Was guderian truly the father of the blitzkrieg, as one book publisher contended. Many of the german wehrmacht commanders continued to fight the russians after the fall of berlin solely to provide german civilians with a chance to flee to areas occupied by the western allies. From 15 february 1945, at the insistence of general heinz guderian, wenck commanded the german forces involved in operation solstice unternehmen sonnenwende on the eastern front. After the war by carol matas tells the story of a group of jewish holocaust survivors trying to find healing and a home amid the ashes of world war 2. Model was a tough and tenacious commander, particularly when on the defensive, and his career rise was virtually unprecedented in german military history. Balck, driving forward with his operations officer, major kienitz, met his old friend, colonel walther wenck, who was serving as romanian 3d armys german chief of staff. Introduction war, atrocities, resistance the coup against hitler from failing hands. Walther wenck 18 september 1900 1 may 1982 was the youngest general in the german army and a highly experienced staff officer during world war ii. This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the walther wenck article.
He was also a recipient of the knights cross of the iron cross with oak leaves and swords. The conquest of berlin by the soviets to end the wwii for the germans was a horrible affair. Walther wenck september 18, 1900 may 1, 1982 was a german general who commanded the 12th army during the battle of berlin. The ones published during the war and soon after tend to be the very best books. Top 5 weird ww2 german prototypes that actually flew duration. Meet the man who designed germanys unstoppable world war ii. When he heard the news from hitlers adjutant general burgdorf, his first.
Wenck was one of the last men to cross the river to safety after the collapse of the german army on the elbe. If the comment wasnt removed, you probably missed the context. Wencks 12th army aprilmay 1945 weapons and warfare. With the help of construction battalions and rapid response forces, the romanians had managed to cobble together a. Just click on any picture below to make it large for viewing max sachsenheimer max heinrich sachsenheimer, 5 december 1909 2 june 1973, was a german generalmajor, serving during world war ii. The 480 code was replaced after two months with the code ac, which was used by walther for the remainder of the war.
They are there to take decisions on britains reaction to an international nuclear attack. After the war, when famine hit germany, he and his family were partly supported by money and food packages from sent by the kuomintang even when their own people were starving. Currently, wenck has taken it upon himself to house and feed a half million war refugees who have fled berlin. Wenck was the youngest general in the german army during world war ii. At fortythree, he is the youngest man in the wehrmacht to hold a generals rank. The operation was poorly planned and poorly supported, and ended in soviet victory on 18 february. Rommel against hitler hitlers revenge did a prussian save paris. General walther wencks 12th from its defense of the elbe turning its back on the american troops on the far side of the river and instead push it toward berlin. After world war i, hitler remained in the army and returned to munich, where he in contrast to his later declarations participated in the funeral march for the murdered bavarian prime minister kurt eisner. I highly recommend this book on this very important topic. In 1944, he became the chief of staff of army group south ukraine. What are some of the details of what walther wenck did in. Stalin, ever distrustful and ever deceitful, poured thousands of troops into the exercise to make sure that the western allies did not beat him to berlin.
Under general walther wenck, the 12th army made the last attempt by a. This operation was one of the last tank offensive operations of the third reich on the eastern front. Released in 1955 after serving a period of 10 years g karl weidling. What are some of the details of what walther wenck did in the battle. Nevertheless, hitler knew that he soon would have to commit suicide. After the war sentenced to death a photographer who took pictures of thousands of auschwitz prisoners during world war ii, died on tuesday. Click here to start a new topic please sign and date your posts by typing four tildes new to wikipedia. Wenck was a talented general, and enjoyed if that is the word a distinguished career on the eastern front, serving a considerable period in command of german forces operating in conjunction with romanian forces he was highly decorated by romania, and in key staff posts. Their fear of what the russians would do to the german people they captured drove them to fight on.
When the european war of ww2 began, he was the chief of operations of the 1st panzer division and served in france. With the centenary of the wars commencement many new volumes are being published. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from wikipedia or other free sources online. See more ideas about wwii, german army and world war. Soldier of the queen the goff family war thrillers book 1. At the end of the war, he commanded the german twelfth army that took part in. But, after six months of fighting the italians, the greeks could not stand up to.
He was arrested, tried and found to be not guilty of war crimes and released in 1947. On 10041945, as general of panzer troops, wenck was made the commander of the german twelfth army located to the west of berlin, he succeeded generaloberst alexander lohr. Wenck, walther, born 18091900 in wittenberg, to army officer maximilian wenck, was the youngest general in the german army during world war ii. Model really made his mark late in the war, when time was. Admiral genl jodl senior general on hitlers staff hanged as war criminal genl keitel senior general on hitlers s. Walther wencks 12th army, heading toward potsdam and berlin, would succeed. In addition, the main character walther wolfe, is in reality the german general walther wenck with. That referred to the 12th army of general walther wenck, on whom. This is not a forum for general discussion of the articles subject put new text under old text.
Walther wenck, youngest german army general, commander of the 12th army. It teaches all ages what the firey colt was all about and the boy who wouldnt, and couldnt, leave his side. On a side note concerning walther wenck during the final moments of the war with berlin practically completely. He also won the knights cross with swords of the hohenzollern order. He lost two brothers in the first world war, helmuth, age 19 on 27031915 in russia and hans ulrich, also age 19 on 09041918 in france. The fall of berlin 1945 by antony beevor librarything. I am not the kind of person who cries in movies but he can, and has, made me cry. In february 1945, wenck was chief of staff of himmlers army group vistula, and. By the end of the day on 27 april, the soviet forces encircling berlin linked up and the forces inside the city were cut off. Randall hansen a brilliant examination of german disobedience to hitler after the failed july 20, 1944 assassination attempt by colonel stauffenberg, considering its extent, nature, and effect on the conduct of the. At the end of the war, he commanded the german twelfth army. In addition, the main character walther wolfe, is in reality the german general walther wenck with just some of the details changed. In its structure, it follows a countdown formula from day to daybut within this framework it also takes a thematic approach, bringing out the complex.
