Field Marshal von Kleist. The Mius Front backfired on a German general in a Soviet prison

(Kaltenbrunner), (1903–1946), head of the Main Directorate of Imperial Security (RSHA) (since 1943). Born on October 4, 1903 in Ried, Austria, in the family of a lawyer. Studied at the Technical High School in Graz. He received a law degree in 1926, worked in the court of Salzburg, then opened his own law office in Linz. In 1932 he joined the NSDAP and the SS (since 1935 - leader of the Austrian SS). He took part in the 1934 putsch, during which the Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss was killed by the Nazis. Arrested by the Austrian authorities, Kaltenbrunner was released after a short stay in prison. During the Anschluss in March 1938, Kaltenbrunner was appointed State Secretary for Security in the cabinet of Arthur Seyss-Inquart. Meeting Himmler, who had arrived in Austria, at the airfield, Kaltenbrunner reported to him: “The Austrian SS is awaiting your further instructions.” From then on, he began to occupy leading positions in the SS apparatus in Austria - first SS Brigadeführer, then SS Gruppenführer. In July 1941 Kaltenbrunner was appointed commander of the SS and police in Vienna. January 30, 1943 - chief of zipo, SD and RSHA.

French historian Jacques Delarue describes Kaltenbrunner's appearance as follows:

"... he was a real colossus. With a height of one meter and ninety centimeters, he had broad shoulders and powerful arms with relatively thin hands, capable, however, of crushing a stone.

His massive body was crowned with a large head with a hard, heavy face, as if carved from a poorly hewn stump of wood.

A high and flat forehead did not at all indicate outstanding intelligence.

Small dark brown eyes glittered harshly in deep sockets, half covered with heavy eyelids; a wide, straight mouth with thin lips, as if carved with one blow, and a huge, square, massive, roughly hewn chin further emphasized the ponderous and gloomy character of this man.

The repulsive expression of his face was enhanced by deep scars, traces of the fashionable duels in his youth between students who considered scars a sign of masculinity.

His face seemed inaccessible to emotion. From his powerful chest came a deep voice with a strong Austrian accent.

Soon his voice seemed to fade due to alcohol abuse, since Kaltenbrunner, like many other Nazi bosses, was an incorrigible alcoholic, which aroused Himmler’s hostility. From 10 o'clock in the morning, Kaltenbrunner began to swallow champagne and cognac. He smoked almost continuously, “burning” 80 - 100 cigarettes a day. His fingers and nails were brown from nicotine. He had disgusting yellow, crumbled teeth, which caused poor diction."

Kaltenbrunner personally supervised the means of extermination of prisoners developed in the camps. In the fall of 1942, even before his appointment to the RSHA, he inspected the Mauthausen camp, where, together with the camp commandant Ziereis, he watched through the window the agony of prisoners in the gas chamber. A year later, in the same Mauthausen, the execution of prisoners was specially organized for him in three ways: by hanging, by a shot in the back of the head and in the gas chamber.

At the end of World War II, Kaltenbrunner was arrested in Austria and brought before the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, which sentenced him to death by hanging. On October 16, 1946 the sentence was carried out.

"Canada"

The term used by the guards at the “death camps” to describe the huge storage facilities for sorting property confiscated from newly arriving prisoners.

The railway cars carrying prisoners were cleaned and loaded with anything of value that was stored in warehouses. The head of the SS Main Administrative and Economic Directorate, Oswald Pohl, reported that in February 1943, 781 freight cars were sent from Auschwitz to Germany. Of these, 245 were filled with clothing, and 1 was filled with human hair. Gold fillings recovered from the ashes of the burned prisoners were melted down into ingots and sent to the Reichsbank in a special deposit account (see Max Heiliger account).

Canaris, Friedrich Wilhelm

(Canaris), (1887–1945), admiral, head of the intelligence and counterintelligence department of the High Command of the German Armed Forces - the Abwehr. Born on January 1, 1887 in Aplerbeck, near Dortmund, in the family of a steel mill director.

