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Kurt Zeitzler | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Zeitzler in 1941 | |
| Chief of the General Staff of theGerman Army High Command | |
| In office 24 September 1942 – 10 June 1944 | |
| Leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Preceded by | Franz Halder |
| Succeeded by | Adolf Heusinger |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1895-06-09)9 June 1895 Goßmar,German Empire |
| Died | 25 September 1963(1963-09-25) (aged 68) Hohenaschau,West Germany |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  German Empire Nazi Germany |
| Branch/service |  German Army |
| Years of service | 1914–1945 |
| Rank | Generaloberst |
| Battles/wars | |
Kurt Zeitzler (9 June 1895 – 25 September 1963) was a Chief of theArmy General Staff in theWehrmacht ofNazi Germany duringWorld War II.
Zeitzler was almost exclusively astaff officer, serving aschief of staff in a corps, army, and army group. In September 1942, he was selected byAdolf Hitler as Chief of the Army General Staff, replacingFranz Halder. In early 1943 he was one of the key figures in the decision to launchOperation Citadel, the last major German attack on the Eastern Front, which ended in defeat. Zeitzler lost faith in Hitler's judgement, and abandoned his position in July 1944 after suffering a nervous breakdown. Zeitzler was regarded as an energetic and efficient staff officer, noted for his ability in managing the movement of large mobile formations.[1]
Born in Goßmar in theProvince of Brandenburg, Zeitzler came from a family of pastors. At the age of 18 he joined the 4th Thuringian Infantry Regiment of theGerman Army on 23 March 1914. Five months later Germany was at war. Zeitzler was promoted to lieutenant in December 1914, and commanded various units, including apioneer detachment. At the end of the war he was a regimental adjutant.
Zeitzler was chosen as one of the 4,000 officers selected to serve in theReichswehr, the small German army permitted under the limits of theTreaty of Versailles. He was promoted to captain in January 1928. In 1929 he began three years of service as a staff officer of the 3rd Division. In February 1934 he was transferred to theReichswehrministerium ("Defense Ministry" of theWeimar Republic) and promoted to major. In 1937 he became a staff officer in the operations office for theOberkommando des Heeres (OKH), the headquarters of the German Army. In April 1939 he took command of Infantry Regiment 60, and was promoted to full colonel in June.
During theinvasion of Poland in September 1939, Zeitzler was chief of staff to GeneralWilhelm List, commanding theXXII (Motorized) Corps in the 14th Army.[2] In March 1940 he became chief of staff to Generalvon Kleist, commanding Panzergruppe A, later redesignated1st Panzer Army. During theBattle of France, Zeitzler brilliantly organized and managed the panzer drive through theArdennes.[3] He continued in this post through the successfulinvasion of Yugoslavia andBattle of Greece. On 18 May 1941 Zeitzler was awarded theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
His greatest success came duringOperation Barbarossa, the 1941 invasion of theSoviet Union. During the first two months ofBarbarossa, 1st Panzer Army plunged east into Soviet territory, then moved south to the Black Sea to cut off Soviet forces in theBattle of Uman, then north toencircle Soviet forces around Kiev, then south again across theDnieper River, and then further south to cut off Soviet forces near theSea of Azov.[4] Through all this strenuous campaigning, Zeitzler kept 1st Panzer Army moving smoothly and ensured that supplies arrived. In appreciation of Zeitzler, Kleist commented "The biggest problem in throwing about armies in this way was that of maintaining supplies."[5]
In January 1942, Zeitzler was made chief of staff to GeneralGerd von Rundstedt,OB West (Commander in Chief West) and commander ofArmy Group D. He played an important role in responding to theCanadian raid on Dieppe on 19 August 1942.
On 24 September 1942 Zeitzler was promoted toGeneral der Infanterie ("General of the Infantry") and simultaneously was appointed Chief of the OKH General Staff, replacingFranz Halder.[6] Hitler had been impressed by Zeitzler's optimistic and vigorous reports, and chose him over several higher-ranked and more senior officers.Albert Speer states Hitler wanted a reliable assistant who "doesn't go off and brood on my orders, but energetically sees to carrying them out."[7]
Following Zeitzler's promotion, Hitler was initially impressed with his dedication to his task and fighting spirit.[8] In November 1942, Soviet counterattacks surrounded theGerman Sixth Army inStalingrad. Zeitzler recommended that Sixth Army immediately break out and withdraw from Stalingrad to the Don bend, where the broken front could be restored. Hitler became enraged, overruled Zeitzler, and personally ordered the Sixth Army to stand fast around Stalingrad, where it was eventually destroyed.
During early 1943, Zeitzler developed the initial plans forOperation Citadel, the final major German offensive in the east, and convinced Hitler to undertake the offensive despite the objections raised by several other senior officers.[9] The offensive ended in a strategic defeat for the Germans, and a series of defensive battles ensued.
Zeitzler's relationship with Hitler deteriorated during 1944. Hitler blamed him for the Germandefeat in the Crimea during April and May. This caused Zeitzler to signal his desire to resign. By the middle of the year, Zeitzler had lost all faith in Hitler's tactics as a result of the deteriorating situation in Western Europe after theAllied landing at Normandy and Hitler's refusal to allowArmy Group Centre to withdraw to more defensible positions on the Eastern Front. On 1 July, Zeitzler suffered anervous breakdown, and fled Hitler'sBerghof residence. Hitler never spoke to him again, and had him dismissed from the Army in January 1945, refusing him the right to wear a uniform.[10]
At the end of the war, Zeitzler was captured by British troops and remained a prisoner of war until the end of February 1947. He appeared as a witness for the defense during theNuremberg trials, and worked with the Operational History Section (German) of the Historical Division of the U.S. Army.
Zeitzler died of lung cancer in 1963 inHohenaschau of UpperBavaria.
| 1939 | Commanding Officer 60th Regiment |
| 1939–1940 | Chief of Staff XXII Corps, Poland |
| 1940–1941 | Chief of Staff Panzer Group von Kleist, France |
| 1941 | Chief of Staff 1st Panzer Group, Yugoslavia and the Eastern Front |
| 1941–1942 | Chief of Staff 1st Panzer Army, Eastern Front |
| 1942 | Chief of Staff Army Group D, France |
| 1942–1944 | Chief of Staff of the OKH |
| 1944–1945 | In reserve |
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chief of Staff of theOKH September 1942 – June 1944 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
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