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Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller | |
|---|---|
 Müller in 1944 | |
| Nickname | The Butcher of Crete |
| Born | (1897-08-29)29 August 1897 |
| Died | 20 May 1947(1947-05-20) (aged 49) |
| Cause of death | Execution by firing squad |
| Allegiance | German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Imperial German Army Reichswehr German Army |
| Years of service | 1915–1945 |
| Rank | General der Infanterie |
| Commands | 22nd Air Landing Division |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller (29 August 1897 – 20 May 1947) was a general in theWehrmacht ofNazi Germany duringWorld War II. He led an infantry regiment in the early stages of the war and by 1943 was commander of the22nd Air Landing Division. Under his orders, troops of the division committed atrocities against Greek civilians. He was later commander of occupiedCrete and his harsh methods of controlling the island saw him nicknamed "The Butcher of Crete." After the war he was convicted and executed by a Greek court for war crimes.
Müller was born inBarmen, Prussia. When World War I began, Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller served as an infantryman with the 2nd Infantry Regiment. In 1915, he was promoted to second lieutenant and transferred to the 266th Regiment. After the war, Müller remained in the army and continued to rise through the ranks, attaining the rank of major in 1936. Shortly after World War II commenced, Müller was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
As the commanding officer of 105th Infantry Regiment, he saw action against the Soviet Army, for which he was awarded theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross in 1941 and Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross in 1942. In August 1942, Müller was appointed commanding officer of22nd Air Landing Division. Müller became notorious as a brutal commander responsible for several atrocities against Greek civilians.[1]
The attacks on civilians included the massacres atViannos,Anogeia,Amari,Damasta,Skourvoula andMalathyros. During the autumn of 1943, Müller led the German forces in their victory over the Italian-British forces in theDodecanese Campaign. On 6 October 1943, on the island of Kos, under his orders, German forceskilled and buried in mass graves over one hundredItalian army officers captured at the end of thebattle for the island, who would not side with their former allies.[2]
In 1943,CaptainWilliam Stanley Moss, a recent BritishSpecial Operations Executive (SOE) recruit andMajorPatrick Leigh Fermor, an officer of SOE Cairo's Cretan Desk, hatched a plan for the abduction of Müller. The plan received widespread support in SOE's Cairo branch. However, on 1 March, Müller was replaced byMajor GeneralHeinrich Kreipe who waseventually abducted instead of Müller in April 1944.[3] On 1 July 1944, Müller returned to his role of commander of Fortress Crete, replacingBruno Bräuer, and was determined to penalise the locals for providing shelter to the Kreipe abduction team, confirming British fears of mass reprisals.[4] His brutal response earned him the nickname of "The Butcher of Crete."
Müller was also responsible for theHolocaust of Kedros on 22 August 1944. Under his orders, German infantry killed 164 Greek civilians which was followed in the coming days by the razing of most villages, looting, and the destruction of livestock and harvests.[5] By 1945, Müller commanded the German4th Army on theEastern Front. Müller ended the war inEast Prussia where he surrendered to theRed Army.
After the war, he was tried by a Greek military court for war crimes. In 1946, Müller was convicted by a court inAthens for the massacres of hostages for reprisals. He was sentenced to death on 9 December 1946 and executed byfiring squad on 20 May 1947,[6] along with former GeneralBruno Bräuer, on the anniversary of the Axis invasion of Crete.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by General der InfanterieLudwig Wolff | Commander of22. Infanterie-Division 1 August 1942 – 15 February 1944 | Succeeded by GeneralmajorHeinrich Kreipe |
| Preceded by Generalleutnant Hermann Böhme | Commander ofV. Armeekorps 4 May 1944 – 2 June 1944 | Succeeded by General der InfanterieDr. Franz Beyer |
| Preceded by GeneralleutnantEdgar Röhricht | Commander ofLIX. Armeekorps 2 June 1944 – 8 June 1944 | Succeeded by General der InfanterieEdgar Röhricht |
| Preceded by GeneralleutnantBruno Bräuer | Commander ofFortress Crete 1 July 1944 – 18 September 1944 | Succeeded by GeneralleutnantErnst Klepp |
| Preceded by None | Commander ofXXXIV. Armeekorps 13 November 1944 – 8 December 1944 | Succeeded by General der FliegerHellmuth Felmy |
| Preceded by General der FliegerHellmuth Felmy | Commander ofLXVIII. Armeekorps 8 december 1944 - 27 january 1945 | Succeeded by Generalleutnant Arthur Schwarzenecker |
| Preceded by General der InfantrieFriedrich Hoßbach | Commander of4. Armee 29 January 1945 – 27 April 1945 | Succeeded by none |
