Kurt Oskar Heinrich Ludwig Wilhelm von Tippelskirch (9 October 1891 – 10 May 1957) was a German general 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 ...

who commanded several armies and

Army Group Vistula Army Group Vistula () was an Army Group of the ''Wehrmacht'', formed on 24 January 1945. It lasted for 105 days, having been put together from elements of Army Group A (shattered in the Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive), Army Group Centre (similar ...

. He surrendered to the United States Army on 2 May 1945. Tippelskirch wrote several books, such as the ''History of the Second World War'', 1951. He died in 1957.

Early life and World War I

Kurt von Tippelskirch was born on 9 October 1891 in

Charlottenburg Charlottenburg () is a Boroughs and localities of Berlin, locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Established as a German town law, town in 1705 and named after Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen consort of Kingdom ...

in the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

as the son of Hans von Tippelskirch (1863–1945), a Prussian ''

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 ...

'', and Helene, ''née'' Stuckenschmidt (1865–1946). After graduation from the Prussian cadet corps, Tippelskirch entered the Prussian Army on 24 June 1909 as a '' Fähnrich'' in ''Königin Elisabeth Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3'', an elite Prussian Guards regiment. He was commissioned a ''Leutnant'' on 20 March 1911 with a Patent of 24 June 1909. He went into the field with his regiment in

World War I 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 ...

and was wounded in the

First Battle of the Marne The First Battle of the Marne or known in France as the Miracle on the Marne () was a battle of the First World War fought from the 5th to the 12th September 1914. The German army invaded France with a plan for winning the war in 40 days by oc ...

, falling into French captivity and later internment in Switzerland.German Federal Archives (Bundesarchiv), Personalakte von Kurt von Tippelskirch, BArch PERS 6/369

Interwar years

Tippelskirch returned from Switzerland in 1919 and was promoted on 3 September 1919 to ''Oberleutnant'' with a Patent of 18 June 1915 and to ''Hauptmann'' with a Patent of 20 June 1918. He was accepted into 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 ...

, serving in the ''9. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment'' in

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 ...

. On 16 March 1920, he married Elli, ''née'' Gallenkamp. On 1 April 1924, he was transferred to the military intelligence section in the

Ministry of the Reichswehr The Ministry of the Reichswehr () was the defence ministry of Germany from 1919 to 1938 during the Weimar Republic and early Nazi Germany periods. It was responsible for the '' Reichswehr'' under the leadership of the Minister of Defence and base ...

. On 1 October 1926, he was transferred to the ''14. Reiter-Regiment'' while remaining tasked to the Ministry of the Reichswehr. On 1 April 1927 he was transferred to the staff of the 3rd Division in Berlin. He returned to the staff of the Ministry of the Reichswehr on 1 October 1929 and was promoted to Major on 1 February 1930. On 1 February 1933, Tippelskirch was promoted to ''

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, ...

'' and on 1 October 1933, he was named a battalion commander in the ''5. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment''. He then assisted with the formation of Infanterie-Regiment 27, where he was named commander of a half-regiment and later of the regiment. On 1 March 1935, he was promoted 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 ...

''. Tippelskirch was named a section chief in the General Staff of the Army on 6 October 1936, placing him in charge of military intelligence for threats from the west (''Abteilung Fremde Heere West''). He was promoted to ''

'' on 1 April 1938 and on 10 November 1938, he was named ''Oberquartiermeister IV'' in the General Staff of the Army, placing him in overall charge of military intelligence.

World War II

Tippelskirch remained on the General Staff in the early stages of World War II. 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 ...

'' on 1 June 1940 and participated in the negotiations of the Armistice of 22 June 1940. On 5 January 1941, Tippelskirch took command of the 30th Infantry Division, which participated 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 ...

. As part of

Army Group North Army Group North () was the name of three separate army groups of the Wehrmacht during World War II. Its rear area operations were organized by the Army Group North Rear Area. The first Army Group North was deployed during the invasion of Pol ...

, the division prevented the breakthrough of a Soviet corps on the river Pola and then went on to counterattack. The battle lasted a week and Tippelskirch, having distinguished himself as commander of the division, 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 ...

on 23 November. In early 1942, the 30th Infantry Division was encircled in the Demyansk Pocket, and Tippelskirch was ordered to be flown out. On 4 June 1942, Tippelskirch was placed in the '' Führerreserve'' (Leaders Reserve) of the German Army and on 27 August 1942 he was promoted to '' General der Infanterie'' (his seniority date as general was adjusted to 1 February 1942 on 16 November 1942). On 11 September 1942, he was assigned as the liaison officer of the Italian 8th Army near the Don river. This position was extremely difficult for Tippelskirch because he had no German staff at his disposal and the Italians were reluctant to seek advice from German officers. The Italian 8th Army was sent into the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad ; see . rus, links=on, Сталинградская битва, r=Stalingradskaya bitva, p=stəlʲɪnˈɡratskəjə ˈbʲitvə. (17 July 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, ...

at the end of the year. Tippelskirch was recalled from the front in February 1943 and returned to the ''Führerreserve''. On 16 February 1943, Tippelskirch became the commanding general of the XII Army Corps. He retained this position until 4 June 1944, when he had to assume temporary command of the 4th Army from General Gotthard Heinrici. Soon after,