He joined the navy in 1905. During World War I he served on the cruiser Dresden, after the sinking of which he was interned in Chile in 1915. In 1916, Canaris was sent by German intelligence to Spain, where he launched extensive espionage activities and organized the supply of German submarines from the territory of Spain and Portugal. From 1918 he was adjutant to the Minister of War G. Noske. Canaris participated in organizing the murder of K. Liebknecht and R. Luxemburg, and then headed the “investigation” in this case. In 1920 he took part in the Kapp Putsch. In subsequent years, Canaris served in the German Navy. In 1935 he headed the Abwehr under the War Ministry (from 1938 - under the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces). Since 1938, he simultaneously headed the foreign department of the Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces (OKW). Created a wide espionage and sabotage network in Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Canaris took part in the development and implementation of Hitler's aggressive plans: the Anschluss of Austria, the invasion of Czechoslovakia and Poland, etc. However, according to the testimony of his subordinate, General Edwin Lahausen, Canaris possessed many human qualities that placed him much higher than an ordinary Nazi official. Not accepting the overt cruelty of the regime and being an opponent of Hitler’s policies, Canaris constantly experienced psychological discomfort from the need to play a double game. In February 1944 he was dismissed. With Germany's defeat approaching, Canaris took part in a military conspiracy against Hitler (see July 1944 plot). After the plot failed, he was arrested and hanged on April 9, 1945 in the Flossenbürg concentration camp.

Kapp Putsch

A failed anti-government revolt that occurred in March 1920 in the Weimar Republic, led by the reactionary journalist and landowner Wolfgang Kapp (1868–1922), Hermann Erhardt, generals Erich Ludendorff, W. Luttwitz and others. Relying on units of the "Volunteer Corps" and Some parts of the Reichswehr conspirators aimed to overthrow the coalition government led by the Social Democrats, eliminate the republican system and establish an open military dictatorship. On March 10, 1920, a march to Berlin of volunteer units took place, during which General Luttwitz presented an ultimatum to the government, demanding the dissolution of the national assembly, re-election of the president and refusal to reduce the personnel of the Reichswehr, provided for by the Treaty of Versailles 1919. The government, although it outlawed Kapp, did not accept no decisive measures against the rebels. On March 13, the putschists occupied Berlin and formed their own government led by Kapp. President Friedrich Ebert and the government left the capital and moved to Stuttgart. The working class, as well as a significant part of the middle strata and republican-minded bourgeois circles, spoke out in defense of the republican system. A general strike began in the country, in which 12 million people took part, which thwarted the plans of the putschists, who were counting on the support of the population. The regular army also did not support the coup, which was liquidated within 5 days. On March 17, Kapp fled to Sweden.

Wilhelm Kahr, Gustav von

(Kahr), (1862–1934), politician in Bavaria. Born November 29, 1862 in Weissenburg, Bavaria. Since the 90s took an active part in the activities of the local Bavarian government. In 1911 he received the title of nobility (Ritter von). In 1917–1924 he headed the government of Bavaria. After the formation of the Weimar Republic, von Kahr, being an ardent monarchist, opposed the central government for the autonomy of Bavaria. In an effort to suppress separatist sentiments, President Friedrich Ebert declared a state of emergency in the country on September 26, 1923. In response to this, von Kahr proclaimed himself Commissar General of Bavaria, which was regarded by the central government in Berlin as a rebellion. Various monarchist groups united around von Kara's separatist program, led by the commander of the Reichswehr military district in Bavaria, General Otto von Lossow, and the chief of the Bavarian police, Colonel Hans von Scheisser. Hitler, whose position and popularity in Bavaria were rapidly growing, regarded von Kahr's separatism, which, in his opinion, led to a weakening of the unity of the Reich, as a betrayal of national interests. Fearing the strengthening of the Nazi party competing with him, von Kahr banned NSDAP meetings at the end of September 1923. In this situation, Hitler decided to seize the initiative, proclaim a “national revolution” and organize a “march on Berlin”. During the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, Hitler invited von Kahr and von Lossow, taking them hostage, to join the “national revolution” and join the new government. Von Kahr and von Lossow, who were temporarily released on parole, immediately began developing a plan to suppress the Nazi rebellion. Munich was surrounded by troops, and von Kahr issued a decree banning the activities of the NSDAP. The putsch was crushed and Hitler was put on trial.

In 1924-27, von Kahr was President of the Supreme Court of Bavaria. During the events of the Night of the Long Knives, von Kahr was killed in his home in Munich on July 6, 1934 by the Nazis, who had not forgiven him for suppressing their rebellion.

