Hermann Fegelein
Hermann Fegelein | |
---|---|
Birth name | Hans Georg Otto Hermann Fegelein |
Nickname(s) | "Flegelein"[a] |
Born | Ansbach, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire | 30 October 1906
Died | 28 April 1945 Berlin, Free State of Prussia, Nazi Germany | (aged 38)
Cause of death | Execution by shooting |
Allegiance |
|
Service/ | SS #66,680 |
Commands held | |
Known for | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
Spouse(s) |
Waldemar Fegelein (brother) |
Hans Otto Georg Hermann Fegelein (30 October 1906 – 28 April 1945) was a high-ranking commander in the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany. He was a member of Adolf Hitler's entourage and brother-in-law to Eva Braun through his marriage to her sister Gretl.
Fegelein joined a cavalry regiment of the
In September 1939, after the
After being seriously wounded in September 1943, Fegelein was reassigned by
Career
Fegelein was born in Ansbach, Bavaria, to the retired Oberleutnant Hans Fegelein. As a boy working at his father's equestrian school in Munich, he became a proficient rider and participated in jumping events. During this period he met Christian Weber, an original member of the Nazi Party. Weber later sponsored Fegelein's entry into the Schutzstaffel (SS).[2]
In 1925, after studying for two terms at Munich University, Fegelein joined the Reiter-Regiment 17 (Cavalry Regiment 17). On 20 April 1927, he joined the Bavarian State Police in Munich as an officer cadet.[3] In 1929 he left the police service when he was caught stealing examination solutions from a teaching superior's office. The official communication at the time was that he resigned for "family reasons". Fegelein later stated that he had left the police on "his own account" to better serve the Nazi Party and SS. His father had started the Reitinstitut Fegelein (Fegelein Riding Institute) in 1926. In Munich, Fegelein came into contact with Nazism and the SS. His father had made the institute available to the SS as a meeting place, and the training facilities and horses were used by equestrian units of the Sturmabteilung (SA) and SS.[4][5]
Fegelein joined the Nazi Party (membership number 1,200,158) and the SA in 1930. He transferred to the SS on 10 April 1933, with membership number 66,680.
Fegelein won the
World War II
In September 1939, Fegelein commanded the SS
On 15 December, the unit was split into two Standarten (regiments), with Fegelein commanding the 1. Standarte under the overall command of
Fegelein's unit took part in anti-partisan fighting against a group of about 100 former Polish soldiers in the area of Kammienna–Konsky–Kielce in March and April 1940. They killed about half the partisans and the remainder escaped. On 8 April, Fegelein's unit killed 250 Polish men in villages in the area. While in his report he described the behaviour of his troops as "clean and decent", there were many incidents in this period where his men behaved in an undisciplined way, killing and robbing civilians without being ordered to do so.[21]
In May and June 1940, Fegelein, who had been promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer of the
War against the Soviet Union
With the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which began on 22 June 1941, Fegelein saw active service on the Eastern Front. His unit was assigned on the 87th Infantry Division on 23 June to cover a gap in the lines of the 9th Army near Białystok. The motorized elements of the 1st SS Cavalry reached the right flank of the operational area on 24 June, but the mounted elements were unable to keep up. The exhausted horses had to be left behind and the men transported to the combat zone in lorries, while the horse-drawn artillery pieces were towed using any available vehicles. The first units to arrive crossed the Narew near Wizna and engaged the Soviets but were unable to break through. They were ordered to retreat and move further north. Infantry elements of the 87th Division captured Osowiec Fortress on 26 June, and Fegelein's cavalry was sent on a reconnaissance mission to the south-east. Himmler, unwilling to have his SS units under Wehrmacht control or used in combat other than as reserves, withdrew the SS cavalry from control of the 87th Division on 27 June. The ambitious Fegelein stressed in his reports that he believed his unit was combat ready and exaggerated its contribution to the operation. Ten of his men received the Iron Cross, Second Class for their efforts, and Fegelein was awarded the Iron Cross, First Class.[23]
