Job Wilhelm Georg Erwin Erdmann von Witzleben (4 December 1881 – 8 August 1944) was a German ''
Generalfeldmarschall
''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire, (''Reichsgeneralfeldmarsch ...
'' (
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
) 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 ...
'' and
''Oberbefehlshaber West'' (Commander in Chief in the West), during the
Second World War
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 ...
. A leading conspirator in the
20 July plot
The 20 July plot, sometimes referred to as Operation Valkyrie, was a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the chancellor and leader of Nazi Germany, and overthrow the Nazi regime on 20 July 1944. The plotters were part of the German r ...
to assassinate
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
, he was designated to become
Commander-in-Chief of the ''Wehrmacht'' in a post-Nazi regime, had the plot succeeded. After being dishonourably discharged by the ''
Ehrenhof'' (Court of Honor), he was
murdered
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excu ...
, after a
show trial
A show trial is a public trial in which the guilt (law), guilt or innocence of the defendant has already been determined. The purpose of holding a show trial is to present both accusation and verdict to the public, serving as an example and a d ...
from the
''Volksgerichtshof'' (People's Court).
Early years
Erwin von Witzleben was born in Breslau (now
Wrocław
Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
, Poland) in the
Prussian province of Silesia
The Province of Silesia (; ; ) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1919. The Silesia region was part of the Prussian realm since 1742 and established as an official province in 1815, then became part of the German Empire in 1871. In 1919, as ...
, the son of Georg von Witzleben (1838–1898), a ''
Hauptmann
() is an officer rank in the armies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is usually translated as ''captain''.
Background
While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has, and originally had, the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literall ...
'' (captain) in the
Prussian Army, and his wife, Therese née Brandenburg. The Witzleben family was an ''
Uradel
(, German: "ancient nobility"; adjective or ) is a genealogical term introduced in late 18th-century Germany to distinguish those families whose noble rank can be traced to the 14th century or earlier. The word stands opposed to '' Briefadel'' ...
'' family of old nobility and many military officers, originating in
Witzleben,
Thuringia
Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area.
Er ...
.
Witzleben completed the Prussian
Cadet Corps program at
Liegnitz Ritter-Akademie in Silesia and in
Lichterfelde near
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, and on 22 June 1901 joined Grenadier Regiment ''König Wilhelm I'' No. 7 in Liegnitz, Silesia (now
Legnica
Legnica (; , ; ; ) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River and the Czarna Woda. As well as being the seat of the county, since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica. Le ...
, Poland) as a ''
Leutnant'' (lieutenant). In 1910, he was promoted to ''
Oberleutnant
(English: First Lieutenant) is a senior lieutenant Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German (language), German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. In Austria, ''Oberle ...
'' (first lieutenant).
In 1907 he married Else Kleeberg from
Chemnitz
Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt (); ; ) is the third-largest city in the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden, and the fourth-largest city in the area of former East Germany after (East Be ...
, Saxony with whom he had a son and a daughter.
First World War
At the beginning of the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Witzleben served as brigade
adjutant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...
in the 19th Reserve Infantry Brigade before being promoted to ''Hauptmann'' and company chief in the Reserve Infantry Regiment No.6 in October 1914. Later, in the same regiment, he became battalion commander. His unit fought in
Verdun
Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department.
In 843, the Treaty of V ...
, the
Champagne
Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
region and
Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
among other places. He was seriously wounded and was awarded the
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 ...
, both first and second classes. Afterwards, he was sent to
General Staff
A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...
training and witnessed the war end as First General Staff Officer of the
121st Division.
The Interwar Years
Retained in 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 ...
'' following the end of the war, Witzleben first held a company commander position. In 1923, he found himself as a ''
Major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
'' on the staff of the
Fourth Division in
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
. In 1928, he became a battalion commander in the 6th Infantry Regiment and retained that position as ''
Oberstleutnant
() (English: Lieutenant Colonel) is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, ...
'' (lieutenant colonel) the following year. After promotion to ''
Oberst
''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...
'' (colonel) in 1931, he became commanding officer of 8th (Prussian) Infantry Regiment in
Frankfurt an der Oder
Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (, ; Marchian dialects, Central Marchian: ''Frankfort an de Oder,'' ) is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Brandenburg after Potsdam, Cottbus and Brandenburg an der Havel. With a ...
.
Shortly before
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
seized power with the
Enabling Act of 1933, Witzleben became commanding officer of
Infanterieführer VI in
Hanover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
. He was promoted to ''
Generalmajor
is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries.
