Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt.

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Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt.

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Hello to all :D; something about him................................

Generaloberst (Colonel General) Rudolf Schmidt. Think and act in the war of annihilation.

Military career.

Rudolf Schmidt was born on May 12, 1886 in Schöneberg, near Berlin. His father was a royal Prussian private adviser, his mother a baroness from Könitz. In 1906, Schmidt joined the 3rd Kuriessian Infantry Regiment of Wittich in Kassel, where he was promoted to lieutenant in 1908. During World War I he was a member of the communications branch in various troop and staff posts on both fronts, Eastern and Western.

In the Weimar Republic, Schmidt remained in the Reichswehr, where he served as company chief in a communications detachment - 3. (Preuß.) Nachrichten-Abteilung, Potsdam - and then led the encryption department in the Truppenamt (Troops Department - General Staff of the German Army). His subsequent jobs delineated his career as a rising staff officer: Since 1928, he held various positions of Division's General Staff (6th and 3rd) as academic and tactical instructor, in 1931 he became the chief of staff of the inspection of the communications troops in the Ministry of Defense and a year later, finally, head of the "officer courses of Berlin", the subsequent War Academy. Therefore, he belonged to the circle of more capable officers of the Reichswehr who were credited with a great career. In 1934, Oberst Schmidt took over as regimental commander in Ludwigsburg, in 1935 Oberquartiermeister III in the Army General Staff (transport and resupply), in 1936, was promoted to Generalmajor. In 1937, Schmidt finally took command of the 1st Panzer Division in Weimar, a position that at that time was reserved for very few selected officers.

At that time Schmidt, like many of his comrades, was still impressed by Hitler's personality and his supposed successes. Therefore, in November 1937, he still officially spoke of the "genius of the Führer" in a recruiting association.

Source: Militärgeschichte. Zeitschrift für historische Bildung. Heft 1/2017.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
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Armeeoberbefehlshaber (Army CO - 2. Pz AOK) Rudolf Schmidt in his office in Oriol, 1942 .......................................
Armeeoberbefehlshaber (Army CO - 2. Pz AOK) Rudolf Schmidt in his office in Oriol, 1942 .......................................
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Re: Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt.

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Hello to all :D; more...............................

Generaloberst (Colonel General) Rudolf Schmidt. Think and act in the war of annihilation.

Conduction of the War in East and West (1939-1941).

The beginning of World War II, Schmidt experienced it as a division commander in the Polish campaign, where he established his reputation as one of the most capable armored commanders of the Wehrmacht.

On February 1, 1940 Schmidt became General Commander of the XXXIX. Army Corps (Mot.) and led this great unit in the Western campaign. On June 1 he was promoted to General de Panzertruppe and two days later he received the Knight's Cross. Despite this, Schmidt did not want to forge military success at any price. At the beginning of the western campaign, on May 14, 1940, he tried to achieve the capitulation of the city of Rotterdam peacefully and avoid at the last minute a bloody bombing, unfortunately he failed in his attempt for failures in communication with the Air Force. During the occupation of France, he demanded of his men a decent behavior toward French soldiers and civilians: looting and violence were banned and severely punished - a fundamental idea that he tried to enforce often from then on in the war against the Soviet Union.

The night before the attack on the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Schmidt expressed his fear to his Officer of Orders and contrary to the prevailing opinion in the Wehrmacht about the successes of the first years of the war, he thought that they were now facing to "the longest and heaviest campaign of this war". He was right. First, with his Army Corps he was subordinated to Army Group Center and since August 1941 for the attack on Leningrad to Army Group North. For his military achievements, on July 10, 1941 as the first soldier of the Ostheeres, Schmidt was decorated with the Oak Leaves for the Knights' Cross. In addition to the operational successes, he quickly recognized the brutal nature of the Eastern War: "The war here is not comparable to any other, it is so hard and bloody [...] This is certainly the most horrible, the cruelest of the 4 wars I've been through. "

Source: Militärgeschichte. Zeitschrift für historische Bildung. Heft 1/2017.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
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Schmidt as Kommandierender General (Army Corps Commander) In France, June 17, 1940 ........................
Schmidt as Kommandierender General (Army Corps Commander) In France, June 17, 1940 ........................
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Re: Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt.

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Hello to all :D; more...............................