Cashirer, Ernst

(Cassirer), (1874–1945), German idealist philosopher, representative of the Marburg school of neo-Kantianism. Born on July 28, 1874 in Breslau, Silesia, in the family of a wealthy Jewish merchant. He studied at the universities of Berlin, Leipzig and Heidelberg. From 1919-33 Cassirer was professor and rector (1930-33) of the University of Hamburg. Author of the monograph "Philosophy of Symbolic Forms" (1923 - 29), in which he proposed his own original concept of the philosophy of culture.

After the Nazis came to power, Cassirer left Germany in 1933. He worked in Oxford (1933-35), Gothenburg (1935-41) and from 1941 taught at Yale University (USA). He wrote a number of historical and philosophical works on Leibniz, Kant, Descartes and others. Cassirer died in Princeton, New Jersey, on April 13, 1945.

Keitel, Wilhelm

(Keitel), [Baudwin Johann] (1882–1946), Field Marshal of the German Army, Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces (OKW). Born September 22, 1882 on the Helmsherode estate, Brunswick. In 1901 he enlisted in the 46th Field Artillery Regiment with the rank of Fanenjunker. On August 18, 1902, he was awarded the rank of lieutenant and entered an instructor course at the artillery school in Jüterbog. In 1909, Keitel married Lise Fontaine, the daughter of a wealthy estate and brewery owner. In 1910 he received the rank of Oberleutnant, and in 1914 - Hauptmann. During World War I, Keitel took part in battles in Belgium, was wounded in the arm, and after treatment returned to his 46th Artillery Regiment as a battery commander. In March 1915 he received an appointment to the General Staff. After the end of World War I, when, under the terms of the Versailles Treaty of 1919, the German General Staff was dissolved, and the army was reduced to 100 thousand people and had only 4 thousand officers, Keitel was included in the officer corps of the Weimar Republic and served for three years as a cavalry instructor school in Hanover, and then was enlisted in the headquarters of the 6th Artillery Regiment. In 1923 he was awarded the rank of major. In 1925-27 he was part of the organizational directorate of troops, which was essentially the secret General Staff. In the summer of 1931, Keitel, as part of a delegation of German military personnel, visited the USSR on an exchange program. In October 1933, Keitel was appointed commander of the 11th Infantry Division in Potsdam. In July 1934 he was transferred to the 12th Infantry Division stationed in Leibniz, and on October 1, 1934 he was appointed commander of the 22nd Infantry Division in Bremen. In August 1935, on the advice of the Minister of War and closest friend Werner von Blomberg, Keitel accepted the appointment to the post of head of the military-political department of the War Ministry. After the resignation of Blomberg and the commander of the ground forces, General von Fritsch (see Blomberg-Fritsch, case), the Wehrmacht High Command (OKW) was created, and all power over the armed forces was concentrated in the hands of Hitler. On February 4, 1938, Hitler appointed Keitel chief of staff of the OKW. According to the memoirs of General Walter Warlimont, Keitel was “sincerely convinced that his appointment required him to identify himself with the wishes and instructions of the Supreme Commander [Hitler], even in cases where he personally did not agree with them, and to honestly communicate them to all subordinates ". Keitel created three departments in the OKW: the operational department headed by Alfred Jodl, the Abwehr headed by Admiral Wilhelm Canaris and the economic department headed by Major General Georg Thomas. All these three departments waged a bitter struggle with each other, and the number of problems and conflicts was constantly growing. In November 1938, Keitel was awarded the rank of general, and on July 19, 1940, after the fall of France, he became a field marshal. Trying to dissuade Hitler from attacking the Soviet Union, Keitel drew up a memorandum addressed to the Fuhrer, in which he substantiated his objections in detail and even submitted his resignation.

Hitler gave Keitel a wild scolding and declared that he himself had the right to decide who he should leave as head of the OKW. From that moment on, Keitel absolutely submitted to Hitler’s will and began to blindly carry out the Fuhrer’s orders, for which he received the nickname “Lakeitel” among the generals. In March 1941, he signed the notorious “order on commissars,” according to which all political workers of the Red Army were subject to unconditional physical destruction. In July 1941, by order of Keitel, all power in the occupied territories in the East passed into the hands of Reichsführer SS Himmler, which was the prelude to genocide. On December 7, 1941, an order was issued under his signature to exterminate persons “posing a threat to the security of the Reich” - “Darkness and Fog.” Despite his position, Keitel took virtually no part in the development and conduct of purely military operations and was only an obedient instrument in the hands of Hitler, who, with the help of an obliging field marshal, pursued his own policy. After the failure of the July 1944 plot, Keitel led the measures to eliminate the participants in the assassination attempt on the Fuhrer as part of the “officers' court”, issued orders for their arrest, without showing the slightest pity. In the last days of the Third Reich, having completely lost a sense of reality and not realizing that the war was lost, Keitel unleashed brutal repressions against the “terrorist activities of the enemy” - he issued orders for the destruction of partisans and saboteurs.