The engagement demonstrated the shortcomings of the cavalry units in modern mobile warfare, which requires quick redeployments in ever-changing conditions. Fegelein sought to improve this by asking Himmler to combine the 1st and 2nd SS cavalry regiments into a brigade, with additional support units. As a temporary measure, Himmler assigned Fegelein to be in charge of both regiments.[24] Fegelein's unit was one of several that undertook field training and political indoctrination in the coming weeks.[25] Himmler addressed the 1st Cavalry on 5 July, offering the opportunity for any men unwilling to participate in the upcoming "special tasks" to transfer to another unit. Nobody took advantage of this offer, at least partly because Himmler did not say that the upcoming assignment included the mass shooting of unarmed civilians.[26]
On 19 July 1941, Himmler assigned Fegelein's regiments to the general command of HSSPF
Himmler notified Fegelein by telegram on 1 August that the numbers killed were far too low. A few days later, Himmler issued regimental order no. 42, which called for all male Jews over the age of 14 to be killed. The women and children were to be driven into the swamps and drowned. Thus Fegelein's units were among the first in the Holocaust to wipe out entire Jewish communities.[31] As the water in the swamps was too shallow and some areas had no swamps, it proved impractical to drown the women and children, so they were shot.[32] Fegelein's final report on the operation, dated 18 September 1941, states that they killed 14,178 Jews, 1,001 partisans, 699 Red Army soldiers, with 830 prisoners taken and losses of 17 dead, 36 wounded, and 3 missing.[33][34] The historian Henning Pieper estimates the actual number of Jews killed was closer to 23,700.[35]
Fegelein received the
Army Group Centre renewed their offensive on Moscow in mid-November.[38] Fegelein and the SS Cavalry Brigade were held back as an operational reserve in the rearward area of the 9th Army.[22] Massive counter-attacks by the Red Army led to a weakening of the entire German line, and the brigade was called in to fight at the front on 28 December. While Fegelein reported that his forces were the equivalent to one or two divisions, in reality he had only 4,428 men in total at this point, of which 1,800 were ready for action.[39] The brigade was deployed at the south-eastern sector of the XXIII Army Corps, where it defended against attacks in the rearward area of the 206th Infantry Division in the Battles of Rzhev.[22] The SS Cavalry Brigade took serious losses, with casualties of up to 60 per cent in some squadrons.[40]
On 1 February 1942, Fegelein was promoted to SS-Standartenführer in the Waffen-SS and transferred from the reserve force to active service. Four days later, on 5 February, Fegelein on his own initiative led an attack on a strong enemy group northwest of Chertolino. The attack, carried out in difficult weather conditions, secured an important road junction and the railway station at Chertolino. In a nocturnal attack on 9 February, the brigade encircled and destroyed enemy forces at Chertolino, killing 1,800 Red Army soldiers. Yershovo was captured on 14 February, leading to the annihilation of the enemy units in
Fegelein returned to the front line on 1 December 1942 and on the same day promoted to SS-
On 20 April 1943, he was appointed commander of the
The division was then deployed in defensive operations against massed Soviet attacks. From 26 August to 15 September, the division repulsed five attacks of divisional strength and a further 85 attacks of battalion strength. The heaviest combat occurred on 26 August near Bespalovka and on 28 August, when the division halted a Soviet breakthrough at Bol'shaya Gomol'sha. Fegelein led a counterattack on 8 September, recapturing the height 199,0 at Verkhniy Bishkin. On 11 September 1943, during these defensive battles, he was awarded the Close Combat Clasp in bronze. Fegelein was severely wounded on 30 September 1943 and was hospitalised for a few weeks. He received the German Cross in gold on 1 November 1943. Following his convalescence he was appointed chief of Amt VI—Office for Rider and Driver Training—in the SS-Führungshauptamt on 1 January 1944.[43]
At the same time, Himmler assigned him to Hitler's headquarters staff as his liaison officer and representative of the SS.