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...
'' (major general) on 1 February 1934 and moved to
Potsdam
Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...
as the new commander of the
3rd Infantry Division. He succeeded General
Werner von Fritsch
Thomas Ludwig Werner Freiherr von Fritsch (4 August 1880 – 22 September 1939) was a German ''Generaloberst'' (Full General, full general) who served as Oberkommando des Heeres, Commander-in-Chief of the German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army fro ...
as commander of ''
Wehrkreis III'' in which role he remained from 1934 to 1938. He was 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 ...
'' (lieutenant general) and in the newly established ''
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 ...
'' became commander of
III Army Corps in Berlin in September 1935. In 1936, he was promoted to ''
General der Infanterie'' (general of infantry).
As early as 1934, Witzleben showed his opposition to the
Nazi
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
regime when he and generals
Erich von Manstein
Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein (born Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski; 24 November 1887 – 9 June 1973) was a Germans, German Officer (armed forces), military officer of Poles (people), Polish descent who served as a ''Generalfeld ...
,
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb
Wilhelm Josef Franz Ritter von Leeb (5 September 1876 – 29 April 1956) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field marshal, Field Marshal) of the ''Wehrmacht'' during the Second World War, who was subsequently convicted of war crimes. Leeb w ...
, and
Gerd von Rundstedt
Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (12 December 1875 – 24 February 1953) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field Marshal) in the ''German Army (1935–1945), Heer'' (Army) of Nazi Germany and OB West, ''Oberbefehlshaber West'' (Commande ...
demanded an inquiry into the deaths of generals
Kurt von Schleicher
Kurt Ferdinand Friedrich Hermann von Schleicher (; 7 April 1882 – 30 June 1934) was a German military officer and the penultimate Chancellor of Germany#First German Republic (Weimar Republic, 1919–1933), chancellor of Germany during the Weim ...
and
Ferdinand von Bredow
Ferdinand von Bredow (16 May 1884 – 30 June 1934) was a German ''Generalmajor'' and head of the ''Abwehr'' (the military intelligence service) in the Ministry of the Reichswehr, Reich Defence Ministry and deputy defence minister in Von Schleic ...
in the
Night of the Long Knives
The Night of the Long Knives (, ), also called the Röhm purge or Operation Hummingbird (), was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany from 30 June to 2 July 1934. Chancellor Adolf Hitler, urged on by Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler, ord ...
. As a result of that and his criticism of Hitler's persecution of Fritsch in the
Blomberg–Fritsch Affair, Witzleben was forced into early retirement in 1938. His retirement did not last however, as Hitler soon needed him in the preparations for the
Second World War
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 ...
.
Starting in 1937, Witzleben was a member of the
Oster Conspiracy
The Oster Conspiracy, also called the September Conspiracy (), of 1938 was a proposed plan to overthrow German ''Führer'' Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Germany, Nazi regime if Germany went to war with Czechoslovakia over the Sudetenland. It was led ...
, a group of plotters including ''
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 ...
'' (colonel general)
Ludwig Beck
Ludwig August Theodor Beck (; 29 June 1880 – 20 July 1944) was a German general who served as Chief of the German General Staff from 1933 to 1938. Beck was one of the main conspirators of the 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
...
, generals
Erich Hoepner
Erich Kurt Richard Hoepner (14 September 1886 – 8 August 1944) was a German general during World War II. An early proponent of mechanisation and armoured warfare, he was a Wehrmacht Heer army corps commander at the beginning of the war, lead ...
and
Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel
Carl-Heinrich Rudolf Wilhelm von Stülpnagel (2 January 1886 – 30 August 1944) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who was an army level commander. While serving as military commander of German-occupied France and as com ...
,
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
and Chief of the ''
Abwehr
The (German language, German for ''resistance'' or ''defence'', though the word usually means ''counterintelligence'' in a military context) ) was the German military intelligence , military-intelligence service for the ''Reichswehr'' and the ...
''
Wilhelm Canaris
Wilhelm Franz Canaris (1 January 1887 – 9 April 1945) was a admiral (Germany), German admiral and the chief of the ''Abwehr'' (the German military intelligence, military-intelligence service) from 1935 to 1944. Initially a supporter of Ad ...
and Abwehr
Oberstleutnant
() (English: Lieutenant Colonel) is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, ...
