
Führer who had contempt for the elite class of the Junkers Generals and their emotional or sometimes erratic
behaviour. He had an outstanding talent for improvisation, a trait that endeared him to Hitler whose Bohemian
character recognized in Model some sort of companion. Never in the whole war Hitler had entrusted so much
military responsibility to one single man. But among his fellow officers he was widely disliked and more of all he
was criticized for being unable to get rid of "details of tactical leadership" when he should have thought only in
strategical terms.
However he was drafted into the Army during WW1 as an artillery officer on the Western front where
he witnessed the death of his younger brother at Cambrai in 1917 whose body he found in a
mass-grave. At the end of WW1 he took part in the counter-revolution against the Bolsheviks in
Saxony. In 1919 he married Hilda Margarethe von Kracht, daughter of a Prussian General, who
introduced him to the Prussian aristocracy. After WW1 he gladly accepted to stay in the
Reichswehr as his family fortune had dwindled where he stayed during the 13 following years as a
subaltern officer. He became an accomplished cavalier and got involved in the debate about
mechanized units, notably in 1934 under General von Witzleben. But the same year the Night of the
Long Knives convinced him that the Nazis were capable of murdering themselves. Nevertheless
in 1938 he was promoted to regimental commander of the KR3 (3rd Cavalry Regiment) which did
not include one single member of the NSDAP. In the meanwhile, he had acquired a good
knowledge of Italian language and was able to serve as an interpreter in several occasions.
At the outbreak of WW2, he took no part in the Polish campaign but was shocked to hear about the
excesses of the SS on the civilian population. He wrote to his sister that in the Mess of the Officers it
seems to be a refrain:"I'm ashamed to be a German." He took part in the campaign of France as
commander first of the cavalry brigade and later of a motorized brigade group. As soon as 1940
however he was convinced that the war in Africa would be decided soon and was sent to Turin as
Head of the German delegation to the Franco-Italian armistice commission where he stayed until
1942.
In December 1941 he acquired the conviction that the war was lost when Hitler declared war on the
USA and the German Armies ground to a halt in Russia. But in the Fall of 1942 he took command
of the 17th Panzer division on the Eastern Front : his main jobs were unfortunately to orchestrate
withdrawals and permit the retreats or stabilization of German troops trapped in Russia and in Italy
he witnessed the death of his younger brother at Cambrai in 1917 whose body he found in a
mass-grave. At the end of WW1 he took part in the counter-revolution against the Bolsheviks in
Saxony. In 1919 he married Hilda Margarethe von Kracht, daughter of a Prussian General, who
introduced him to the Prussian aristocracy. After WW1 he gladly accepted to stay in the
Reichswehr as his family fortune had dwindled where he stayed during the 13 following years as a
subaltern officer. He became an accomplished cavalier and got involved in the debate about
mechanized units, notably in 1934 under General von Witzleben. But the same year the Night of the
Long Knives convinced him that the Nazis were capable of murdering themselves. Nevertheless
in 1938 he was promoted to regimental commander of the KR3 (3rd Cavalry Regiment) which did
not include one single member of the NSDAP. In the meanwhile, he had acquired a good
knowledge of Italian language and was able to serve as an interpreter in several occasions.
At the outbreak of WW2, he took no part in the Polish campaign but was shocked to hear about the
excesses of the SS on the civilian population. He wrote to his sister that in the Mess of the Officers it
seems to be a refrain:"I'm ashamed to be a German." He took part in the campaign of France as
commander first of the cavalry brigade and later of a motorized brigade group. As soon as 1940
however he was convinced that the war in Africa would be decided soon and was sent to Turin as
Head of the German delegation to the Franco-Italian armistice commission where he stayed until
1942.