Marriage
Fegelein's politically motivated marriage to Gretl Braun, Eva Braun's sister, took place on 3 June 1944 in Salzburg. Historian Kershaw and journalist Shirer believe he courted Braun as a way to advance his career.[47][48] Hitler, Himmler, and Martin Bormann acted as witnesses at the ceremony.[49] A two-day celebration was then held at Hitler's and Bormann's Obersalzberg mountain homes and the Eagle's Nest.[50] Fegelein was a known playboy and had many extramarital affairs.[48] Hitler's secretaries, Christa Schroeder and Traudl Junge, state Fegelein was popular socially, particularly with women. He could be funny, amusing, and charming. Eva was glad to have someone in the entourage with whom she could dance and flirt, as Hitler was distant in social situations and refrained from publicly showing affection.[51] Fegelein worked hard to develop a friendship with Hitler's powerful private secretary, Martin Bormann. Fegelein consistently attended Bormann's drinking parties and told Junge that the only things that mattered were "his career and a life full of fun."[52]
Death
By early 1945, Germany's military situation was on the verge of total collapse. Hitler, presiding over a rapidly disintegrating
On 27 April 1945,
Journalist James P. O'Donnell, who conducted extensive interviews in the 1970s, provides one account of Fegelein's court martial. SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Mohnke, who presided over the court martial for desertion, told O'Donnell that Hitler ordered him to set up a tribunal. Mohnke arranged for a court martial panel, which consisted of generals Wilhelm Burgdorf, Hans Krebs, SS-Gruppenführer Johann Rattenhuber, and himself. Fegelein, still drunk, refused to accept that he had to answer to Hitler, and stated that he was responsible only to Himmler. Fegelein was so drunk that he was crying and vomiting; he was unable to stand up, and even urinated on the floor. Mohnke was in a quandary, as German military and civilian law both require a defendant to be of sound mind and to understand the charges against them. Although Mohnke was certain Fegelein was "guilty of flagrant desertion", it was the opinion of the judges that he was in no condition to stand trial, so Mohnke closed the proceedings and turned the defendant over to General Rattenhuber's security squad. Mohnke never saw Fegelein again.[66]
An alternative scenario of Fegelein's death is based on the 1948/49 Soviet NKVD dossier of Hitler written for Joseph Stalin. The dossier is based on the interrogation reports of Günsche and Heinz Linge (Hitler's valet). This dossier differs in part from the accounts given by Mohnke and Rattenhuber.[66][67] After the intoxicated Fegelein was arrested and taken back to the Führerbunker, Hitler at first ordered Fegelein to be transferred to Kampfgruppe "Mohnke" to prove his loyalty in combat. Günsche and Bormann expressed their concern to Hitler that Fegelein would desert again. Hitler then ordered Fegelein to be demoted and court-martialed by a court led by Mohnke.[68] At this point the accounts differ, as the NKVD dossier states that Fegelein was court-martialed on the evening of 28 April, by a court headed by Mohnke, SS-Obersturmbannführer Alfred Krause, and SS-Sturmbannführer Herbert Kaschula. Mohnke and his fellow officers sentenced Fegelein to death. That same evening, Fegelein was shot from behind by a member of the Sicherheitsdienst.[69] Based on this stated chain of events, author Veit Scherzer concluded that Fegelein, according to German military law, was deprived of all honours and honorary signs and must therefore be considered a de facto but not de jure recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.[70]
Assessment
Journalist William L. Shirer and historian Ian Kershaw characterise Fegelein as cynical and disreputable;[47][48] Albert Speer called him "one of the most disgusting people in Hitler's circle".[1] Historian Michael D. Miller describes Fegelein as an opportunist who ingratiated himself with Himmler, who in return granted him the best assignments—mostly related to cavalry—and rapid promotion through the ranks.[2][71] The historian Henning Pieper, who studied the period up until March 1942, notes Fegelein's lack of formal training as an officer led to deficiencies in the way the SS Cavalry Brigade was prepared for active service.[72] Fegelein repeatedly overstated the combat readiness of his troops and exaggerated their accomplishments, in Pieper's opinion in order to be seen as a leader worthy of promotion and honours.[73] Fegelein's faulty analysis of his brigade's readiness led to their use in December 1941 through March 1942 in combat situations for which they were unsuitable and untrained;[74] however, as the military situation was deteriorating, they would eventually have received front-line assignments regardless of their readiness.[75] By the end of March 1942, the brigade had suffered casualties of 50 per cent, much higher than army units deployed in the same area.[76]
