Johannes Blaskowitz
Johannes Blaskowitz (10 July 1883 - 5 February 1948) was a German general during World War II.
Early years
Blaskowitz was born at Paterswalde, Kreis Wehlau (East Prussia) as son of a Lutheran pastor. 1894 he joined the cadet school in Köslin and afterwards in Berlin-Lichterfelde. 1899 he started his military career as Fähnrich in an East Prussian regiment in Osterode. During the First World War he served at the Eastern and the Western Front and was employed in the Generalstab. After the war he continued his service in the Reichswehr during the Weimar Republic. His attitude towards the Nazi's Machtergreifung was reportedly indifferent because he believed that the armed forces had to be "politically neutral".
Poland 1939
During the Invasion of Poland that began World War II, he commanded the German Eighth Army. He was Commander-in-Chief East (Oberbefehlshaber Ost) in Poland from October 20 1939. There he was repeatedly outraged by the atrocities committed by the SS and the Einsatzgruppen against Polish and Jewish people and issued two detailed memoranda to Commander-in-Chief Walther von Brauchitsch on these war crimes. He even didn't hesitate to impose death sentences against members of the SS and Gestapo in case of involvement in war crimes (these sentences were later abolished by Hitler). He used an exceptionally open language:
The attitude of the troops against the SS and the police fluctuates between disgust and hatred. Every soldier feels cloyed by these crimes committed against the Poles by citizens of the Reich and representatives of the government. (Aide memoir January 1940).
Hitler was reportedly infuriated by Blaskowitz's "childish attitude", and he was relieved of command in Poland on May 14 1940 at the insistence of Governor General Hans Frank.
French Campaign 1940 and the occupation of France
During the French Campaign Blaskowitz was transferred to command 9th Army in the west. In early June 1940 he became Military Governor of Northern France.
Blaskowitz held this position until October 1940 when he was transferred to the command of the First Army. He retained this post until May 1944 when he was named commander-in-chief of Army Group G.
Campaign in the West 1944-5
He was relieved of command of Army Group G in late September 1944 after officially protesting about SS atrocities in Poland, and reinstated on 24 December 1944. On 28 January 1945 he was appointed commander-in-chief of Army Group H. This command was redesignated in early April 1945 and Blaskowitz became commander-in-chief in the Netherlands.
On May 5 Blaskowitz was summoned to the Hotel de Wereld ("Hotel of the World") in Wageningen by General Charles Foulkes (commander of I Canadian Corps) to discuss the surrender of the German forces in the Netherlands. Prince Bernhard, acting as commander-in-chief of the Dutch Interior Forces, attended the meeting as well. Blaskowitz agreed with all proposals by Foulkes. However, nowhere in the building - some sources claim: nowhere in the whole town - a typewriter could be found. Thus the surrender document could not be typed. The next day both parties returned, and in the presence of both General Foulkes and Prince Bernhard, Blaskowitz signed the surrender document which in the meantime had been typed. [1].
Post war
Blaskowitz was charged with war crimes and tried before a U.S. military court in the High Command Trial, but committed suicide during the trial on February 5, 1948 by jumping out of a window of Nuremberg prison. Rumors spread by cell mates, that he may have been murdered by SS men, have never been substantiated.
Summary of his military career
Dates of rank
- Fähnrich: March 02, 1901
- Leutnant: January 27, 1902
- Oberleutnant: January 27, 1910
- Hauptmann: February 17, 1914
- Major: January 01, 1922
- Oberstleutnant: April 06, 1926
- Oberst: October 01, 1929
- Generalmajor October 01, 1932
- Generalleutnant: December 01, 1933
- General der Infanterie: August 01, 1936
- Generaloberst: October 01, 1939
Notable decorations
- Iron Cross Second (1914) and First (1915) Classes
- Clasp to the Iron Cross Second (1939) and First (1939) Classes
- Knight's Cross (1939)
- Oak Leaves (1944)
- Swords (1945)
- Sudetenland Medal (1938) with Prague Castle bar (1938)
- Wound Badge- 1918 type (?)
- Cross of Honor (1934)
- Bavarian Military Merit Cross 4th Class with Swords (1916)
- German Cross in Silver (1943)
- Prussian Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (1917)
- Baden Knight's Cross 2nd Class of the Order of the Zähringen Lion with Swords(1915)
- Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross Second (1916) and First (1916) Classes
- War Merit Cross Second (?) and First (?) Classes
- Order of the Crown of Italy, Grand Cross (1941)
See also
References
- von Blaskowitz, Johannes - German reaction to the invasion of southern France - (ASIN B0007K469O) - Historical Division, Headquarters, United States Army, Europe, Foreign Military Studies Branch, 1945
- von Blaskowitz, Johannes - Answers to questions directed to General Blaskowitz - (ASIN B0007K46JY) - Historical Division, Headquarters, United States Army, Europe, Foreign Military Studies Branch, 1945
- Giziowski, Richard - The Enigma of General Blaskowitz (Hardcover) (ISBN 0-7818-0503-1) - Hippocrene Books, November 1996
- Information on his death - The New York Times, Feb 6, 1948, p.13
- Information on his death - The Times, Feb 8, 1948, p. 3