Felix Steiner as an SS-Gruppenführer, Spring 1943.

Felix Martin Julius Steiner (May 23, 1896–May 12, 1966) was a German Heer and Waffen-SS officer who served in both World War I and World War II. ImageMetadata File history File links Steiner_Felix_MJ.jpg SS-Gruppenführer Felix Steiner, 1944. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Steiner_Felix_MJ.jpg SS-Gruppenführer Felix Steiner, 1944. ... May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Heer (   listen?) is the German word for army. ... Waffen-SS recruitment poster; Volunteer to the Waffen-SS The Waffen-SS was the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel. ... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead:5 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:8 million Military dead:4 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:7 million The First World... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II...

Steiner ranks as one of the most innovative commanders of the Waffen-SS. He skillfully commanded the SS-Deutschland Regiment through the invasions of Poland, France and the Low Countries. He was then chosen by Himmler to oversee the creation of, and then command the volunteer SS Division, SS-Division Wiking. In 1943, he was promoted to command of a Corps, and by the end of the War he was in command of the 11th SS Panzer-Army. His failure to attack the Russians advancing on Berlin earned Hitler's contempt in the last weeks of the war and ranked as one of Hitler's most infamous outbursts when he found out about it. Waffen-SS recruitment poster; Volunteer to the Waffen-SS The Waffen-SS was the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel. ... The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries (see Country) on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse (Maas) rivers. ... (October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the German Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. ... SS Division Germania SS Division Wiking SS Panzergrenadier Division Wiking 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking Formed around SS Regiment Germania as SS Division Germania in late 1940, and renamed SS Division Wiking in early 1941. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Berlin is the capital city and a single state of the Federal Republic of Germany. ...

Imprisoned until 1948, he was cleared of all charges of War Crimes and after writing several apologist works, died on May 12, 1966. 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... A war crime is a punishable offense, under international law, for violations of the law of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...

Career

Felix Martin Julius Steiner was born on May 23, 1896 in Stallupönen, East Prussia. May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Niestierov (Lithuanian Stalupėnai, Polish Stołupnie, German Stallupönen) is a small town in Russias Kaliningrad Oblast. ... East Prussia (German: Ostpreu en; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия — Vostochnaya Prussiya) was a province of Kingdom of Prussia, situated on the territory of former Ducal Prussia. ...

In 1914, on the eve of war, Steiner joined the Prussian Officer Corps as a cadet. During the course of the war, he earned the Iron Cross first and second class and finished the war as an Oberleutnant. 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 The word Prussia (Old Prussian: Prūsa, German: Preußen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian: Prūsai, Latin: Borussia) has had various (often contradictory) meanings: The land of the Baltic Prussians (in what is now parts of southern Lithuania, the Kaliningrad... A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the German Armed Forces The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia, and later of Germany, which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ... Oberleutnant is a rank of the German military which dates from the early 19th century. ...

After the war, Steiner led a unit of Freikorps in the East Prussian city of Memel. He rejoined the army in 1922 and by 1933 had attained the rank of Major. The designation of Freikorps (German for Free Corps, i. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

After the NSDAP (Nazi Party) takeover, Steiner joined the Reichswehr staff and began work developing new training techniques and tactics. The Nazi swastika The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ... The Reichswehr (help· info) (literally National Defense or Imperial Defense) formed the military organization of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when the government rebranded it as the Wehrmacht (Defence Force). ...

During this time he was exposed to the training and doctrines of the Schutzstaffel and Sturmabteilung. He was intrigued by the training techniques of the SS-Verfügungstruppen (SS-VT; The precursors of the Waffen-SS), which placed emphasis on unit cohesion and trust, with an informal relationship between the enlisted and commissioned ranks. In 1935, Steiner took command of a Batallion of SS-VT troops, and within a year had been promoted to SS-Standartenführer and was in command of the SS-Deutschland Regiment. The infamous double-sig rune SS insignia. ... The seal of SA The (help· info) (SA, German for Storm Division, usually translated as stormtroops or stormtroopers) functioned as a paramilitary organization of the NSDAP – the German Nazi party. ...

Felix Steiner, right, with officers of Regiment SS-Deutschland, autumn 1940.