Generaloberst (Colonel General) Rudolf Schmidt. Think and act in the war of annihilation.

Low points: Jelez and Liwny 1941.

In December 1941, the Red Army's winter offensive put great pressure on the Wehrmacht, which also affected Schmidt's attitude. He - from November 15, acting Commander-in-Chief of the 2nd Army, replacing the sick Generaloberst von Weichs - wanted to create a favorable position for the winter with an attack against the important center of Jelez between Moscow and Voronezh on December 5 , thus eliminating the bulge. In doing so, he ordered the creation of an "area of ​​scorched earth" destroying all accommodation, road networks and aerodromes. This attack cost a lot of blood in the 45. ID (Infantry Division), which was very affected. In the following days, Schmidt had to maintain a 300-kilometer front line with seven weak divisions: gaps were created.

On December 21, 1941 Schmidt referred to the Army Group an opinion on Hitler's order to stand "this rigidly executed order leads to great dangers, the front is very weak, reserves are lacking, the enemy is superior ...". He also warned expressly about the "destruction of the army before the arrival of possible reserves." He pointed out "with full awareness of my responsibility" the consequences of a rigid verbal execution of the Führer's Command and asked that this order could be interpreted flexibly. He was not left alone with this, due to the weakness of his sector, on December 24, 1941, he decided to evacuate the disputed city of Liwny under his own responsibility and without approval of the high command. On the observation of Generalfeldmarschall von Kluge, "the Führer's mandate must be maintained under all circumstances," he replied, "such an order comes too late, it must be withdrawn." Because von Kluge accepted this behavior in contrast to Guderian, Hitler and Halder probably did nothing against him.

The encircled divisions in Liwny were only able to free themselves at the cost of great losses. These setbacks worsened the morale, the soldiers began to flee, it was to fear a collapse of the troops. Desperate, Schmidt tried to use brutal means to restore discipline: he ordered "exemplary measures" (death penalty) against those who carried out defeatist actions. This was in fact an abolition of the council of war! The events of Jelez and Liwny were a bitter learning process for Schmidt: here he had failed.

Source: Militärgeschichte. Zeitschrift für historische Bildung. Heft 1/2017.
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Per ... idtR-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
General der Panzertruppe Rudolf Schmidt ........................................................................<br />https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-us/auction-catalogues/hermann-historica-ohg/catalogue-id-srher10018/lot-59f242c2-0646-4cb0-8b5e-a5df010607f5
General der Panzertruppe Rudolf Schmidt ........................................................................
https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-us/auction-catalogues/hermann-historica-ohg/catalogue-id-srher10018/lot-59f242c2-0646-4cb0-8b5e-a5df010607f5
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Re: Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt.

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Hello to all :D; more...............................

Generaloberst (Colonel General) Rudolf Schmidt. Think and act in the war of annihilation.

Commander-in-chief of the army (1941-1943): not just a leader.

Christmas of 1941 Schmidt became commander-in-chief of the 2nd Armored Army. He had more than 200,000 soldiers and hundreds of thousands of civilians in his area of ​​responsibility. He combined two key functions in his person: in the first place he was a military leader; but he was also responsible for the occupation policy in his command area. The latter was considered by many commanders as ballast; Schmidt, on the other hand, fulfilled this challenge more and more.

The war against the Soviet Union was planned from the beginning as a racial ideological war of conquest and extermination. Especially the "Criminal Orders" ("Order of the Commissar", "Decree of Military Jurisdiction", "Guidelines for the Conduct of the Force in Russia") shaped the conduct of the war, but they had an even stronger influence on the policy of occupation. Schmidt tried to counteract the negative consequences of the political indoctrination of German soldiers and their greater willingness to use violence. He was one of the first to protest energetically against the "Order of the Commissar" in September 1941 with his own memorandum. "Immediately, the order of the political commissars must be annulled." Schmidt's letter and the objections of other commanders were finally successful: Hitler temporarily suspended the commissar's order on May 6, 1942 temporarily, without it ever going into effect again.

