Gotthard Heinrici.

Gotthard Heinrici (December 25, 1886–December 13, 1971) was a General in the German Army during World War II. Photo of Gotthard Heinrici File links The following pages link to this file: Gotthard Heinrici ... Photo of Gotthard Heinrici File links The following pages link to this file: Gotthard Heinrici ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining for the year. ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Personal life

Born in Gumbinnen, East Prussia (now Gusev, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia), on Christmas Day, 1886, few details are known about his personal life. He was a cousin of Gerd von Rundstedt, and married to Gertrude Heinrici, a half-Jew, though the family received a German Blood Certificate from Adolf Hitler himself. The Heinricis had two children: a girl and a boy. The son of a Lutheran-Protestant minister, Heinrici was a religious man who attended church regularly. His religiosity made him unpopular among the Nazi hierarchy and he was on unfavourable terms with Hermann Göring and Hitler, likely due to his refusal to join the Nazi Party. The city of Gusev (Гусев, prior to 1946 - Gumbinnen, Lithuanian: GumbinÄ—) in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia (formerly East Prussia, Germany) has about 20,000 inhabitants. ... 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. ... The city of Gusev (Гусев; Gumbinnen, German, until 1945; GumbinÄ—, Lithuanian, until 1945) is in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. ... Location of the Kaliningrad Oblast Map of the Kaliningrad Oblast Kaliningrad Oblast Flag Kaliningrad Oblast (Russian: ; German: or Nordostpreussen, Northeast Prussia), informally called Yantarny kray (, meaning Amber region) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) on the Baltic coast, with no land connection to the rest of Russia; it... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (December 12, 1875 - February 24, 1953) was a Field Marshal of the German Army during World War II. He was one of Germanys more competent generals, and is remembered for remaining apolitical throughout his career. ... This article describes some ethnic, historic, and cultural aspects of the Jewish identity; for a consideration of the Jewish religion, refer to the article Judaism. ... German Blood Certificate A German Blood Certificate (Genehmigung) was a document provided to Mischlinge (those with partial Jewish heritage) during the Second World War that allowed exemption from Germanys racial laws. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Mr wadawits smells Luthers seal Lutheranism is a Christian tradition based upon the main theological insights of Martin Luther. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Hermann Wilhelm Göring. ... The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei; NSDAP), generally known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. ...

Early Army career

The Heinrici family had been soldiers since the 12th century, and Gotthard Heinrici continued the tradition by joining the 95th Infantry Regiment on March 8, 1905 at the age of 19. He saw action on both the Eastern and Western fronts in the first World War and won numerous awards, including the Black Wound Badge for being wounded in battle and both the Second Class and First Class Iron Crosses in 1914 and 1915, respectively. He participated in the Battle of Tannenberg. March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Allied Powers: United Kingdom France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Nicholas II Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Reinhard Scheer Franz Josef I Conrad von Hötzendorf İsmail Enver Ferdinand I Casualties Military... A black version of the Badge A silver version A gold version Wound Badge (Das Verwundetenabzeichen) is a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organisations (after March 1943 due to the increasing number of allied bombings — also for civilians). ... 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. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Imperial Russia German Empire Commanders General Alexander Samsonov General Paul von Rennenkampf General Field Marshall Paul von Hindenburg General Erich Ludendorff Strength 150,000 210,000 Casualties 30,000 killed or wounded; 95,000 captured 20,000 The Battle of Tannenberg in 1914 was a decisive conflict between the...

Second World War

Heinrici greeting Hitler in 1937.

Heinrici served throughout World War II, again serving on both fronts. He built up a reputation as one of the best defensive tacticians in the Wehrmacht and was renowned for his tenacity. For this reason, his officers and men nicknamed him Unser Giftzwerg: "our tough little bastard". Image File history File links HeinrichiHitler. ... Image File history File links HeinrichiHitler. ... German cavalry and motorized units entering Poland from East Prussia during the Polish Campaign of 1939 Wehrmacht (Defence force) was the name of the armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. ...