On May 8, 1945, Keitel, in the presence of representatives of the Soviet Union, signed the act of unconditional surrender of Germany. He then traveled to Flensburg-Mürwik, to the headquarters of Karl Dönitz, where he was arrested a few days later by the British military police.

During the Nuremberg trials, Keitel pleaded guilty to following Hitler's orders. He was found guilty of crimes against humanity, against peace and war crimes and sentenced to death. On October 16, 1946, he was hanged in Nuremberg prison. His last words were: “Germany above all!”

Cinematography in the Third Reich

After the Nazis came to power, German cinema, which had previously received worldwide recognition thanks to the originality and talent of German actors and directors, became an integral part of the Gleichshaltung program - the subordination of all spheres of German life to Nazi ideology. “I want to use cinema as a propaganda tool,” said Goebbels, to whom Hitler entrusted control over cinema at all stages - from production to distribution. The first step of the authorities was to cleanse the production and creative film process from “racially alien elements” - people of Jewish nationality. This was the reason that many German filmmakers were forced to leave the country. Among them were directors Fritz Lang, Wilhelm Dieterle, Ernst Lubitsch, composers who created music for films, Kurt Weil, Friedrich Hollander, Hans Eisler, Misha Shpolyansky, actors Fritz Kortner, Conrad Veidt, Elisabeth Bergner, Marlene Dietrich, Madi Christians and many other. Actress Brigitte Helm was charged with "racial pollution of the nation" simply because she was married to a Jew. The popular actor Leo Reus fled to Vienna, where, having changed his Jewish appearance, he specialized in “Aryan” roles. The beautiful German actress Renata Müller committed suicide, unable to withstand the harassment of Propaganda Minister Goebbels. All of Germany was outraged by the incident that happened in 1940 with the country's most popular film actor, Joachim Gottschalk. Being married to a Jewish woman, the actor refused to comply with the authorities' demands to divorce his wife and leave the child. Having accused the actor's wife of racial inferiority, the Gestapo gave the couple one day to leave the country. Refusing to emigrate, the couple committed suicide. After the incident, German film studios were close to rioting.

Some filmmakers nevertheless agreed to cooperate with the Nazi regime. Actors Emil Jannings, Heinrich Georg, Werner Kraus, Gustav Grundgens, actresses Lil Dagover, Pola Negri, Anni Ondra remained to work in Germany.

The creative level of films being made dropped sharply already in the first period of Nazi rule. Mostly films were produced for propaganda purposes: “The Fiery SA Fighter” (1933, Bavarian Film Studio), which glorified the exploits of stormtroopers, with the participation of minor actors and the director; "Hitlerjunge Quex", which tells about the fate of the convinced Nazi Herbert Norkus, whose parents were communists, who died at the hands of the communists; "Hans Westmar" (1933) - a cinematic biography of Horst Wessel, a Nazi "martyr", etc. The Nazi authorities organized mass screenings of these films in Berlin and other German cities. However, except for the organized columns of stormtroopers marching to the cinemas, the rest of the public ignored such films.

Nazi control over cinematography reached its apogee in 1934-35. On April 25, 1935, the International Film Festival opened in Berlin, which brought together over 2 thousand delegates from 40 countries. At this festival, the official premiere of the film “Triumph of the Will” (dir. Leni Riefenstahl), filmed during the party congress in Nuremberg in September 1934, took place. By 1937, the German film industry was effectively nationalized. In 1938, another significant documentary film was released - “Olympia” (dir. L. Riefenstahl), a chronicle of the 1936 Olympic Games. In 1939, a series of anti-Semitic films began: “Rothschild in Waterloo” (1940), “The Jew Suess” (1940), etc. .