(Lieutenant Colonel)
Hans Oster
''Generalmajor'' Hans Paul Oster (9 August 1887 – 9 April 1945) was a general in the ''Wehrmacht'' and a leading figure of the anti-Nazi German resistance from 1938 to 1943. As deputy head of the counter-espionage bureau in the ''Abwehr'' (Ge ...
. The men planned to overthrow Hitler in a military
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup
, is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
and avert another European war, which seemed highly likely during the 1938
Sudetenland Crisis, until the
Munich Agreement
The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–194 ...
both shocked and demoralized the plotters. Witzleben's units, which garrisoned the Berlin Defense District, were to have played a decisive role in the planned coup.
In November 1938, Witzleben was installed as commander-in-chief of
Army Group Command 2 based in Frankfurt. He was also involved in ''Generaloberst''
Kurt Freiherr von Hammerstein-Equord's conspiracy plans of 1939. Hammerstein-Equord planned to seize Hitler outright in a kind of frontal assault while Witzleben would shut down the Nazi headquarters, but the plan was also abandoned.
Second World War
In September 1939, Witzleben, then a ''Generaloberst'', took command of the
1st Army, stationed at the
Western Front. When
Germany attacked France on 10 May 1940, the First Army was part of
Army Group C
Army Group C () was an army group of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. In its first deployment between 1939 and 1941, its main assignment was the defense of the Franco-German border during the Phony War and the Western Campaign, after whi ...
. On 14 June it broke through the
Maginot line
The Maginot Line (; ), named after the Minister of War (France), French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by French Third Republic, France in the 1930s to deter invas ...
, and within three days had forced several French divisions to surrender. For this, Witzleben was decorated with 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 ...
; and on 19 July, he was promoted to ''
Generalfeldmarschall
''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire, (''Reichsgeneralfeldmarsch ...
'' (field marshal) during the
1940 Field Marshal Ceremony
The 1940 field marshal ceremony was a promotion ceremony held at the Kroll Opera House in Berlin in which Adolf Hitler promoted twelve General officer, generals to the rank of ''Generalfeldmarschall'' ("field marshal") on 19 July 1940. It was the ...
.
On 1 May 1941 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief
OB West
''Oberbefehlshaber West'' ( German: initials ''OB West'') (German: "Commander-in-Chief n theWest") was the overall commander of the '' Westheer'', the German armed forces on the Western Front during World War II. It was directly subordinate to t ...
, succeeding ''Generalfeldmarschall'' Rundstedt, but only a year later, on 15 March 1942, he took leave from that position for health reasons. Some sources, however, claim that he was again forcibly retired at this time after he had criticized the regime for its invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941 in
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...
.
20 July 1944
In 1944, the conspirators around
Claus von Stauffenberg saw Witzleben as the key man in their plans. Whereas ''Generaloberst'' Beck was seen as a prospective provisional
head of state
A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...
, and ''Generaloberst'' Hoepner was in line to command the inner ''Ersatzheer'' ("
Replacement Army") forces, Witzleben was to become commander-in-chief of the ''Wehrmacht'', becoming the ranking officer of the new regime.
However, on 20 July 1944, the day of Stauffenberg's attempt on Hitler's life at the
Wolf's Lair in
East Prussia
East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...
, Witzleben did not arrive at the
Bendlerblock
The Bendlerblock () is a building complex in the Tiergarten (Berlin), Tiergarten district of Berlin, Germany, located on Stauffenbergstraße (formerly named ''Bendlerstraße''). Erected in 1914 as headquarters of several Imperial German Navy (''Ka ...
in Berlin from the OKH-HQ (''
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 ...
'' headquarters) at
Zossen to assume command of the coup forces until 8 p.m., when it was already clear that the coup attempt had failed. He then protested angrily that it had been bungled and left after 45 minutes to return to Zossen, where he reported the situation to ''
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 ...
''
Eduard Wagner and then drove back to his country estate, 30 mi away, where he was arrested the next day by ''Generalleutnant''
Viktor Linnarz of the OKH personnel office.
He was then cast out of the ''Wehrmacht'' by the so-called "
Court of Honour" (''Ehrenhof''), a conclave of officers set up after the attempted assassination to remove officers from the Wehrmacht who had been involved in the plot, mainly so that they were no longer subject to
German military law and could be arraigned in a show trial before the Nazi
People's Court (''Volksgerichtshof'').
Trial and death
On 7 August 1944, Witzleben was in the first group of accused conspirators to be brought before the People's Court. Ravaged by the conditions of his
Gestapo
The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe.