The outbreak of war saw Steiner as an SS-Oberführer and still in charge of the SS-Deutschland. He led his regiment well through Fall Weiss and Fall Gelb, earning the Knight's Cross on 15 August 1940. Image File history File linksMetadata P15_steiner. ... Image File history File linksMetadata P15_steiner. ... Fall Weiss (german spelling Fall Weiß) translates as Case White following the German militarys naming convention. ... In World War II, Battle of France or Case Yellow (Fall Gelb in German) was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, executed 10 May 1940 which ended the Phony War. ... The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of Germany which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ...

Wiking Division

After the early war campaigns, Steiner was chosen by SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler to oversee the creation of, and then command the new volunteer SS Division, SS-Division Wiking. The Wiking was made up of Non-German volunteers, and at the time of its creation consisted mostly of Dutch, Walloons, and Scandinavians. (October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the German Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. ... The term Walloons (French: Wallons, Walloon: Walons) refers, in daily speech, to French-speaking Belgians from Wallonia. ... Scandinavia is the cultural and historic region of the Scandinavian Peninsula. ...

In the Wiking Division, Steiner created a capable formation from disparate elements, and he commanded them competently through the many battles in the east from 1941 until his promotion to command of the IIIrd SS-Panzerkorps. The III.(gemanische) SS-Panzerkorps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II. The (gemanische) (lit. ...

As is common on the Eastern Front, where individual acts were buried in the widespread brutality, the Wiking's combat record is clear of any specific War Crimes prosecutions, although several are alleged. A war crime is a punishable offense, under international law, for violations of the law of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ...

Steiner commanded the IIIrd. SS Pz Korps through the setbacks and subsequent retreat in the east, until in 1945 he was given command of the newly formed paper tiger, the XIth SS Army. The phrase paper tiger is a literal English translation of the Chinese phrase zhi laohu (紙老虎), meaning something which seems as threatening as a tiger, but is really harmless. ...

End of the War - Peacetime

Steiner had always been one of Hitler's favourite commanders, who admired his 'get the job done' attitude and the fact that he owed his allegiance to the Waffen SS, not the Prussian Officer Corps. However, when Hitler was besieged in Berlin, he ordered Steiner's Army to attack and relieve Berlin. With few working tanks and roughly a division's worth of infantry, Steiner chose the life of his men over the life of the Nazi leadership, and declined to attack. Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ... The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 The word Prussia (Old Prussian: PrÅ«sa, German: Preußen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian: PrÅ«sai, Latin: Borussia) has had various (often contradictory) meanings: The land of the Baltic Prussians (in what is now parts of southern Lithuania, the Kaliningrad... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Poland Commanders Gotthard Heinrici Helmuth Weidling Helmuth Reymann Wilhelm Mohnke Georgy Zhukov Ivan Konev Vassili Chuikov Strength 1 million men, 1,500 AFVs, 3,300 aircraft 2. ...

After the surrender, Steiner was incarcerated until 1948. He faced charges at the Nuremberg Trials, but they were all dropped and he was released.

He dedicated the last decades of his life to writing his memoirs and several books about the war. These books have been viewed as apologist. Apologetics is the field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position. ...

Steiner died on 12 May 1966. May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...

Promotions

• Started World War II as SS-Oberführer
• November 9, 1940 promoted SS-Brigadeführer and Major-General of the Waffen-SS
• January 1, 1942 promoted SS-Gruppenführer and Leutnant-General of the Waffen-SS
• July 1, 1943 promoted SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS
• Knight's Cross, awarded August 15, 1940
• Oakleaves to Knight's Cross, awarded December 23, 1942
• Swords to Knight's Cross, awarded August 10, 1944
• German Cross in Gold, awarded April 22, 1942

November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... This article is about the year. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ...

Commands

• Commander of the SS-Regiment "Deutschland" June, 1936 to December 1, 1940
• December 1, 1940 to January 1, 1943 Commander of SS-Germania Division (mot),
• On December 31, 1940 SS-Germania Division renamed SS-Wiking Division
• On November 9, 1942 SS-Wiking redesignated 5.SS-Wiking Panzergrenadier Division (I),
• May 10, 1943 to November 9, 1944 commander of the III (Germanische) SS Panzer Korps (I)
• November 26, 1944 to March 5, 1945, commander of the XI SS Panzer Army