Curt Haase (15 December 1881 – 9 February 1943) was a German general (''

Generaloberst A ("colonel general") was the second-highest general officer rank in the German '' Reichswehr'' and ''Wehrmacht'', the Austro-Hungarian Common Army, the East German National People's Army and in their respective police services. The rank w ...

'') in during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He commanded the III Corps during the

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He later commanded the 15th Army in German-occupied France from January 1941 to November 1942.

World War I

In 1901 Haase joined the 4th Württemberg Field Artillery Regiment No. 65 of the

Württemberg Army Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Württ ...

in Ludwigsburg and was promoted to the rank of leutnant in 1902. In 1905 he was an adjutant of the 1st Division and eventually achieved the rank of lieutenant in 1910. From 1911 to 1914 Haase commanded a training regiment in the

Prussian Staff College The Prussian Staff College, also Prussian War College () was the highest military facility of the Kingdom of Prussia to educate, train, and develop German General Staff, general staff officers. Location It originated with the ''Akademie für ...

. At the outbreak of the First World War Haase commanded a company. He was promoted to captain in 1914 and served in various staff positions for the rest of the war. After the war, Haase joined the ''

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' (; ) was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first two years of Nazi Germany. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...

''.

World War II

Haase became commander of III Corps on 16 November 1938. At the beginning of World War II, he commanded the III Corps in the

and the

Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...

. On 15 May 1940 Haase's corps broke through the French defensive positions at

Charleville-Mézières Charleville-Mézières () is a commune of northern France and the prefecture of the Ardennes department, in the Grand Est region. Charleville-Mézières is located on the banks of the river Meuse. History Charleville and Mézières were ori ...

, for which he received the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...

on 8 June 1940. Haase was promoted to

on 19 July 1940 and in mid-November 1940, he was relieved of his command and reassigned to the Führer-Reserve. On 4 June 1941 he attended the funeral of German Emperor

Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as th ...

at Doorn Manor in the Netherlands as a representative of the ''

Oberkommando des Heeres The (; abbreviated OKH) was the high command of the Army of Nazi Germany. It was founded in 1935 as part of Adolf Hitler's rearmament of Germany. OKH was ''de facto'' the most important unit within the German war planning until the defeat ...

''. From early 1941 to December 1942 he commanded the 15th Army deployed in France, during that period the army was tasked with the protection of the Channel coast from a possible Allied invasion. He was transferred again to the Führer-Reserve for the remainder of his career and died on 9 February 1943 at the age of 61 of heart disease.

Awards

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

(1914), 2nd and 1st class * Knight's Cross of the Royal

House Order of Hohenzollern The House Order of Hohenzollern ( or ') was a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Hohenzollern awarded to military commissioned officers and civilians of comparable status. Associated with the various versions of the order were crosses an ...

with Swords * Knight's Cross of the Military Merit Order (Württemberg) * Knight's Cross, 1st class of the

Albert Order The Albert Order () was created on 31 December 1850 by King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony to commemorate Albert III, Duke of Saxony (known as Albert the Bold). It was to be awarded to anyone who had served the state well, for civil virtue, s ...

with Swords (Saxony) * Knight's Cross, 1st class of the

Friedrich Order The Friedrich Order ( or ''Friedrichsorden'') was an order of merit of the German Kingdom of Württemberg. It was instituted on 1 January 1830 by the second king of Württemberg, Wilhelm I in remembrance of his father, King Friedrich I. In 1918, ...

with Swords (Württemberg) * Knight's Cross, 2nd class of the Order of the Zähringer Lion with Swords and Oak Leaves (Baden) * Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg * Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 * Clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class *

on 8 June 1940 as ''

General der Artillerie (English language, en: General of the artillery) may mean: A rank of three-star rank, three-star General of the branch, general, comparable to modern armed forces OF-8 grade, in the Imperial German Army and its contingency armies of Prussian A ...

'' and commanding general of the III. ArmeekorpsScherzer 2007, p. 357.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Haase 1881 births 1943 deaths People from Bad Honnef Military personnel from the Rhine Province German Army generals of World War II Colonel generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht) German Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Burials at the Invalids' Cemetery Military personnel of the Kingdom of Württemberg Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Reichswehr personnel Military personnel from North Rhine-Westphalia