During the Blitzkrieg into France, Heinrici commanded the 12th Corps and succeeded in breaking through the Maginot Line on June 14, 1940. During Operation Barbarossa in 1941, Heinrici served in the Second Panzer Army under Heinz Guderian and, as the commanding general of the 43rd Army Corps, received the Knight's Cross. One of the defining characteristics of what is commonly known as Blitzkrieg is close co-operation between infantry and tanks. ... The Maginot Line (IPA: [maʒino], named after French minister of defence André Maginot) was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, machine gun posts and other defenses which France constructed along its borders with Germany and with Italy in the wake of World War I. Generally the term... June 14 is the 165th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (166th in leap years), with 200 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Combatants Axis Powers Soviet Union Commanders Supreme commander: Adolf Hitler Supreme commander: Josef Stalin Strength ~ 3. ... This article is about the year. ... Panzer Group Guderian Second Panzer Army The German Second Panzer Army was a German tank army that fought during World War II. It was formed under the name Panzer Group Guderian (Panzergruppe Guderian), named after its commander Heinz Guderian, and played a significant role in the initial success of the... Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (17 June 1888 - 14 May 1954) was a military theorist and innovative General of the German Army during the Second World War. ... 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. ...

On January 26, 1942, Heinrici was given command of the Fourth Army, the kingpin of the rapidly crumbling German line directly facing Moscow. He held out for 10 weeks, his forces sometimes outnumbered 12 to 1. Here he developed one of his most famous strategies: when he knew a Soviet attack was imminent, he would pull his troops back from the line until the Soviet artillery barrage subsided and then immediately redeploy them unharmed. January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... The German Fourth Army (German: ) was a field army that fought in World War II. The Fourth Army was activated on December 1, 1938 with Field Marshal Günther von Kluge in command. ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2005)    - Density 10,415,400   8537. ...

Heinrici had been a victim of poison gas in World War I, and in late 1943 Goering had him placed in a convalescent home in Karlsbad on the pretext of "ill health". It was actually punishment for refusing to set fire to Smolensk in accordance with the Nazi "scorched earth" policy. However, it should be noted that Heinrici went on a two-month leave of absence twice during WWII, from June 6 to July 13, 1942, and then a year later from June 1 to July 31, 1943. One of these leaves was believed to be due to his contracting hepatitis. A poison gas attack using gas cylinders in World War I. The use of poison gas in World War I was a major military innovation. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... the traditional English name for the city and spa Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic Carlsbad, California Carlsbad, New Mexico, with Carlsbad Caverns National Park nearby Carlsbad, Texas ... A view of Smolensk in 1912 Smolensk (Russian: ) is a city in western Russia, located on the Dnieper River at 54. ... A scorched earth policy is a military tactic which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area. ... Leave of absence is a colloquial phrase that is typically used in the U.S. to mean an extended period of time away from your job without ending your employment status. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... Insert non-formatted text here July 13 is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Hepatitis is a gastroenterological disease, featuring inflammation of the liver. ...

In the summer of 1944, after 8 months of enforced retirement, he was placed in command of the First Panzer and Hungarian First Armies in Hungary. He retreated into Czechoslovakia, but fought so tenaciously that he was awarded the Swords to the Oak Leaves of his Knight's Cross on March 3, 1945. 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Panzer Group Kleist Panzer Group 1 First Panzer Army The First Panzer Army (German ) was a German tank army that fought during World War II. When formed the First Panzer Army was named Panzer Group Kleist (Panzergruppe Kleist) and was activated on November 16, 1940 with Field Marshal Ewald von... The Hungarian First Army was a Hungarian field army of World War II. Hungary was an Axis state at the beginning of the European conflict, under Admiral Miklós Horthy. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ...