On March 3, 1942, Schmidt issued an "Army Order for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Partisans, Suspects peoples and the Population," which was fundamental to his occupation policy and, in particular, instructions for disciplined behavior. He demanded to suppress hatred, preserve discipline and not wage any war against the population and captured soldiers. But a piece of paper can not influence the attitude of an entire army or prevent attacks. Also in the Schmidt area it happened that the population "was treated as annoying insects" and there were "unfair shots", as reported by an interpreter. Again and again, Schmidt had to act to maintain discipline, also in April 1942: "The longer the war lasts, the more the thickening and corruption of customs must be avoided. The strength and discipline of the troops, must be kept within limits. " In contrast to the intentions of the "Military Jurisdiction Decree," Schmidt did not shy away from the martial court punishments against his own troops, seeking to impose unilaterally violent measures as a preventative measure. In the spring of 1942, he even had two Wehrmacht soldiers condemned to death for murdering a Russian resident.

The prisoners of war.

One of the great crimes of the war of annihilation in the East was the inhuman treatment of the Soviet prisoners of war. The Wehrmacht was responsible for the deaths of some three million Soviet prisoners of war. Unlike other commanders, Schmidt tried to make sure that the prisoners in his area received a good treatment. In addition to his occupation policy order for the army of March 1942, Schmidt had already issued in December 1941 and again in January 1942 instructions for the best treatment of prisoners of war. In it he demanded a good and fair treatment without torture and beatings, as well as better accommodations and adequate food, if necessary also feed them with the food rations of the troops (own). The latter was a novelty and violated the guidelines of the High Command of the Army (OKH).

Source: Militärgeschichte. Zeitschrift für historische Bildung. Heft 1/2017.
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Per ... idtR-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Schmidt after his promotion to Colonel General, March 16, 1942 .....................................................
Schmidt after his promotion to Colonel General, March 16, 1942 .....................................................
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Re: Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt.

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Hello to all :D; more...............................

Generaloberst (Colonel General) Rudolf Schmidt. Think and act in the war of annihilation.

Front in the rear: the partisan war.

Particularly problematic proved to be since 1942, the partisan activity in the rear zone of the 2nd Panzer Army. In a review of the situation in February 1942, Schmidt declared: "The front in the west seems more important at this moment than the front in the east!", Pointing out the threat of the guerrillas in the area of ​​the army's rearguard . For the Partisanbekämpfung (war against the partisans) the forces were inadequate: 4,000 men for 700 kilometers of railway lines and 850 kilometers of roads and highways. The total passive security of the territory to the rear of the army was not possible, considering an active integral fight against the guerrillas.

The war against the partisans on the eastern front, of course, was not just an orgy of violence by the occupiers against the population, but there were also regular military conflicts. At first, Schmidt attacked relentlessly and there were also shots of partisans. But he differed in principle: "But I hope that the troops understand the differences between the partisans and the population that lives in the zone of the guerrilla partly under great terror [...] Even in an anti-guerrilla war, we are still soldiers and we do not fight against women and children. " In addition, he ordered that, in the case of a mere guerrilla suspicion or a demonstrable compulsion of a partisan activity, the persons involved should be taken to a detention center. Schmidt not only wanted to fight against the partisans, but also to win them, as well as the population. Hitler did not approve those views. Schmidt had a reputation for being too "soft" with him.

However, the antipartisan operations in the area of ​​the 2nd Panzer Army also showed on the ground that the actions in the lower levels repeatedly became independent and that there were violent and disproportionate measures. According to Schmidt, he took action against his subordinates. After allegedly 76 inhabitants of the region were shot in the rear area of ​​the army, in September 1942, Schmidt urged the commander in charge "that the inhabitants of the country, on suspicion of partisan activity, against those who should not be shot ", were taken" to a prison camp ".

Source: Militärgeschichte. Zeitschrift für historische Bildung. Heft 1/2017.
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Per ... idtR-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Schmidt at the piano in his farewell party in Oriol, March 4, 1943...............
Schmidt at the piano in his farewell party in Oriol, March 4, 1943...............
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Re: Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt.

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Hello to all :D; more...............................

Generaloberst (Colonel General) Rudolf Schmidt. Think and act in the war of annihilation.

Administration of the Army's Rear Zone.