Operation Bagration Operation Bagration () was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (), a military campaign fought between 22 June and 19 August 1944 in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Byelorussia in the Eastern ...

against

Army Group Center Army Group Centre () was the name of two distinct strategic German Army Groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created during the planning of Operation Barbarossa, Germany's invasion of the So ...

began on 22 June. The 4th Army was defending the

Mogilev Mogilev (; , ), also transliterated as Mahilyow (, ), is a city in eastern Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, about from the Belarus–Russia border, border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from Bryansk Oblast. As of 2024, ...

area and repeatedly requested permission to retreat. The approval came too late, but Tippelskirch along with most of the army managed to withdraw to behind the Dnieper, although 4th Army was still threatened by three Soviet fronts. The 4th Army was encircled east of Minsk on 1 July 1944, and most units of the army were forced to surrender on 8 July 1944. Tippelskirch himself was at the time outside the pocket and escaped capture. On 18 July 1944 Tippelskirch suffered severe injuries in a plane crash. He was placed in the ''Führerreserve'' and hospitalized until 19 August 1944.German Federal Archives (Bundesarchiv), Generalskartei von Kurt von Tippelskirch, BArch PERS 6/301102 On 30 July he received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves for his achievements in the fighting at Mogilev. From 29 October to 22 November 1944, he replaced the ailing Otto von Knobelsdorff as the commander of the 1st Army in Lorraine. On 28 November 1944, he was sent on a special mission by Hitler to the Supreme Command West. On 6 December of the same year, for the duration of the absence of

Joachim Lemelsen Joachim Lemelsen (28 September 1888 – 30 March 1954) was a German general during World War II who rose to army-level command. During Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, troops of the XLVII Motorized Corps under hi ...

, he was tasked with the command of the 14th Army during the Italian campaign. He led the 14th Army until the end of February 1945. On 25 April 1945, Tippelskirch took command of the 21st Army in Mecklenburg and Brandenburg. On 29 April however, General Gotthard Heinrici now the commander of

was dismissed, and Tippelskirch was ordered by Field Marshal

Wilhelm Keitel Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (; 22 September 188216 October 1946) was a German field marshal who held office as chief of the (OKW), the high command of Nazi Germany's armed forces, during World War II. He signed a number of criminal ...

to temporarily take over command of the army group. He reluctantly did so, taking the opportunity to negotiate with the Western Allies. He surrendered on 2 May 1945 in the Ludwigslust area to American forces. Tippelskirch was interned in British custody until January 1948.

Awards and decorations

German

: **

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 ...

2nd Class (18 November 1914)Thomas 1998, p. 382. ** Iron Cross 1st Class (20 December 1919) *

German Empire 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 ...

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 ...

in Black (9 August 1919) *

Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg) The Bailiwick of Brandenburg of the Chivalric Order of Saint John of the Hospital at Jerusalem (), commonly known as the Order of Saint John or the Johanniter Order (German: ''Johanniterorden''), is the Germans, German Protestantism, Protestant b ...

, Knight of Honor (June 1923) *

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 ...

: ** Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 for Combatants **

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 ...

, 4th to 1st Class (2 October 1936) ** Sudetenland Medal with Prague Castle Bar (30 September 1939) ** 1939 Clasp to the Iron Cross 2nd Class (30 September 1939) ** 1939 Clasp to the Iron Cross 1st Class (31 May 1940) ** Eastern Front Medal (26 August 1942) ** Demyansk Shield **

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves 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 lower in precedence than the Grand C ...

*** Knight's Cross on 23 November 1941 as ''

'' and commander of the 30. Infanterie-DivisionScherzer 2007, p. 746. *** 539th Oak Leaves on 30 July 1944 as '' General der Infanterie'' and deputy commander-in-chief of the 4. Armee

Foreign

Kingdom of Greece The Kingdom of Greece (, Romanization, romanized: ''Vasíleion tis Elládos'', pronounced ) was the Greece, Greek Nation state, nation-state established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally ...

: **

Order of the Redeemer The Order of the Redeemer (), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state. Establishment The establishment of the Orde ...

, Officer's Cross (19 June 1914) ** Order of the Phoenix, Grand Commander (18 February 1939) *

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...

, Commander (1937) *

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, a ...

, Officer's Cross (1937) *

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

: Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd Class (12 January 1938) *

Republic of Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

: Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (23 October 1933) *

Slovak Republic Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's ...

: Commemorative Medal For The Defence Of Slovakia (14 March 1940) * Spanish State: Imperial Order of the Yoke and Arrows, ''Encomienda con Placa''''Boletin Oficial del Estado'', 20 January 1941 *

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () h ...

: Order of the Crown of Yugoslavia, Commander (12 January 1938)

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tippelskirch, Kurt Von 1891 births 1957 deaths Military personnel from Berlin German Army generals of World War II Generals of Infantry (Wehrmacht) Prussian Army personnel Military personnel from the Province of Brandenburg Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves World War I prisoners of war held by France German prisoners of war in World War I German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United Kingdom Reichswehr personnel German Army personnel of World War I People from Charlottenburg