Fegelein's parents and his brother Waldemar survived the war.[77] Gretl, who inherited some of Eva's valuable jewellery, also survived the war. She gave birth to a daughter (named Eva Barbara Fegelein, after her late aunt) on 5 May 1945.[49] Eva Fegelein killed herself in April 1971 after her boyfriend died in a car accident.[49] Gretl Braun-Fegelein moved to Munich and remarried in 1954. She died in 1987, aged 72.[49]
Awards and decorations
- Olympic Games Decoration (1st Class)[77]
- German Equestrian Badge (gold)[77]
- German Sports Badge (bronze)[77]
- SA Sports Badge (bronze)[77]
- Nazi Party Long Service Award (bronze)[77]
- General Assault Badge (silver)[78]
- Infantry Assault Badge (silver)[78]
- Close Combat Clasp (silver)[78]
- Wound Badge (silver)[78]
- Wound Badge of 20 July 1944 (silver)[77]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- German Cross in Gold on 1 November 1943 as SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS in the SS-Kavallerie-Division[80]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
- Knight's Cross on 2 March 1942 as SS-Standartenführer and commander of the SS-Kavallerie-Brigade[81]
- 157th Oak Leaves on 22 December 1942 as SS-Oberführer and commander of a Kampfgruppe [82]
- 83rd Swords on 30 July 1944 as SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS and commander of the 8. SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division Florian Geyer[83]
The death sentence on 28 April resulted in the loss of all orders, awards, and honorary signs.[84][85]
Dates of rank
Fegelein held various ranks in both the Allgemeine-SS and Waffen-SS. The following table shows that progression was not synchronous.[86]
Date | Allgemeine-SS | Waffen-SS |
---|---|---|
12 June 1933: | SS-Untersturmführer[7] | —
|
20 April 1934: | SS-Obersturmführer[7] | —
|
9 November 1934: | SS-Hauptsturmführer[7] | —
|
30 January 1936: | SS-Sturmbannführer[7] | —
|
30 January 1937: | SS-Obersturmbannführer[7] | —
|
25 July 1937: | SS-Standartenführer[7] | —
|
1 March 1940: | — |
SS-Obersturmbannführer of the Reserves [22] |
1 February 1942: | — |
SS-Standartenführer[22] |
1 December 1942: | — |
SS-Oberführer[22] |
1 May 1943: | — |
SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS[22] |
21 June 1944: | — |
SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS[87] |
See also
- List SS-Gruppenführer
References
Explanatory notes
- hypocoristicform of a Flegel.
- ^ The historian Peter Longerich notes that most orders to carry out criminal activities such as the killing of civilians were vague, and couched in terminology that had a specific meaning for members of the regime. Leaders were given briefings about the need to be "severe" and "firm"; all Jews were to be viewed as potential enemies that had to be dealt with ruthlessly. Longerich 2010, pp. 189–190.
Citations
- ^ a b Fest 2006, p. 143.
- ^ a b c Miller 2006, p. 306.
- ^ Joachimsthaler 1999, p. 285.
- ^ Krüger & Scharenberg 2014, p. 80.
- ^ a b Pieper 2015, p. 14.
- ^ Miller 2006, p. 305.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Stockert 2012, p. 227.
- ^ Miller 2006, pp. 306, 307.
- ^ a b Krüger & Scharenberg 2014, p. 81.
- ^ Jaeger 2004.
- ^ Krüger & Scharenberg 2014, p. 82.
- ^ a b Krüger & Scharenberg 2014, p. 83.
- ^ a b Pieper 2015, p. 29.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 29–31.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 38.
- ^ a b Miller 2006, p. 308.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 33.
- ^ a b Miller 2006, p. 309.
- ^ Krüger & Scharenberg 2014, p. 84.
- ^ Krüger & Scharenberg 2014, p. 85.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 39–40.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Stockert 2012, p. 228.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 53–56.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 52–53.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 60.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 62.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 62, 80.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 80–81.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 81.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 81–82.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 86, 88–89.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 89–90.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 119–120.
- ^ Miller 2006, p. 310.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 120.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 133–134.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 133.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 144.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 144–146.
- ^ Pieper 2015, pp. 146–147.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 156.
- ^ Miller 2006, pp. 312, 313.
- ^ a b Stockert 2012, p. 229.
- ^ Miller 2006, p. 313.
- ^ Miller 2006, p. 314.
- ^ Görtemaker 2011, p. 216.
- ^ a b Shirer 1960, p. 1121.
- ^ a b c d e Kershaw 2008, p. 942.
