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Georg von Küchler file photo [19117]

Georg von Küchler

SurnameKüchler
Given NameGeorg
Born30 May 1881
Died25 May 1968
CountryGermany
CategoryMilitary-Ground
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseGeorg Karl Friedrich Wilhelm von Küchler was born into an aristocratic Prussian family in 1881. He joined the Germany Army in 1900, serving with 25th Field Artillery Regiment. Between 1910 and 1913, he studied at the Prussian Military Academy. Upon graduation, he was attached to the general staff. During WW1, he commanded artillery units on the Western Front, seeing action at Somme and Verdun in France. In 1916, he became a staff officer of 206th Infantry Division. After WW1, he joined a Freikorps paramilitary organization and saw action against Soviet forces in Poland. Upon his return to Germany, he joined the military of the Weimar Republic. In 1937, he became the commanding officer of the 1st Military District. In Mar 1939, he commanded troops in the occupation of Memel, annexed from Lithuania. In Sep 1939, he led German 3rd Army in the capture of Danzig. Although he was initially uncomfortable with the atrocities committed by SS units behind his front lines, his loyalty to Adolf Hitler compelled him to personally issue orders to stop his subordinates from criticizing against the Nazi racial policies. In 1940, he commanded 18th Army in the invasion of France and the Low Countries, where his troops captured Rotterdam and the Hague, occupied Antwerp, and reached as far west as Pas de Calais. For his leadership in the westward campaign, he was promoted to the rank of colonel general. He continued to command German 18th Army in the invasion of the Soviet Union, capturing Ostrov, Pskov, Narva, and Kingisepp, moving toward Leningrad. In Jan 1942, he was made the commanding officer of Army Group North. In Jun 1942, Hitler promoted Küchler to the rank of Field Marshal. Through late 1943, he would continue to put pressure on Leningrad, but he would ultimately fail to take the city. In Jan 1944, the Soviets broke the seige and turned the table, putting pressure on his lines; when he requested permission to fall back to the Luga River, he was forced into retirement. He was approached by Carl Goerdeler to join the conspiracy to overthrow Hitler, but Küchler, despite gradually losing faith in Hitler, refused. At the end of the war, he was arrested and found guilty of atrocities committed against captured Soviet partisan fighters. He served only 8 of his 20-year prison sentence due to advanced age, and passed away 12 years later in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in southern Germany.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Sep 2013

Georg von Küchler Interactive Map

Photographs

Georg von Küchler at the courthouse in Tallinn, Estonia, Aug 1941Wilhelm von Leeb and Georg von Küchler observing the front lines, Soviet Union, Sep 1941, photo 1 of 2
See all 8 photographs of Georg von Küchler

Georg von Küchler Timeline

30 May 1881 Georg von Küchler was born in the Philippsruhe castle in Hanau in the Province of Hesse-Nassau, Kingdom of Prussia.
20 Nov 1914 Georg von Küchler was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class.
8 Jan 1915 Georg von Küchler was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class.
1 Apr 1934 Georg von Küchler was promoted to the rank of major general.
1 Apr 1935 Georg von Küchler was made the inspector of the military academy.
1 Dec 1935 Georg von Küchler was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.
2 Oct 1936 Georg von Küchler was made the deputy president of the military court system.
12 Mar 1937 Georg von Küchler was named the commanding officer of 1st Military District with personal command over I Corps.
31 Mar 1937 Georg von Küchler stepped down as the deputy president of the military court system.
20 Apr 1937 Georg von Küchler was promoted to the rank of General der Artillerie.
22 Aug 1939 Georg von Küchler was named the commanding officer of 3rd Army.
11 Sep 1939 Georg von Küchler was awarded Clasp 2nd Class to his Iron Cross.
22 Sep 1939 Georg von Küchler was awarded Clasp 1st Class to his Iron Cross.
1 Nov 1939 Georg von Küchler was named the commanding officer of 11th Army.
22 Feb 1940 Georg von Küchler ordered his subordinates to stop all forms of criticism toward Nazi racial policies.
21 Oct 1941 Georg von Küchler was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht daily radio report.
12 Jan 1942 George von Küchler replaced Wilhelm von Leeb, who resigned after Adolf Hitler refused his request to withdraw behind the Lovat River to prevent II Corps being cut off.
30 Jun 1942 Georg von Küchler was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal.
12 Aug 1943 Georg von Küchler was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht daily radio report.
27 Oct 1948 Georg von Küchler was given a 20-year prison sentence for atrocities committed against captured Soviet partisan fighters.
25 May 1968 Georg von Küchler passed away in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, southern Germany.




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More on Georg von Küchler
Event(s) Participated:
» Annexation of Klaipeda
» Invasion of Poland
» Invasion of France and the Low Countries
» Operation Barbarossa
» Siege of Leningrad
» Nuremberg Trials and Other Trials Against Germany

Georg von Küchler Photo Gallery
Georg von Küchler at the courthouse in Tallinn, Estonia, Aug 1941Wilhelm von Leeb and Georg von Küchler observing the front lines, Soviet Union, Sep 1941, photo 1 of 2
See all 8 photographs of Georg von Küchler


Famous WW2 Quote
"All that silly talk about the advance of science and such leaves me cold. Give me peace and a retarded science."

Thomas Dodd, late 1945


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