In December 1941 he acquired the conviction that the war was lost when Hitler declared war on the
USA and the German Armies ground to a halt in Russia. But in the Fall of 1942 he took command
of the 17th Panzer division on the Eastern Front : his main jobs were unfortunately to orchestrate
withdrawals and permit the retreats or stabilization of German troops trapped in Russia and in Italy
| Always far from the front, the sycophantic Paul Josef Gobbels had no difficulties to assure his Führer that all was going well in the best of all worlds |
He particularly showed his bravery and tactical skills during the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944 : he
desperately defended the strategical valley beneath Monte Cassino monastery with his 14th Panzer
division which led to the futile bombing of the monastery by the Allies. His relations with his subordinates
were close and with the complicity of Field Marshal Kesselring he even disobeyed a supreme order to
execute all Italian officers who had sided with General Badoglio's armistice in September 1943. In Italy,
he waged a peaceful campaign against Italian Fascists and did his best to accommodate the needs of a
population definitely wary with war or to by-pass during the German retreat all Italian cities which were
witnesses of the Renaissance era with all their Art Treasures. About Hitler whom he met face to face in
private in June 1943 he only wrote: "I felt no sign of his renowned personal magnetism but I thought
only with disgust and horror of all the misfortunes which this man had brought upon my country. "
About the possibility of an assassination of Hitler, he was skeptical of the outcome even if it was
successful as he mentioned "the rest of the gang, all inured to criminality". In May 1945, he was chief
negotiator for the German armies in Italy. At the end of the war, he passed through several British camps
of POWs and he stayed at Bridgend (Glamorgan) for three years. Some tried to make him responsible
for the destruction of Monte Cassino monastery. He was released from captivity in 1948 and was
appointed a housemaster at Salem, the public school near Lake Constance. In the 50s, he co-authored
the famous "Himmeroder Denkschrift" (Adenauer's plan for German rearmament) and served in several
positions in the Bundeswehr as a screening officer to prevent former Nazi officers to join the new
German army. He died in Freiburg in 1963, aged 72.
desperately defended the strategical valley beneath Monte Cassino monastery with his 14th Panzer
division which led to the futile bombing of the monastery by the Allies. His relations with his subordinates
were close and with the complicity of Field Marshal Kesselring he even disobeyed a supreme order to
execute all Italian officers who had sided with General Badoglio's armistice in September 1943. In Italy,
he waged a peaceful campaign against Italian Fascists and did his best to accommodate the needs of a
population definitely wary with war or to by-pass during the German retreat all Italian cities which were
witnesses of the Renaissance era with all their Art Treasures. About Hitler whom he met face to face in
private in June 1943 he only wrote: "I felt no sign of his renowned personal magnetism but I thought
only with disgust and horror of all the misfortunes which this man had brought upon my country. "
About the possibility of an assassination of Hitler, he was skeptical of the outcome even if it was
successful as he mentioned "the rest of the gang, all inured to criminality". In May 1945, he was chief
negotiator for the German armies in Italy. At the end of the war, he passed through several British camps
of POWs and he stayed at Bridgend (Glamorgan) for three years. Some tried to make him responsible
for the destruction of Monte Cassino monastery. He was released from captivity in 1948 and was
appointed a housemaster at Salem, the public school near Lake Constance. In the 50s, he co-authored
the famous "Himmeroder Denkschrift" (Adenauer's plan for German rearmament) and served in several
positions in the Bundeswehr as a screening officer to prevent former Nazi officers to join the new
German army. He died in Freiburg in 1963, aged 72.
| Lance-Corporal self-promoted Generalissime Hitler knew better than his Generals and made mistake after mistake in the conduct of the war. some like Senger flatly disobeyed. |
Fiedrich Paulus was born in 1890 in Breitenau (Hesse) in a family of minor public servants with no link to
nobility whereas people tend very often to attribute to his name the famous German "von". He studied law at
Marburg Univerisity for some time but was eventually accepted in 1910 as an officer cadet into the 111th Infantry
Regiment, also known as the Markgraf Ludwig 3rd Baden Regiment. In 1912 he was promoted
to Lieutenant and met his wife, Elena Rosetti-Solescu, from a wealthy aristocratic Romanian family.
In 1914, the 111th Infantry Regiment which was part of the 7th Army, itself assigned to prevent any French
supportive action from the French to their threatened left flank. He thus took part in the Battle of the
Marne and then got caught in the long trench warfare that followed this awful episode of WW1.