In the early years of World War II, Nazi films glorified the triumphant exploits of the Wehrmacht soldier, caricaturing the enemy as weak, mean and cowardly. German newsreels daily presented the public with reports of victories won on the fronts. Since 1943, the tone of films began to change - it was necessary to maintain the morale of the army and the nation. After the Berlin Film Studio was destroyed by Allied bombing at the end of the war, film production shifted to studios in Amsterdam, Budapest and Rome.

Over the entire history of the Third Reich (1933-45), 1,363 full-length films were released in Germany. All of these films, as well as short films, news releases and documentaries, were necessarily screened by the Ministry of Propaganda before being widely shown. Most feature-length films were far from not only life, but also creativity in general. Only a small part of them were selected for propaganda purposes. Cinema audiences declined significantly during the war.

Kip, Otto Karl

(Kiep), (1886–1944), German lawyer, diplomat, member of the resistance movement. Born on July 7, 1886 in Scotland in the family of a German consul. Continuing the family tradition, he entered the diplomatic service. Took part in negotiations on reparations. In 1927 he was appointed adviser to the German embassy in Washington, and in 1930 - consul general in New York. In 1933, Kip was recalled to his homeland for participating in celebrations in honor of Albert Einstein. He worked in the foreign department of the OKW, in which many opponents of the Hitler regime collaborated. Coming under suspicion by the Gestapo, Kip was arrested on January 16, 1944 and sentenced to death for treason. Executed at Plötzensee prison in Berlin on August 26, 1944.

Kirdorf, Emil

(Kirdorf), (1847–1938), a major Rhineland industrialist, “coal baron”, who provided financial support to the Nazi movement. Born April 8, 1847 in Mettman. Extreme nationalist, supporter of pan-Germanism, founder of the so-called. "Ruhr Treasury" - a huge investment fund for the Ruhr coal industry. In 1929 he met Hitler, after which he began to provide financial support to the Nazi Party. Died in Mülheim on July 13, 1938.

Kleist, Paul Ludwig Ewald von

(Kleist), (1881–1954), Field Marshal of the German Armed Forces. Born on August 8, 1881 in Braunfels into an old aristocratic family close to the Hindenburg family. In 1932-35 he commanded a cavalry division. On August 1, 1936, he was awarded the rank of general of cavalry and appointed commander of the 8th Military District (Breslau). He was temporarily removed from service, but in August 1939 he was reappointed commander of the 22nd Army Corps. In 1940 he commanded a tank group on the Western Front. In 1941 he fought in the Balkans and took part in the capture of Belgrade. During the invasion of the USSR, von Kleist commanded the 1st Tank Army, which took part in the battles near Rostov and the North. Caucasus. His troops included units entirely consisting of Azerbaijanis, Kalmyks, Ossetians and other peoples of the Caucasus. On January 31, 1943, for his successes in the Russian campaign, von Kleist was awarded the rank of Field Marshal. At the end of World War II, von Kleist was captured in Yugoslavia. In 1948 it was transferred by the British to the Soviet Union. In October 1954 he died in a prisoner of war camp in Vladimir.

Kluge, Gunther Hans von

(Kluge), (1882–1944), Field Marshal of the German Army. Born October 30, 1882 in Posen (now Poznan, Poland). Participant of the 1st World War. In 1935, with the rank of major general, he was appointed commander of the 6th Military District. In 1938, for his support of General Werner von Fritsch, he was dismissed. After the outbreak of World War II, von Kluge was again called up for service. Commanded the 6th Army Group during the capture of the Polish Corridor. In 1940 transferred to

Western Front. On July 19, 1940 he received the rank of Field Marshal. Took part in the attack on the USSR; in 1941 commander of the 4th Army, in 1941-43 commander-in-chief of Army Group Center. In the fall of 1943, von Kluge was seriously injured during a car accident on the Orsha-Minsk highway and was out of action for a long time. On July 2, 1944, Hitler, furious that Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt's troops had failed to prevent the Allied landings in Normandy, appointed von Kluge as commander-in-chief of Army Group West in his place. However, he also suffered setbacks and was removed from his post in favor of Field Marshal Walter Model. In a state of depression from military defeats, von Kluge committed suicide on August 18, 1944.

