Artur Schmitt | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1888-07-20)20 July 1888 Albersweiler |
| Died | 15 January 1972(1972-01-15) (aged 83) Munich |
| Allegiance |  German Empire
 Nazi Germany (1933–1945) |
| Service | Bavarian Army (1907–1912) German ImperialSchutztruppe (1912–1918) |
| Years of service | 1907–1920 1935–1945 |
| Rank | Generalleutnant |
| Commands | rückwärtiges Armeegebiet 556 |
| Battles / wars | World War I |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Other work | Police officer |
Artur Schmitt (20 July 1888 – 15 January 1972) was a highly decorated German soldier duringWorld War I andWorld War II.
While serving as a General with theAfrikakorps during World War II, Schmitt was awarded theRitterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross), which was usually awarded to recognise extreme bravery, or successful military leadership.
Schmitt was born atAlbersweiler in what was then theBavarian Rhine District. He was educated at theHumanistische Gymnasium atLandau in der Pfalz.
In 1907 he joined theBavarian Army, as an officer cadet with theKöniglich Bayerisches 18. Infanterie-Regiment „Prinz Ludwig Ferdinand“ (German Wikipedia; "18th Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment "Prince Louis Ferdinand"), in Landau and attended theBayerische Kriegsakademie (Bavarian War Academy) in Munich. In 1912, Schmitt joined the ImperialSchutztruppe and was posted to the colony ofGerman Southwest Africa (later Namibia).
He took part in theSouth-West Africa campaign of World War I, during which he was captured.
After being transferred to a prisoner of war (POW) camp in Britain, Schmitt attempted to escape, without success. He was repatriated to Germany before the end of the war, and then joinedKöniglich Bayerisches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 1 (German Wikipedia), stationed in Munich.
In 1919 Schmitt joined a right-wing militia known asFreikorps Eulenburg, which fought against Russian forces during theSoviet Baltic offensive of 1918–1919 and put down an uprising by ethnic Poles inUpper Silesia.
Schmitt was employed by the Bavarian police from 1920 inAschaffenburg and Munich.
Rejoining the army after the Nazis came to power, Schmitt served initially in theordnance corps.
By the outbreak of World War II, he was commander ofInfanterie Regiment 626, part of555. Infanterie-Division, on theUpper Rhine. From 19 June 1940, Schmitt was promoted to command 555 Division, which capturedStrasbourg.
Schmitt commandedOberfeldzeugstabs 2. inPoland and during the early stages of theinvasion of the Soviet Union.
Promoted toGeneralmajor in late 1941, Schmitt was posted toNorth Africa; underErwin Rommel, Schmitt was initially the 556thArmy Rear Area Commander forPanzergruppe Afrika. In November, he became the commander of the combinedAxisDivision “Bardia”, in theSollum-Bardia sector.
In January 1942, following a prolongedoffensive against Bardia by theSouth African2nd Infantry Division and theNew Zealand Divisional Cavalry Regiment, Schmitt was forced to surrender his forces to the South Africans, the first German general to do so in the Second World War. He became a prisoner of war. Following his capture, Schmitt was awarded theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross (5 February 1942).
He was held in Canada until 1946, when he was transferred to Britain, but was not released until 1948.
After the victory of Israeli forces in thewar of 1948, theArab League recruited Schmitt to train a pan-Arab army. While living in Cairo, he used the pseudonym/codename "Mr. Goldstein". Schmitt became disaffected with what he saw as machinations against him by some Egyptian generals, which he denounced in 1950, resigned and returned to Germany.
In 1966, Schmitt was a candidate for the far-rightNPD in the Bavarian state parliament. His campaign material used controversial images of Schmitt in his Wehrmacht uniform (which featured swastikas on the cap badge and Knight's Cross). Schmitt criticised the use of the Knight's Cross in a1967 film adaption ofGunther Grass's novelKatz und Maus ("Cat and Mouse"). The film had a high profile in Germany, due partly to it featuring acting performances by two sons of German Vice-ChancellorWilly Brandt.
Schmitt was one of the subjects of a 2014 French documentary filmExil Nazi: La Promesse De L'Orient ("Nazi Exiles: The Promise of the Orient"), by the French-German filmmakerGéraldine Schwarz.[1]
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