Fortunately for him, he fell sick and was dismissed in November 1914 to be posted as Regimental
officer to the prestigious 2nd Prussian Jäger Regiment, part of the AlpenKorps.
Paulus remained with the Alpenkorps for the rest of WW1 but only carried out staff duties : he never
commanded a unit at any time in war so that the Armistice found him holding the rank of captain
and honoured with the routine decorations of Iron Classes I and II. After the war, he served in the
13th Infantry Regiment as a rifle commander but still spent most of his time on Staff duties. As
soon as 1921 he was noted as "lacking decisiveness" by a directing staff.
In the 30s, his career swerved towards mechanized units and commanded one of the earliest
mechanized battalions and became in 1935 Chief of Staff at the new Panzer Headquarters in
Berlin. He was not a rabid Nazi but enjoyed his job and approved of the "man-of-the-people"
background of Hitler and most of his henchmen. So his rise continued undeterred and in 1939 he
was Chief of Staff in the new 10th Army in Leipzig whose Chief was General von Reichenau who
hated routine work : he and Paulus fit perfectly, Reichenau doing the command and Paulus keeping
things running smoothly at Staff level. Modest, amiable, courteous, good comrade, meticulous desk
worker, Paulus was not a military genius but he was very much liked by his fellow officers.
nobility whereas people tend very often to attribute to his name the famous German "von". He studied law at
Marburg Univerisity for some time but was eventually accepted in 1910 as an officer cadet into the 111th Infantry
Regiment, also known as the Markgraf Ludwig 3rd Baden Regiment. In 1912 he was promoted
to Lieutenant and met his wife, Elena Rosetti-Solescu, from a wealthy aristocratic Romanian family.
In 1914, the 111th Infantry Regiment which was part of the 7th Army, itself assigned to prevent any French
supportive action from the French to their threatened left flank. He thus took part in the Battle of the
Marne and then got caught in the long trench warfare that followed this awful episode of WW1.
Fortunately for him, he fell sick and was dismissed in November 1914 to be posted as Regimental
officer to the prestigious 2nd Prussian Jäger Regiment, part of the AlpenKorps.
Paulus remained with the Alpenkorps for the rest of WW1 but only carried out staff duties : he never
commanded a unit at any time in war so that the Armistice found him holding the rank of captain
and honoured with the routine decorations of Iron Classes I and II. After the war, he served in the
13th Infantry Regiment as a rifle commander but still spent most of his time on Staff duties. As
soon as 1921 he was noted as "lacking decisiveness" by a directing staff.
In the 30s, his career swerved towards mechanized units and commanded one of the earliest
mechanized battalions and became in 1935 Chief of Staff at the new Panzer Headquarters in
Berlin. He was not a rabid Nazi but enjoyed his job and approved of the "man-of-the-people"
background of Hitler and most of his henchmen. So his rise continued undeterred and in 1939 he
was Chief of Staff in the new 10th Army in Leipzig whose Chief was General von Reichenau who
hated routine work : he and Paulus fit perfectly, Reichenau doing the command and Paulus keeping
things running smoothly at Staff level. Modest, amiable, courteous, good comrade, meticulous desk
worker, Paulus was not a military genius but he was very much liked by his fellow officers.
After the Polish campaign where it swept through the country brilliantly, Reichenau's 6th Army
went to France where it led the same unsustainable attacks, pushing the poor French and
British armies to the beaches of Dunkirk. Still a Staff officer, Paulus did not take a great part in
the military victory but was present at the surrender of the Belgian Army on 28 May 1940 in
presence of Reichenau and King Leopold of Belgium.
After this campaign, the 6th Army was earmarked for the Sealion operation (invasion of
Britain) and Paulus prepared the plans for his part of the invasion. After its cancellation,
Paulus became Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of the Operations Section of the OKH
(Oberkommando des Heeres or Headquarters directing all operations of the German Army)
and after a short while he was in charge of planning Operation Barbarossa (invasion of
Russia). He was not at all upset by the existence of a non-aggression pact with the Soviets
and dutifully prepared his part in spite of some deprecating remarks by his Romanian wife
who said the invasion of Poland or Russia was immoral. He retorted that she had no say in
the matter. He had to obey orders and she had to shut up. Period. Obeying orders was a good
mask for rabid ambition and lack of moral scruples.