Knauf, Erich

(Knauf), (1895–1944), German journalist, publicist. Born on February 21, 1895 in Saxony in a working-class family. Participant of the 1st World War. Then he studied journalism. After the Nazis came to power, Knauf was expelled from the Reich Press Association for a number of articles critical of National Socialism. He spent two and a half months in the concentration camps of Oranienburg and Lichtenburg. In 1944, having publicly called Goebbels a “little rat” and Himmler an executioner who “gives 80 to 100 execution orders every day,” Knauf was arrested again and executed by the People’s Tribunal on May 2, 1944.

Knockplegen

(Knokploegen), a Dutch resistance group formed shortly after the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940. Mainly involved in humanitarian issues, promoting its members to government positions, distributing anti-Nazi literature, etc. Later, members of the organization took part in more serious sabotage promotions

"When the SS and SA March"

(“Wenn die SS und die SA aufmarschiert”), a drill song popular in the early years of the Nazi movement, demonstrating the fraternal unity of the Blackshirts from the SS security detachments and the Brownshirts from the SA. In fact, despite the propaganda nature of this song, there was never any unity between Himmler’s subordinates and Ernst Röhm’s stormtroopers.

Kokoschka, Oscar

(Kokoschka), Austrian expressionist artist. Born March 1, 1886 in Pechlarn. In 1920-24 he studied at the Dresden Art School. Traveled around Europe and the North. Africa. His early works were characterized by unbridled energy and expressiveness of psychological tension. The late stage of creativity is characterized by a weakening of the expressive style. In 1937, by order of the Nazi authorities, all his works were removed from art galleries in Germany, and his work was declared decadent.

(Colditz), a small concentration camp for prisoners of war in Saxony, created in October 1939, initially to hold captured Polish officers, then Belgian officers. It was designed to hold 200 prisoners. Since the conditions in the camp were gentle, there were frequent escapes, and frequent clashes between prisoners and guards. At the end of 1944, conditions deteriorated sharply; only elderly prisoners (over 50 years old) remained in the camp. In April 1945, the Colditz prisoners were released by the Americans.

Kolbe, Maximilian

(Kolbe), (1894–1941), Polish Catholic priest. Studied at the Gregorian University in Rome, Doctor of Philosophy and Theology. In 1939 he founded a monastery near Warsaw, which became, after the invasion of Poland by German troops, a shelter for refugees. He was arrested by the Nazi authorities, imprisoned in Warsaw, and then sent to Auschwitz. At the end of July 1941 he fled. The camp authorities announced that if the fugitive was not found within 24 hours, up to 600 hostages from his barracks would be executed. Having voluntarily returned to the camp, Father Kolbe was executed among 10 prisoners.

Kollwitz, Käthe

(Kollwitz), (1867–1945), German artist. Born July 8, 1867 in Konigsberg. Born Schmidt. She studied with Karl Stauffer-Bern in Berlin and Ludwig Geterich in Munich. In 1919-33 she was a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts. After the Nazis came to power, Kollwitz's work was subjected to brutal pressure from Nazi ideologists. Until 1943 she lived in Berlin. Her drawings, engravings and lithographs, dedicated to the life of ordinary people and distinguished by sophistication of style and extreme compositional expressiveness, brought her worldwide fame. She died in Moritzburg, near Dresden, on April 22, 1945.

"Commissioner Erlas"

(Kommissar Erlass - "Decree on Commissars"), a directive sent by Hitler in March 1941 to the Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces (OKW), regarding the rules of warfare against the Soviet Union. It said, in part: “The war against Russia cannot be waged in a chivalrous manner. This is a war of ideologies and racial differences and must be waged with unprecedented, ruthless and unflagging firmness. All officers must get rid of old-fashioned ideas about the conduct of war. I imagine , that the necessity of waging such a war will overwhelm you, but I must insistently demand the unconditional execution of my orders. The commissars hold views directly opposed to National Socialism. Therefore, these commissars must be destroyed. Any German soldier who violated international law will be forgiven. Russia does not participate in the Hague Convention and is therefore not entitled to its protection."

This emergency order caused confusion among senior army officers, but the Fuhrer's will was strictly carried out. The “Decree on Commissioners” appeared among the documentary evidence at the Nuremberg trials.