The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...
arrest, he surprisingly approached the bench giving the
Nazi salute
The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute, or the ''Sieg Heil'' salute, is a gesture that was used as a greeting in Nazi Germany. The salute is performed by extending the right arm from the shoulder into the air with a straightened han ...
, for which he was rebuked by the presiding judge
Roland Freisler.
Witzleben was sentenced to death on the same day. Witzleben gave these closing words in court, addressed to Freisler:
Much of the court proceedings, including scenes of Witzleben's trial, was filmed for the German weekly newsreel ''
Die Deutsche Wochenschau''; however, Propaganda Minister
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and philologist who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief Propaganda in Nazi Germany, propagandist for the Nazi Party, and ...
decided against releasing the footage, firstly because Freisler's abusive ranting in the courtroom might draw sympathy for the accused, and secondly because the regime wanted to quell public discussion of the event. The material was classified as secret (''Geheime Reichssache'').
Witzleben was put to death the same day at
Plötzensee Prison
Plötzensee Prison (, JVA Plötzensee) is a men's prison in the Charlottenburg-Nord locality of Berlin with a capacity for 577 prisoners, operated by the State of Berlin judicial administration. The detention centre established in 1868 has a lon ...
in Berlin. By Hitler's direct orders, he was hanged from a
meat hook with a thin hemp rope, often mistakenly reported as a
piano wire
Piano wire, or "music wire", is a specialized type of wire made for use in piano string (music), strings but also in other applications as Spring (device), springs. It is made from tempering (metallurgy), tempered high-carbon steel, also known ...
, and the execution was filmed, with the footage since lost.
Following his execution for treason his family was stripped of pension claims and subsequently lived in poverty well into the post-war years.
Decorations
*
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 Class
** 1st Class
*
Wound Badge
The Wound Badge () was a German military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was first awarded to soldiers of the Imperial German Army, German Army who were wounded during World War I. Between the worl ...
(1914)
** in Black
*
Knight's Cross of the House Order of Hohenzollern
*
Knight of Justice of the Order of Saint John
*
Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
*
Sudetenland Medal
*
West Wall Medal
*
Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
** 2nd Class
** 1st Class
*
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 24 June 1940 as
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 ...
and commander of 1. Armee
*
Military Merit Order, 4th class with Swords (Bavaria)
*
Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg
*
Cross of Honour 3rd Class with swords and crown (Reuss)
*
Wound Badge
The Wound Badge () was a German military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was first awarded to soldiers of the Imperial German Army, German Army who were wounded during World War I. Between the worl ...
of 1918 in Black
* Prussian
Service Award Cross
*
Silesian Eagle, 2nd class
*
Knight of Honour of the Order of Saint John
*
Wehrmacht Long Service Award
The Wehrmacht Long Service Award () was a List of military decorations of the Third Reich, military service decoration of Nazi Germany issued for satisfactory completion of a number of years in military service.
History
On 16 March 1936, Adolf ...
, 1st class with Oak Leaves
*
German Olympic Decoration, 1st class
Depiction in media
* Witzleben's role in the 1944 plot to overthrow Hitler is depicted in a novel published by
William L. Shirer, and described at much greater length in Shirer's 1960 history of Nazi Germany, ''
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich''.
[William L. Shirer, ''The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany'' (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1960), Chapter 29.]
* East German actor Otto Dierichs depicted Witzleben in the 1970 Eastern Bloc co-production ''
Liberation''.
*
Joachim Bißmeier portrays Witzleben in the 2004 TV film, ''
Stauffenberg''.
* English actor
David Schofield portrays Witzleben in the 2008 film ''
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ( or ; from ) is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become ('single fighters' or 'once fighters').Orchard (1997:36) and Li ...
''.
See also
*
Assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler
This is an incomplete list of documented attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler.Christian Zentner, Friedemann Bedürftig (1991). '' The Encyclopedia of the Third Reich'', pp. 47–48. Macmillan, New York.
All attempts occurred in the German Reich, ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
* http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/biografien/WitzlebenErwin/index.html
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Witzleben, Erwin Von
1881 births
1944 deaths
Executed members of the 20 July plot
Executed military leaders
German Army personnel of World War I
German Army World War II field marshals
Lieutenant generals of the Reichswehrvon
Military personnel from the Province of Silesia
Military personnel from Wrocław
People executed by hanging at Plötzensee Prison
Protestants in the German Resistance
Prussian Army personnel
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class
Thuringian nobility