When the invasion of Russia began on 22 June 1941, Paulus seriously thought it would be a
pushover and that the war would end with a rapid victory over Russia. Barbarossa would
bring the war to a close. Paulus took part in the battle which led to the capture of 500,000
soviet soldiers by the 6th Army at Kiev. But in December, Barbarossa came to a screeching
halt : Moscow and Leningrad were not taken and the Caucasus had not been reached by von
Rundsedt's Army Group South. After the resignation of von Rundstedt who wanted to retreat
for a while, Reichenau took over the Army Group South and asked to Hitler to appoint his
buddy Paulus as Chief of the prestigious 6th Army. An incredible feat when one knows that
Paulus had never exercised any commanding functions on any battle field in war time.
But even before Paulus reached his headquarters Reichenau suffered a heart attack and was
replaced by Field Marshal von Bock. The problem facing Paulus and Bock was simple : the
plans that he had envisaged for Barbarossa did not fit at all the present situation. So it was
abandoned and on June 1942 the 6th Army moved forward with 14 divisions in direction of
Stalingrad. Initially all went well and Paulus tried to encircle the Russian army but Hitler
changed plans once more and ordered the 6th Army and the 4th Panzer Army to join towards
Stalingrad with the aim to take the city. So fat it has only been question to avoid the city and
push the Russian army backwards to the Volga river.
went to France where it led the same unsustainable attacks, pushing the poor French and
British armies to the beaches of Dunkirk. Still a Staff officer, Paulus did not take a great part in
the military victory but was present at the surrender of the Belgian Army on 28 May 1940 in
presence of Reichenau and King Leopold of Belgium.
After this campaign, the 6th Army was earmarked for the Sealion operation (invasion of
Britain) and Paulus prepared the plans for his part of the invasion. After its cancellation,
Paulus became Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of the Operations Section of the OKH
(Oberkommando des Heeres or Headquarters directing all operations of the German Army)
and after a short while he was in charge of planning Operation Barbarossa (invasion of
Russia). He was not at all upset by the existence of a non-aggression pact with the Soviets
and dutifully prepared his part in spite of some deprecating remarks by his Romanian wife
who said the invasion of Poland or Russia was immoral. He retorted that she had no say in
the matter. He had to obey orders and she had to shut up. Period. Obeying orders was a good
mask for rabid ambition and lack of moral scruples.
When the invasion of Russia began on 22 June 1941, Paulus seriously thought it would be a
pushover and that the war would end with a rapid victory over Russia. Barbarossa would
bring the war to a close. Paulus took part in the battle which led to the capture of 500,000
soviet soldiers by the 6th Army at Kiev. But in December, Barbarossa came to a screeching
halt : Moscow and Leningrad were not taken and the Caucasus had not been reached by von
Rundsedt's Army Group South. After the resignation of von Rundstedt who wanted to retreat
for a while, Reichenau took over the Army Group South and asked to Hitler to appoint his
buddy Paulus as Chief of the prestigious 6th Army. An incredible feat when one knows that
Paulus had never exercised any commanding functions on any battle field in war time.
But even before Paulus reached his headquarters Reichenau suffered a heart attack and was
replaced by Field Marshal von Bock. The problem facing Paulus and Bock was simple : the
plans that he had envisaged for Barbarossa did not fit at all the present situation. So it was
abandoned and on June 1942 the 6th Army moved forward with 14 divisions in direction of
Stalingrad. Initially all went well and Paulus tried to encircle the Russian army but Hitler
changed plans once more and ordered the 6th Army and the 4th Panzer Army to join towards
Stalingrad with the aim to take the city. So fat it has only been question to avoid the city and
push the Russian army backwards to the Volga river.
