Wilhelm List

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Wilhelm List bigraphy, stories - Criminals

Wilhelm List : biography

14 May 1880 – 17 August 1971

Siegmund Wilhelm Walther List (14 May 1880 – 17 August 1971), was a German field marshal during World War II, and at the start of the war was based in Slovakia in command of the 14th Army.

Capture and trial

List was captured by the Allies after the war. In 1947, List and 11 former subordinates were brought before a U.S. military court, charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity — primarily the reprisal killing of hostages in retaliation for partisan activity. List was convicted in this Hostages Trial. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in February 1948. List was released from prison in December 1952, officially because of ill health. However, he lived for another 19 years, dying on August 17, 1971.

Early life and career

List was born in Oberkirchberg (now a part of Illerkirchberg) near Ulm, Württemberg, Germany in 1880 and entered the Bavarian Army in 1898 as a cadet. In 1900, he was promoted to Leutnant (Lieutenant) and in 1913 he joined the general staff as a Hauptmann (Captain). He served as a staff officer in World War I.

After the war, List stayed in the Reichswehr and most of his assignments were as an administrator. In 1927, he was promoted to Oberst, in 1930 he was promoted to Generalmajor (Equivalent to a US Brigadier General) and in 1932 he was promoted to Generalleutnant (Major General). In 1938, after the Anschluss of Austria, List was made responsible for integrating the Bundesheer into the Wehrmacht.

In 1939, List commanded the German 14th Army in the invasion of Poland. From 1939–1941, he commanded the German 12th Army in France and Greece. In 1941, he was Commander-in-Chief South-East. In July 1942, he was Commander-in-Chief of Army Group A on the Eastern Front in the Soviet Union.

Awards

  • Wound Badge (1918) in black
  • Iron Cross (1914) 2. and 1. class
  • Iron Cross (1939) 2. and 1. class
  • Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern (House Order of Hohenzollern)
  • Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (30 September 1939)

Dates of rank

  • Fähnrich – 8 February 1899
  • Leutnant – 7 March 1900
  • Oberleutnant – 9 March 1908
  • Hauptmann – 22 March 1913
  • Major – 26 September 1919
  • Oberstleutnant – 1 October 1923
  • Oberst – 1 March 1927
  • Generalmajor (Brigadier General) – 1 November 1930
  • Generalleutnant (Major General) – 1 October 1932
  • General der Infanterie (Lieutenant General of Infantry) – 1 October 1935
  • Generaloberst (General) – 20 April 1939
  • Generalfeldmarschall – 19 July 1940

France, 1940

During the huge German offensive against France and the Low Countries May to June 1940, the 14th army remained in Poland, but this was not the case with its commander. In May 1940 List commanded the 12:th German army during the fall of France. The 12th army was a unit of the German Army Group A, under command of Gerd von Rundstedt. It was this Army Group that successfully forced the Ardennes and then made the imperative break-through on 15.May 1940, which spread panic in the French forces and cutted the British expeditional forces off their supply lines. After this successful campaign List was among the twelve generals that Hitler promoted to Generalfeldmarshall (Field Marshal) 19.July 1940. (This was the first occasion when Hitler appointed Field Marshals due to military achievement) In early 1941, German troops were being steadily massed on the Eastern frontier of the Third Reich, in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. OKW believed that before Barbarossa could be launched it would be necessary to eliminate the possibility of interference from Greece by militarily subduing this country, in an operation codenamed Operation Marita. Field Marshal List was delegated to negotiate with the Bulgarian General Staff, and a secret agreement was signed allowing the free passage of German troops through Bulgarian territory.German Minutes of Conference, NCA IV, pp272-5 On the night of 28/29 February 1941, German troops—including List, who now commanded the 12th Army—took up positions in Bulgaria, which the next day joined the Tripartite Pact.