The civilian population suffered more in the war: living between the hammer and the anvil, both the occupiers and the partisans threatened their lives. However, Schmidt tried as much as possible to spare the civilian population the effects of the war, and regulated this in his military occupation command: the population should not be unnecessarily burdened, customary local customs had to be respected, the rape was punished harshly, looting, as well as the hanging and execution of hostages was forbidden. Schmidt also tried to improve the diet of the population and also violated the instructions of the OKH: In the threatening food situation in the spring of 1942, he ordered that "the small remaining quantities of food were initially delivered to the civilian population, the rest to the troop. "

Schmidt was passionate about the administration of his rear area. In July 1942, he wrote to his wife: "Through my organization, my area of ​​responsibility is now, despite the partisans, the most fertile of all Russia [...] such a construction can be fun. it's secondary work. " He took time for computations and statistics, promoted local culture or inspected the agricultural activities of his subordinate divisions.

Outstanding, however, was the creation of a Russian autonomous government in the Rajon (administrative district) Lokot. This has spread over time to seven districts. Bronislav Kaminskiy, a staunch anti-Communist, took over the administration, even though being a "violent and autocratic opportunist" he did not seem to be able to do so. But the successes gave Schmidt the reason. Many civilian facilities were created, such as almost 300 schools, two hospitals, a bank and a theater, which did not exist in other areas of the army. A volunteer militia, built and led by Kaminskiy, was supposed to protect these areas from the partisans. Schmidt's concept of autonomous self-government was a unique exception in the field of military administration. Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels noted in his diaries that Schmidt had "achieved brilliant results," but wondered if "this merger could be made on a large scale." Schmidt's ideas were met with little interest in politics and the army and were not pursued beyond ........................

Source: Militärgeschichte. Zeitschrift für historische Bildung. Heft 1/2017.
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Per ... idtR-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt.

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Hello to all :D; more...............................

Generaloberst (Colonel General) Rudolf Schmidt. Think and act in the war of annihilation.

Opposition and Prision (1943-1957).

At the beginning of April 1943, the Colonel General suddenly had to say goodbye to his soldiers. Hitler had lost confidence in him. In Schmidt's brother, Hans-Thilo, who had been arrested for espionage, the Gestapo found "a complete series of letters from the Colonel General [...], which were very drastically directed against the Fuehrer." Schmidt was relieved of his command. Only with intelligent tactics Schmidt was not brought before the Reichskriegsgericht by the judge of the General Staff Karl Sack, a member of the military resistance. Sack sent him to a psychiatric ward and sent a report about Schmidt's mental problem. On July 10, 1943 Schmidt was transferred to the Führerreserve of OKH and finally resigned from the Wehrmacht on September 30, 1943. From then on he lived as a citizen, but always tried to get a new command. He also appealed several times to Heinrich Himmler, why? It is not clear. In 1944 he was even proposed as Chief of the Army Staff, which Hitler vehemently rejected. Then Schmidt experienced the end of the war as a civilian. In 1947 he visited his former Weimar workplace in Soviet captivity, was charged with war crimes and also sentenced. Only in January 1956 did he return home with one of the last transports of prisoners. On April 7, 1957 Schmidt died in Krefeld of a stroke.

Conclusion.

Schmidt's biography offers interesting perspectives on the military elite of the Third Reich, the contradictions and ambivalence of a military command at the army level, and finally on the rule of occupation of the German armed forces in the east.

Tensions characterize the development of Schmidt's personality. He was an ambitious military man with a conservative national attitude, like most generals. Presumably, from 1938, he became increasingly skeptical of the politics of National Socialism. His military skills were indisputable, as evidenced by his jobs and awards. He saw war, even in the Soviet Union, initially as a purely military conflict. So it quickly came into conflict with the ideology of extermination of the National Socialists. Nothing illustrates this more than the occupation policy in his army, which in many respects was different from other practices in the East. Where Schmidt was able to do so, he opposed ideology, as in the treatment of prisoners of war and the civilian population. Unique was his antipartisan strategy and the development of an autonomous local government.

The case of Schmidt shows that there was room for maneuver in the Wehrmacht, but that the narrow limits were established by the reality of the Eastern War. It also makes it clear that, despite full responsibility, the direct influence of a commander-in-chief of the army on the directive to a single soldier was limited on the site. Although Rudolf Schmidt was only marginally able to enforce his ideas in practice, at least he appears as someone who thought otherwise as commander-in-chief about the war of annihilation ............... ..............

Source: Militärgeschichte. Zeitschrift für historische Bildung. Heft 1/2017.
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Per ... idtR-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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