| General von Reichenau, a blunt, forceful, ambitious man and a very able battlefield commander had little in common with Paulus but convinced Hitler to promote Paulus as chief of the 6th Army in 1941. A fatal decision for Germany. |
| The march towards Stalingrad was a fateful decision |
| It was a purely psychological decision insofar as Hitler wanted to deprive the Soviets of an important tanks factory in Stalingrad and to take from them the city that bore the name of their leader. Actually it sucked Paulus and his army into the Stalingrad's graveyard. In August, the two German armies joined in front of Stalingrad with the Russian army encircled. They were expected by Marshal Zhukov and local CP Chairman Nikita Krushchev and contrary to all expectations Stalingrad held in spite of the fury of the attacks against the city that was not emptied of his civilian population on direct Stalin's orders. A continuous flow of supplies came to the city by night across the river. |
When Paulus realized that this time the battle was not going to
be a pushover he asked Hitler for permission to retreat,
mentioning his feeble reserves and the lack of supplies. The
German armies were overstretched, he said, and it would be
better to renounce the capture of the city and saved 250,000
men from the menacing Russian winter.
Hitler said no, insisted that Stalingrad be taken at all costs and
even convinced Paulus to make good of his Romanian
connections to persuade the Romanians to send their 3rd and
4th Armies which they did. After the war, they will pay dearly for
that.
So the attacks on Stalingrad continued with a major attack on 13
September which failed, bringing the fight to a vicious
door-to-door warfare, a urban version of Verdun. Paulus's units
were wasting away at the rate of 20,000 casualties par week. In
October, one tenth of the city was still holding but the balance of
forces was changing and Paulus warned Hitler that his men
were exhausted and that the Russians were gathering on his
flanks. In November, Hitler ordered Paulus to hold and try one
last effort to capture the city.
| The 6th German Army totally encircled at Stalingrad by General Zhukov divisions. An awful trap for the Nazis and the beginning of the end for Hitler's prestige and Germany's hopes of winning the war (clik on the map for an enlarged picture) |
But the 19th November, the Russians struck with the simple plan to encircle all German and Romanian forces in the
Stalingrad area and then make piecemeal of them. It is at this precise moment that Paulus's lack of military qualities
and training showed and he did not act boldly : he kept all his troops in Stalingrad ignoring the danger and doing
nothing. Furthermore on the false promises that Göring would send some major help from the Luftwaffe, Hitler refused
once more to listen to the advice of a retreat by General Zeitzler and on 22 November 1942 sent Paulus a personal
order to hold until next ... Spring. Paulus always obedient and ignoring the looming catastrophe listened to Hitler's
orders in spite of a memorandum by General von Seydlitz-Kurzbach to withdraw.
The Luftwaffe never achieved what Göring had promised for and von Manstein's request to Paulus to break-out and
meet his relief force was ignored, Paulus refused to move. By Christmas, everything was over. In January the Russians
sent an ultimatum to Paulus offering complete annihilation or honourable surrender. Once more Paulus applied
Hitler's orders to the letter and on 9 January the Red Army attacked. The final elimination of Paulus's army last three
more weeks. The situation was hopeless and the last wounded man was evacuated by air on the 24. Hitler promoted
Paulus to Field Marshal amnd awarded him the Oakleaves of the Knight Cross. On 31 January, a Russian envoy asked
Paulus to surrender. He finally agreed. He was then a broken man at the end of his tether. The scene was caught on a
newsreel and shows a haggard Paulus visibly glad this is all over.
Stalingrad area and then make piecemeal of them. It is at this precise moment that Paulus's lack of military qualities
and training showed and he did not act boldly : he kept all his troops in Stalingrad ignoring the danger and doing
nothing. Furthermore on the false promises that Göring would send some major help from the Luftwaffe, Hitler refused
once more to listen to the advice of a retreat by General Zeitzler and on 22 November 1942 sent Paulus a personal
order to hold until next ... Spring. Paulus always obedient and ignoring the looming catastrophe listened to Hitler's
orders in spite of a memorandum by General von Seydlitz-Kurzbach to withdraw.