- ^ a b c d Miller 2006, p. 316.
- ^ Eberle & Uhl 2005, p. 144.
- ^ Joachimsthaler 1999, pp. 264, 270–273.
- ^ Joachimsthaler 1999, pp. 270–271.
- ^ Beevor 2002, p. 139.
- ^ Beevor 2002, pp. 255–256, 262.
- ^ Beevor 2002, p. 323.
- ^ a b Joachimsthaler 1999, pp. 277, 278.
- ^ Kershaw 2008, pp. 942, 943, 945, 946.
- ^ Kershaw 2008, pp. 945, 946.
- ^ Beevor 2002, pp. 341, 342.
- ^ Misch 2014, p. 221.
- ^ Fest 2002, p. 99.
- ^ Kershaw 2008, p. 946.
- ^ Junge 2004, p. 180.
- ^ Kershaw 2008, p. 945.
- ^ Simon 2007.
- ^ a b O'Donnell 1978, pp. 182, 183.
- ^ Vinogradov 2005, pp. 191, 192.
- ^ Eberle & Uhl 2011, pp. 430–431.
- ^ Eberle & Uhl 2011, p. 436.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, pp. 115–116, 128.
- ^ Joachimsthaler 1999, pp. 267–269, 285.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 30.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 167–168.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 146.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 170.
- ^ Pieper 2015, p. 171.
- ^ a b c d e f g Miller 2006, p. 315.
- ^ a b c d Berger 1999, p. 70.
- ^ a b Thomas 1997, p. 161.
- ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 110.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 178.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 63, 477.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 44.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 128.
- ^ O'Donnell 1978, pp. 182, 183, 215.
- ^ Stockert 2012, pp. 227–230.
- ^ Stockert 2012, p. 230.
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-0-670-03041-5.
- Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges [With Oak Leaves and Swords. The Highest Decorated Soldiers of the Second World War] (in German). Wien, Austria: Berger. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
- Eberle, Henrik; Uhl, Matthias, eds. (2005). The Hitler Book: The Secret Dossier Prepared for Stalin. New York: Public Affairs.
- Eberle, Henrik; Uhl, Matthias (2011). ISBN 978-3-404-64219-9.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes, 1939–1945: Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- ISBN 978-0-312-42392-6.
- ISBN 978-3-499-62159-8.
- Görtemaker, Heike B. (2011). Eva Braun: Life with Hitler. New York: ISBN 978-0-307-59582-9.
- Jaeger, Hans-Eckart (18 May 2004). "Als Hitlers Schwager das Spring-Derby gewann". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ISBN 978-1-86019-902-8.
- ISBN 978-1-55970-728-2.
- ISBN 978-0-393-06757-6.
- Krüger, Arnd; Scharenberg, Swantje (2014). Zeiten für Helden – Zeiten für Berühmtheiten im Sport [Times for Heroes – Times for Celebrities in Sports] (in German). Münster, Germany: LIT Verlag. ISBN 978-3-643-12498-2.
- ISBN 978-0-19-280436-5.
- Miller, Michael (2006). Leaders of the SS and German Police, Vol. 1. San Jose, CA: R. James Bender. ISBN 978-93-297-0037-2.
- ISBN 978-1-84832-749-8.
- ISBN 978-0-395-25719-7.
- Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
- Pieper, Henning (2015). Fegelein's Horsemen and Genocidal Warfare: The SS Cavalry Brigade in the Soviet Union. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-137-45631-1.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- ISBN 978-0-671-62420-0.
- Simon, Ralf (30 July 2007). "Interview With Hitler's Bodyguard: The Secrets of Hitler's Last Living Aide". ISSN 0038-7452. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- Stockert, Peter (2012) [1997]. Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2 [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2] (in German) (4th ed.). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. ISBN 978-3-9802222-9-7.
- Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
- Vinogradov, V. K. (2005). Hitler's Death: Russia's Last Great Secret from the Files of the KGB. London, UK: Chaucer Press. ISBN 978-1-904449-13-3.
Further reading
- Jahns, Joachim (2009). Der Warschauer Ghettokönig [The Warsaw Ghetto King] (in German). Leipzig: Dingsda-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-928498-99-9.
External links
- Hermann Fegelein in the German National Library catalogue