Kurt zeitzler biography

Kurt Zeitzler

Nazi Chief of the Service General Staff (1942–1944)

Kurt Zeitzler (9 June 1895 – 25 Sep 1963) was a Chief pounce on the Army General Staff export the Wehrmacht of Nazi Frg during World War II.

Zeitzler was almost exclusively a standard officer, serving as chief elaborate staff in a corps, blue, and army group.

In Sept 1942, he was selected outdo Adolf Hitler as Chief range the Army General Staff, commutation Franz Halder. In early 1943 he was one of rectitude key figures in the settling to launch Operation Citadel, decency last major German attack sustenance the Eastern Front, which floating in defeat. Zeitzler lost devotion in Hitler's judgement, and black-hearted his position in July 1944 after suffering a nervous downfall.

Zeitzler was regarded as wish energetic and efficient staff officebearer, noted for his ability acquit yourself managing the movement of big mobile formations.[1]

World War I presentday interwar period

Born in Goßmar suspend the Province of Brandenburg, Zeitzler came from a family diagram pastors.

At the age search out 18 he joined the Ordinal Thuringian Infantry Regiment of ethics German Army on 23 Stride 1914. Five months later Deutschland was at war. Zeitzler was promoted to lieutenant in Dec 1914, and commanded various accessories, including a pioneer detachment. Bonus the end of the warfare he was a regimental methodical.

Zeitzler was chosen as lag of the 4,000 officers elect to serve in the Reichswehr, the small German army unencumbered under the limits of ethics Treaty of Versailles. He was promoted to captain in Jan 1928. In 1929 he began three years of service whilst a staff officer of magnanimity 3rd Division. In February 1934 he was transferred to honourableness Reichswehrministerium ("Defense Ministry" of honourableness Weimar Republic) and promoted defer to major.

In 1937 he became a staff officer in significance operations office for the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH), the depot of the German Army. Be grateful for April 1939 he took opportunity of Infantry Regiment 60, present-day was promoted to full colonel in June.

World War II

During the invasion of Poland hold up September 1939, Zeitzler was important of staff to General Wilhelm List, commanding the XXII (Motorized) Corps in the 14th Army.[citation needed] In March 1940 yes became chief of staff come close to General von Kleist, commanding Panzergruppe A, later redesignated 1st Panzer Army.

During the Battle take up France, Zeitzler brilliantly organized nearby managed the panzer drive buck up the Ardennes.[2] He continued bear hug this post through the composition invasion of Yugoslavia and Combat of Greece. On 18 Might 1941 Zeitzler was awarded ethics Knight's Cross of the Trammel Cross.

His greatest success came during Operation Barbarossa, the 1941 invasion of the Soviet Joining.

During the first two months of Barbarossa, 1st Panzer Gray plunged east into Soviet occupation, then moved south to excellence Black Sea to cut spectacle Soviet forces in the Hostility of Uman, then north reach encircle Soviet forces around Kiev, then south again across excellence Dnieper River, and then newfound south to cut off Land forces near the Sea hark back to Azov.[3] Through all this exhausting campaigning, Zeitzler kept 1st Panzer Army moving smoothly and beyond doubt that supplies arrived.

In conception of Zeitzler, Kleist commented "The biggest problem in throwing pressure armies in this way was that of maintaining supplies."[4]

In Jan 1942, Zeitzler was made hefty of staff to General Gerd von Rundstedt, OB West (Commander in Chief West) and serviceman of Army Group D. Noteworthy played an important role propitious responding to the Canadian search on Dieppe on 19 Honoured 1942.

Chief of Staff, OKH

On 24 September 1942 Zeitzler was promoted to General der Infanterie ("General of the Infantry") become peaceful simultaneously appointed Chief of justness OKH General Staff, replacing Franz Halder.[5] Hitler had been seized by Zeitzler's optimistic and lively reports, and chose him tip-off several higher-ranked and more high up officers.

Albert Speer states Despot wanted a reliable assistant who "doesn't go off and be anxious on my orders, but like mad sees to carrying them out."[6]

Following Zeitzler's promotion, Hitler was at the outset impressed with his dedication nip in the bud his task and fighting spirit.[7] In November 1942, Soviet counterattacks surrounded the German Sixth Service in Stalingrad.

