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__NOTOC__ Erik Oskar Hansen (27 May 1889 – 18 March 1967) was a German general in the
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
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 was a recipient of 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 ...
of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
.


Biography

Born in
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
, Hansen entered the army of
Imperial Germany The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
in 1907 as a ''Fahnenjunker'' (officer cadet) in the 9th Dragoons. He was given command of the 4th Infantry Division in 1938. Promoted to ''
generalleutnant () is the German-language variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO ...
'' in August 1939, he led the division through 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 the French Campaign before it was withdrawn from the front in August 1940 for conversion to armour. Now designated the
14th Panzer Division The 14th Panzer Division () was an armoured division in the German Army during World War II. It was created in 1940 by the conversion of the 4th Infantry Division. The division took part in the invasion of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, eve ...
, Hansen oversaw its initial training in armoured warfare. Hansen was promoted to ''General der Kavallerie'' (General of the Cavalry) before taking command of LIV Army Corps in 1941, operating on the Eastern Front. Soon afterwards, on 4 September 1941, he was awarded 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 ...
. In 1943, he commanded the German Military Mission in Romania in addition to being Military Commander, Romania. On 25 August 1944, after
King Michael's Coup King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by ...
, he was arrested by Romanian troops and held at the in Bucharest. He was taken by Soviet troops on 2 September 1944 together with the other captured German generals. He was held in the Soviet Union until 1955. On his return to Germany, he lived in Hamburg.


Notes

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References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Erik Oskar 1889 births 1967 deaths Military personnel from Hamburg German Army generals of World War II Generals of Cavalry (Wehrmacht) German Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Recipients of the Order of Michael the Brave, 2nd class German prisoners of war in World War II held by the Soviet Union