"Committee of Seven"

Created in Austria at the beginning of 1938, a non-governmental body from among the Austrian Nazis, whose task was to interact with the federal government. In fact, he coordinated Nazi subversive activities with the aim of preparing the Anschluss. On January 25, 1938, Austrian police seized the Committee's headquarters, where they found documents signed by Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess, which called on the Austrian Nazis to carry out an uprising in the country in the spring. Following the uprising, the occupation of Austria by the regular German army was envisaged. "Committee of Three"

A governing body specially created in the Third Reich at the beginning of 1943, designed to make it easier for the Fuhrer to conduct state affairs. It included the head of the Reich Chancellery, Hans Lammers, Martin Bormann and Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel. All orders and orders requiring Hitler's signature passed through the Committee. Matters concerning the Wehrmacht passed through the hands of Keitel.

Lammers was in charge of administrative matters. Bormann - in the internal affairs of the state, sometimes making independent decisions on behalf of the Fuhrer.

Communist Party of Germany

(Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands; KPD), one of the largest communist parties in the world. It was founded at the founding congress in Berlin on December 30, 1918 - January 1, 1919. Since 1925, the chairman of the Central Committee of the KPD was Ernst Thälmann. In the late 20s - early 30s. KPD combat units fought a street war with the armed units of the Nazi Party - the SA and SS. After the Nazis came to power, the KKE was banned, many of its activists were arrested and thrown into concentration camps and prisons. Until the last days of the Third Reich, the activities of the KPD took place underground.

"Condor"

The Condor Legion, a Luftwaffe unit that took part in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Francoists. It consisted of several squadrons of Junkers-52 bombers and Heinkel-51 fighters. In November 1936, Major General Hugo Sperrle was appointed commander of the legion. On April 27, 1937, aircraft of the Condor Legion carried out a raid on the Spanish town of Guernica, which killed many civilians. In 1938, Condor units took part in the bombing of Barcelona. The actions of the legion were a dress rehearsal for the 2nd World War. Many Luftwaffe pilots gained their first combat experience in Spain. In November 1937, Major General Helmut Volkmann was appointed commander of the Condor, and in November 1938, Brigadier General Wolfram von Richthofen.

Concordat 1933

To reassure German Catholics and the Vatican, who criticized the racism and neo-pagan policies of the Nazis, Hitler, who for the time being avoided entering into open conflict with the church, constantly declared his good will towards freedom of conscience and proclaimed non-interference of the state and the party in the internal affairs of the church. In response to this, representatives of the church hierarchy at the episcopate conference held on March 28, 1933 called on parishioners to support the new government. The position of the church was supposed to become not only the basis for an intra-German compromise, but also a prerequisite for negotiations between representatives of the Vatican and Berlin on the conclusion of the Concordat, which began in April 1933. However, the agreement reached during the negotiations did not prevent the liquidation of the Catholic People's Party of Bavaria and a number of other parties. Hitler regarded the signing of the Concordat as a success in the foreign policy of the Third Reich. Firstly, he said at a cabinet meeting, the fact that the Vatican entered into negotiations with the Nazi authorities, contrary to the popular belief that National Socialism was hostile to the church, was positive. Secondly, it was possible to attract the Vatican to the side of the Reich. “All this shows recognition of the present regime,” said Hitler.

However, very soon millions of parishioners were able to see that the Concordat brought benefits only to the Nazis. The voices of protest of Catholic priests and evangelical pastors against lawlessness and government abuses were classified by the Nazis as unacceptable interference of the church in the sphere of politics. In this situation, Pope Pius XI published the encyclical “With deep concern...” in November 1937, in which, although he stated that the conditions of the Concordat were not fulfilled by the Nazi authorities, he did not condemn them for persecuting both Catholics and Protestants.

"Canned food"

A secret name given by the German intelligence services to participants in the Gleiwitz Incident, selected from among convicted criminals. Intended as a provocation, the plan, developed on Himmler's orders by Reinhard Heydrich and Heinrich Müller, was to dress several German criminals in Polish military uniforms, inject them with a lethal injection and, after simulating gunshot wounds, then leave the bodies on the grounds of a radio station in Gleiwitz in this manner to make it appear as if Polish soldiers were attacking a German radio station.

The participants in this operation were promised release.

Conti, Leonardo

(Conti), (1900–1945), chief physician of the Third Reich. Born August 24, 1900 in Lugano, Switzerland. After receiving a medical education, he settled in Berlin and began practicing medicine. In 1923 he joined the SA and became the first doctor of the assault troops. Led the creation of the SA Sanitary Corps. He was the founder of the National Socialist Union of Doctors. In 1932 he became a deputy of the Prussian Landtag.