Retreat from the Oder

On March 20, 1945 Heinrici replaced Heinrich Himmler as Commander-in-Chief of the Army Group Vistula on the Eastern Front. At this time, the front was less than 50 miles from Berlin. He commanded two armies: the Third Panzer Army led by General Hasso von Manteuffel and the Ninth Army led by General Theodor Busse. Heinrici was tasked with preventing a Soviet attack across the Oder River, but he faced shortages of manpower and material and Hitler's conviction that the Red Army would not attack Berlin. March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ...   (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 Army Group Vistula (also known as Army Group Weischel) was formed in 1945 to protect Berlin from the advancing Soviet armies marching from the Vistula river. ... Berlin is the capital city and a state of Germany. ... The German Third Panzer Army (German: ) was a German panzer army that saw action during World War II. The Third Panzer Army was a constituent of Army Group Centre and fought in the Battle of Moscow in late 1941 and early 1942. ... Hasso-Eccard Freiherr von Manteuffel (January 14, 1897 — September 24, 1978) was a German soldier and politician of the 20th century. ... The German Ninth Army (German: ) was a World War II field army. ... General der Infanterie Theodor Busse (15 December 1897 in Frankfurt † 21 October 1986 in Wallerstein). ... The Oder River (Czech/Polish: Odra, German: Oder, Ancient Latin: Viadua, Viadrus, Medieval Latin: Odera, Oddera) is a river in Central Europe. ...

Led by Marshals Georgi Zhukov and Ivan Konev, the Soviets had advanced rapidly west from the USSR and had been stalled east of the Oder for months. As Anglo-American armies approached Berlin from the West, however, Stalin became convinced that they intended to take Berlin for themselves and ordered Zhukov and Konev to seize the city without further delays. In the early morning of April 16, 1945 Zhukov's army crossed the Oder and assaulted Heinrici's positions on the western bank. Simultaneously, Koniev attacked Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner's command further south. This began the Battle of Berlin. Combined, the Soviets attacked with over 1,500,000 men. Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgi Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (Russian: Гео́ргий Константи́нович Жу́ков) (December 1, 1896 - June 18, 1974), Soviet military commander and... Marshal Ivan Konev Ivan Stepanovich Koniev (Russian Иван Степанович Конев) (December 28, 1897 – May 21, 1973), Soviet military commander, was born into a peasant family near Podosinovsky in central Russia (now in Kirov Oblast). ... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვი&#4314... Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgi Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (Russian: Гео́ргий Константи́нович Жу́ков) (December 1, 1896 - June 18, 1974), Soviet military commander and... Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Koniev Ivan Stepanovich Koniev (Russian Иван Степанович Конев) (December 28, 1897 - May 21, 1973), Soviet military commander, was born into a peasant family near Podosinovsky in central Russia... April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Ferdinand Schörner (December 5, 1892 - February 7, 1973) was a general and later Field Marshal in the German Wehrmacht during World War II. // Early life He was born in Munich, Bavaria. ... Combatants Nazi Germany Soviet Union Commanders Gotthard Heinrici Helmuth Weidling Helmuth Reymann Wilhelm Mohnke Georgiy Zhukov Ivan Koniev Konstantin Rokossovskiy Vasiliy Chuykov Strength 1 million men (including 250,000 soldiers, the rest were Volkssturm and Hitler Youth units), 700 AFVs 500 aircraft 2. ...

Heinrici realized that he could not halt the advance. After days of intense fighting, he ordered the retreat of the army from Wollin back across the Oder River, despite Hitler's orders that no retreats be authorized without his personal approval. At his midnight conference that night, Hitler learned of the grave situation after a puzzling request by General Heinrici—for permission to transfer his army group HQ to a new site which Hitler found, after much searching on the map, to be to the rear of Berlin and thus behind Hitler's own headquarters. On April 29 Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel relieved him of his command. His post was then offered to Manteuffel who declined the promotion, citing protest of the treatment of Heinrici. Kurt von Tippelskirch was then named interim replacement until General Kurt Student could arrive and assume control. Wolin or Wollin is an island located in the Baltic Sea located just off the Polish coast. ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (September 22, 1882 – October 16, 1946) was a German Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) and a senior military leader during World War II. // Early life and career The son of Carl Keitel, a middle-class landowner, he was born in Helmscherode, Brunswick, Germany. ... Kurt Student Kurt Student (May 12, 1890-July 1, 1978) was a German Luftwaffe General who fought as a pilot on the Eastern Front during the First World War and as the commander of the German parachute troops during the Second World War. ...