Her entire family wiped out in the holocaust, the fifteenyearold girl has nowhere to go. Walther wenck was the youngest general of the branch1 in the german army. Most discussions of german resistance during world war ii end here, with the failed july 20 plot and the subsequent execution of its leaders. On 1 may 1982, wenck died while on a trip to austria, when his car collided. Following the commencement of the soviet operation uranus, wencks. This book tells the story of the last ten days of the war, from the death of hitler on april 30 to the celebration of veday in moscow on may 9, a day after it is held in the west. A readers edition, and proper distinction between law and gospel, and more on. Hitlers final words, his political testament, personal. Although it successfully reached potsdam, the 12th army was stopped by numerically superior soviet red army forces and forced to abandon the effort to relieve berlin. Ferdinand sauerbruch ernst ferdinand sauerbruch, 3 july 1875 2 july 1951, was. Walter is a wonderful writer and truley gets his readers in to his stories. Since then, thousands of books of blackandwhite photographs of the war have been published as all nations endeavour to comprehend the scale and the carnage of the greatest. Walther wenck, 18 september 1900 1 may 1982, was the youngest general in the german army during world war ii.
Walther wencks 12th army, heading toward potsdam and. At the end of the war, he commanded the german twelfth army that took part in the battle of berlin historians consider wenck a capable commander and a brilliant improviser, although. At the end of the war, he commanded the german twelfth army that took part. During the final battle of berlin in 1945 the genral of the 12th army, walther wenck realized that the end of war was coming, and instead of trying to defeat the advancing soviet forces as his orders were, he used his army to create an escape corridor out of berlin. Ernst hermann august theodor busse 15 december 1897 21 october 1986 was a german officer during world war i and world war ii. In the final days of the second world war the german general walther wenck was ordered to attack the advancing russians with his 12th army to liberate berlin. Walther wenck on the afternoon of 22 april hitler sent keitel southwest of the city to give general walther wenck and his 12th army orders to come to the rescue of berlin and send the red hordes packing. Ordered to assault and retake berlin from the soviets with.
On the afternoon of 22 april hitler sent keitel southwest of the city to give general walther wenck and his 12th army orders to come to the rescue of berlin and send the red hordes packing. This volume details the military career and accomplishments of walther model, the youngest generalfeldmarschall in the wehrmacht in world war ii and hitlers favourite commander. Man o war is a book that tells all about the life of big redman o war. Production stopped when american forces captured the.
This gun may have been a german police gun as it has a stamping on the left side that is xed out. Guderian, true to his early war nickname of hurrying heinz, strongly. From february 15, 1945, at the request of heinz guderian, wenck took command of the troops involved in operation solstice. Black hard rubber walther banner grips are very good,and comes with one finger rest factory mag. Members of the underground organizationbrichahfind her, and she joins them in their dangerous quest to smuggle. Walther wenck project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Before doing so, he wished to marry his longtime mistress, eva braun, and write his inal political testament and personal will. Walther wenck september 18, 1900 may 1, 1982 was the youngest general in the german army during world war ii. The first world war in colour is unique in that it is the only the photo history that i am aware of. War book takes place over three days as nine civil servants gather to take part in a policy shaping scenario. Contentsshow career busse, a native of frankfurt oder, joined the imperial german army as an officer cadet in 1915, and was commissioned in february 1917. The last section of the book, covering the story of general wolfes assignment to the th army and its heroic deeds, is exactly that of the real life general wenck and the 12th army he commanded. Berlin, germany free online library on history books. Peter walther has edited various publications on literary, photographic, and contemporary historical themes, including books on goethe, fontane, thomas mann, and writers in the first world war, as well as several illustrated books with historical color photographs.
Duc quyen, wellread in world war ii and the indochina wars. He became an industrialist and ran an arms manufacturing plant, and like his friend theordor busse, was offered a high position in the new german army. Walther wenck 18 september 1900 1 may 1982 was the youngest general in the german army. After war by chris coyne is a very powerful application of economic reasoning to help explain why it is so hard to export liberal democracy to failed nations states either after a war or after the collapse of an existing regime. Keitel met with wenck the next morning, 23 april, and blustered on at length. Wenck ordered his army to surrender to forces of the united states in. Wenck ordered his army to surrender to forces of the united states in order to avoid capture by the soviets. The protagonist, ruth mendenberg, feels like the nazis took everything but her life from her. What happened to the various german generals after ww2. General panzer by kenneth macksey books search engine good books, books. Wenck ordered his army to surrender to forces of the united states in order to. A nice portrait of walther wenck, possibly made in connection with the presentation of his knights cross of the iron cross. German gerneral heinz guderian with nachrichtentruppe in the. During the night of 28 april, wenck reported to the german supreme army command in fuerstenberg that his twelfth army had been forced back along the entire front.
670 1553 1124 1274 1063 811 670 1354 213 623 1229 215 651 78 1445 1209 1406 1288 505 36 1397 34 842 330 284 1095 38 1144 1471 1215 284 1366 1421 550 512 458 1486 1059 1433 76 589 380