The Luftwaffe never achieved what Göring had promised for and von Manstein's request to Paulus to break-out and
meet his relief force was ignored, Paulus refused to move. By Christmas, everything was over. In January the Russians
sent an ultimatum to Paulus offering complete annihilation or honourable surrender. Once more Paulus applied
Hitler's orders to the letter and on 9 January the Red Army attacked. The final elimination of Paulus's army last three
more weeks. The situation was hopeless and the last wounded man was evacuated by air on the 24. Hitler promoted
Paulus to Field Marshal amnd awarded him the Oakleaves of the Knight Cross. On 31 January, a Russian envoy asked
Paulus to surrender. He finally agreed. He was then a broken man at the end of his tether. The scene was caught on a
newsreel and shows a haggard Paulus visibly glad this is all over.
| Paulus was held POW by the Russians for 11 years. His wife died in 1949 and he was released in 1953 to reside in the communist DDR. He died in Dresden in 1957 from motor neuron disease. He was 67. A man more apt at war games than conducting a real war, he preferred to let a million of his men die or go in captivity rather than disobeying the Führer's orders. Not a good model for a War School : almost a million men marched off to captivity (very few of which were to return home), all Paulus's guns, motor vehicles and equipment had been captured, the Luftwaffe lost 500 transport aircraft and the German Army, though not a broken force in early 1943, never really recovered from the loss of an entire army, casualties of over a million already sustained on the Eastern Front further compounded this. Hitler had overstretched Germany before the full might of the Allies were assembled against him, and the Germans would pay the price for his stupidity. People who still think that Hitler was a military genius are either stupid or understood nothing. |
| Major-General of Artillery Erwin Rommel |
| The irony of the 3rd Reich resides in this picture of Lance corporal A.Hitler (here with his dog Fuchs who used to belong to a British officer and ran astray from the British trenches) taken in 1917 who will become the Supreme Commander of the German Armies whereas he never went to military school nor to High School, never shot a single shot in 1914-18 and did not even command a brigade |
| El Alamein cemetery : 38,000 soldiers died int the battle |
| Rommel was ordered to halt his march at Bardia on the Egyptian border but ignored the order. It was his downfall |
| 1891-1945 (death by suicide) |
| HITLER AND HIS GENERALS 4 |
Fridolin von Senger aka Frido von Senger und
Etterlin was born in 1891 in the medieval town of
Waldshut on the Swiss border in a family of lawyers and
ministers to some princely states of this area. His mother -
a pious Roman Catholic- had deep religious convictions
and duty and honour were no distant abstractions in his
education. But, according to his own son Ferdinand, " a
soldier's loyalty was only thinkable in terms of Christian
morality and Christian ethics."
Fridolin was educated at Oxford (England) which he joined
in 1912 after a year of military service in a Baden Artillery
Regiment. In England he read for 2 years History and PPE
(Philosophy, Politics & Economics) at St John's College.
The outcome of this educatoin was that he was fluent in
English and French, interested in the Beaux Arts and totally
remote to the Wilhelmine idea of making a career in the
Army.
Etterlin was born in 1891 in the medieval town of
Waldshut on the Swiss border in a family of lawyers and
ministers to some princely states of this area. His mother -
a pious Roman Catholic- had deep religious convictions
and duty and honour were no distant abstractions in his
education. But, according to his own son Ferdinand, " a
soldier's loyalty was only thinkable in terms of Christian
morality and Christian ethics."
Fridolin was educated at Oxford (England) which he joined
in 1912 after a year of military service in a Baden Artillery
Regiment. In England he read for 2 years History and PPE
(Philosophy, Politics & Economics) at St John's College.
The outcome of this educatoin was that he was fluent in
English and French, interested in the Beaux Arts and totally
remote to the Wilhelmine idea of making a career in the
Army.
| Field Marshal Frido von Senger und Etterlin, the German Knight |
| HITLER AND HIS GENERALS 4 |
| Poster of Frido von Senger on the Russian Front: "vICTORY WILL BE OURS!" He never believed it. |
| Field Marshal Paulus |
| German bombers in dive towards the Soviet troops in the first days of the attack against Stalingrad in August 1942. |