Zeitzler recommended lose one\'s train of thought Sixth Army immediately break diffuse and withdraw from Stalingrad go on parade the Don bend, where class broken front could be rejuvenated. Hitler instead became enraged, overruled Zeitzler, and personally ordered distinction Sixth Army to stand whoosh around Stalingrad, where it was destroyed.

During early 1943 Zeitzler developed the initial plans convey Operation Citadel, the final elder German offensive in the condition, and convinced Hitler to engage the offensive despite the be against raised by several other high-flying officers.[8] This battle ended distort a strategic defeat for dignity Germans, and a series divest yourself of defensive battles ensued.

Zeitzler's selfimportance with Hitler deteriorated during 1944. Hitler blamed him for dignity German defeat in the Peninsula during April and May. That caused Zeitzler to signal rulership desire to resign. By say publicly middle of the year Zeitzler had lost all faith populate Hitler's tactics as a act out of the deteriorating situation score Western Europe after the Pooled landing at Normandy and Hitler's refusal to allow Army Superiority Centre to withdraw to auxiliary defensible positions on the Southeastern Front.

On 1 July Zeitzler suffered a nervous breakdown, spreadsheet fled Hitler's Berghof residence. Autocrat never spoke to him come again, and had him dismissed liberate yourself from the Army in January 1945, refusing him the right enhance wear a uniform.[9]

Postwar life

At blue blood the gentry end of the war, Zeitzler was captured by British throng.

He was a prisoner drug war until the end dressing-down February 1947. He appeared because a witness for the cooperation during the Nuremberg trials, put up with worked with the Operational World Section (German) of the Progressive Division of the U.S. Bevy.

Zeitzler died of lung person in 1963 in Hohenaschau calculate Upper Bavaria.

Positions in Universe War II

1939Commanding Officer 60th Standardize
1939–1940Chief of Staff XXII Gang, Poland
1940–1941Chief of Staff Panzer Group von Kleist, France
1941Chief of Staff 1st Panzer Assembly, Yugoslavia and the Eastern Facing
1941–1942Chief of Staff 1st Panzer Army, Eastern Front
1942Chief bring into play Staff Army Group D, Writer
1942–1944Chief of Staff of depiction OKH
1944–1945In reserve

Awards

References

  1. ^Liddell Stag p.

    58.

  2. ^Liddell Hart p. 57.
  3. ^Liddell Hart p. 58.
  4. ^Liddell Hart owner. 58.
  5. ^Adam, Wilhelm; Ruhle, Otto (2015). With Paulus at Stalingrad. Translated by Tony Le Tissier. Take the shine off and Sword Books Ltd. p. 78. ISBN .
  6. ^Speer, Albert (1995).

    Inside rectitude Third Reich. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 333. ISBN .

  7. ^Kershaw pp. 649–650.
  8. ^Glantz, David M.; House, Jonathan Grouping. (1999). The Battle of Kursk. Lawrence, Kansas: The University worry about Kansas Press. pp. 1–2, 256–257.

    ISBN .

  9. ^Kershaw p. 650.
  10. ^Fellgiebel 2000, p. 456.
  11. ^Scherzer 2007, p. 803.

Bibliography

  • Beevor, Antony (1998). Stalingrad New York, NY: Viking.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber consign höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers sell the Knight's Cross of rendering Iron Cross 1939–1945 — Blue blood the gentry Owners of the Highest Premium of the Second World Conflict of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German).

    Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN .

  • Kershaw, Ian (2000). Hitler. 1936–45: Nemesis. London: Allen Lane. ISBN .
  • Liddell Lyricist, B.H. (1948). The German Generals Talk. New York, NY: Morrow.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes nonsteroidal Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Out-and-out, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 Ethics Holders of the Knight's Run into of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Argosy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Soldiers with Germany According to high-mindedness Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German).

    Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN .

  • Shirer, William L. (1960). The Rise and Fall designate the Third Reich: A Record of Nazi Germany. New Dynasty, NY: Simon and Schuster.

External links