After losing his command, Heinrici retired to Plön, where he surrendered to British forces on May 28. Plön is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ...

After the war

After his capture, Heinrici was held at Island Farm where he remained, other than a three-week transfer to a camp in the United States in October 1947, until his eventual release on May 19, 1948. Island Farm was a former Prisoner of War Camp (Camp 198/Special Camp IX) on the outskirts of the town of Bridgend, South Wales. ... May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ...

Throughout the war, Heinrici was opposed to Hitler's scorched earth policy, whereby everything of use had been ordered destroyed so as not to fall into the hands of the advancing enemy. He refused to lay waste to Smolensk as Goering had ordered, and late in the war he supported Minister of Armaments Albert Speer who worked to save Berlin from total destruction. When he was briefly put in charge of the defense of Berlin itself, Heinrici's first command was that nothing be purposely destroyed. Albert Speer (March 19, 1905 – September 1, 1981) was born Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer in Mannheim, Germany, the second of three sons. ...

After the war, Heinrici's diary entries and letters were collected into a book entitled Morals and behaviour here are like those in the Thirty Years’ War. The First Year of the German-Soviet War as Shown in the Papers of Gnl. Gotthard Heinrici.

Ranks held

• Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (19 Jul 1905)
• Fähnrich (19 Dec 1905)
• Leutnant (18 Aug 1906)
• Oberleutnant (17 Feb 1914)
• Hauptmann (18 Jun 1915)
• Major (01 Feb 1926)
• Oberstleutnant (01 Aug 1930)
• Oberst (01 Mar 1933)
• Generalmajor (01 Jan 1936)
• Generalleutnant (01 Mar 1938)
• General der Infanterie (01 Jun 1940)
• Generaloberst (30 Jan 1943)

Fähnrich (officer candidate) is a German and Austrian military rank in armed forces which has no direct comparison in the English speaking world (though the French Army has a similar position called an Aspirant). ... Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ... Oberleutnant is a rank of the German military which dates from the early 19th century. ... Hauptmann (German: ) is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officers rank in the German Army. ... Major is a military rank denoting an officer of mid-level command status. ... Oberstleutnant is the German Army (Bundeswehr) equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst. ... ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Colonel General is a senior military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries. ...

Decorations

• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross: 18 September 1941, General der Infanterie, Commanding General of XXXXIII Army Corps on the Eastern Front.
• Oakleaves (No. 333): 24 November 1943, Generaloberst, Commander-in-Chief of the 4th Army on the Eastern Front.
• Swords (No. 136): 3 March 1945, Generaloberst, Commander-in-Chief of the 1st Panzer Army on the Eastern Front.
• Prussian Royal Hohenzollern House Order, Knight's Cross with Swords: 9 August 1918.
• Prussian Iron Cross 1st Class (1914): 24 July 1915.
• Prussian Iron Cross 2nd Class (1914): 27 September 1914.
• 1939 Bar to the Prussian Iron Cross 1st Class (1914): 16 May 1940.
• 1939 Bar to the Prussian Iron Cross 2nd Class (1914): 13 May 1940.
• Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Carl Eduard War Cross
• Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Duke Carl Eduard Medal, 2nd Class with Swords and Date
• Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach House Order of Vigilance or the White Falcon, Knight 2nd Class with Swords
• Saxe-Ernestine Ducal House Order, Knight 2nd Class with Swords
• Reuß Honor Cross, 3rd Class with Swords
• Schwarzburg Honor Cross, 3rd Class with Swords
• Hamburg Hanseatic Cross
• Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-year Service Cross)
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
• Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration
• Medal for the Winter Campaign in Russia 1941/1942