In 1939, Hitler appointed Conti as head of the Imperial Health Service and State Secretary of the Prussian Ministry of Health. In these positions, Conti was responsible for the extermination of large numbers of mentally and terminally ill patients during the campaign to “purify the Nordic race.”

In 1941 he was elected to the Reichstag; he was awarded the rank of SS Gruppenführer (lieutenant general). In 1945 he committed suicide in Nuremberg prison.

Concentration camps

Specially equipped places of preventive detention for opponents of the Nazi regime. They were known for cruel treatment of prisoners and inhumane conditions of their detention. Even before he came to power, Hitler told Hermann Rauschning: “We must be ruthless! .. I do not intend to turn concentration camps into correctional institutions. Terror is the most effective tool. I will not pose as a benefactor just for the sake of not to offend the numerous stupid bourgeois sissies."

The first concentration camps were created shortly after the Nazis came to power. The decree on their formation stated that the purpose of their creation was “the eradication of political opponents and the conversion of antisocial elements of society into useful members of society.” The Nazi authorities initially tried to present the concentration camps as a legitimate means of ensuring public order and security in accordance with Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution. The law of February 28, 1933 suspended the provisions of this constitution and provided for preventive detention for dissidents.

Three main concentration camps were built back in 1933: Dachau, near Munich, Buchenwald, near Weimar, and Sachsenhausen, near Berlin. The first prisoners there were communists and Jews. However, dissatisfaction with the Nazi regime was so great that Social Democrats, Catholics, Protestants and even dissident Nazis very soon became prisoners of concentration camps. Trade union leaders, priests, and pacifists were sent to camps without trial or investigation or the right to pardon.

Soon new camps were created: in Germany - Ravensbrück, Belsen, Gross-Rosen, Papenburg; in Austria - Mauthausen; in Bohemia - Theresienstadt. In 1934-39, about 200 thousand prisoners passed through the concentration camps. After the outbreak of World War II, the number of concentration camp prisoners began to grow rapidly.

After the occupation of Poland, the concentration camps Auschwitz, Birkenau, Treblinka and Majdanek were created on its territory, which soon, after equipping them with gas chambers, turned into “death camps” - centers for the implementation of genocide, the consistent and targeted destruction of entire peoples. The conditions of detention in the concentration camps, although they had their own characteristics, were generally characterized by cruelty and inhumanity.

Initially, prisoners were divided into 4 groups: political opponents of the regime, representatives of “lower races,” criminals and “unreliable elements.” The second group, including Gypsies and Jews, were subject to unconditional physical extermination and were kept in separate barracks. They were subjected to the most cruel treatment by the SS guards, they were starved, they were sent to the most grueling works. Among the political prisoners were members of anti-Nazi parties, primarily communists and social democrats, members of the Nazi party accused of serious crimes, listeners of foreign radio, and members of various religious sects. Among the “unreliable” were homosexuals, alarmists, dissatisfied people, etc.

All concentration camp prisoners were required to wear distinctive insignia on their clothing, including a serial number and a colored triangle (“Winkel”) on the left side of the chest and right knee. (In Auschwitz, the serial number was tattooed on the left forearm.) All political prisoners wore a red triangle, criminals - green, “unreliable” - black, homosexuals - pink, gypsies - brown.

In addition to the classification triangle, Jews also wore yellow, as well as a six-pointed “Star of David.” A Jew who violated racial laws ("racial desecrator") was required to wear a black border around a green or yellow triangle. Foreigners also had their own distinctive signs (the French wore the sewn letter “F”, the Poles - “P”, etc.). The letter "K" denoted a war criminal (Kriegsverbrecher), the letter "A" - a violator of labor discipline (from German Arbeit - "work"). The weak-minded wore the Blid badge - “fool”. Prisoners who participated or were suspected of escaping were required to wear a red and white target on their chest and back.

During the trials that took place after the collapse of the Third Reich, many horrific details of the detention of concentration camp prisoners, the atrocities of the SS guards, medical experiments on people, torture, beatings, and gassing were revealed. Many officials from the SS, which was in charge of the concentration camps, received sentences of varying severity.

Kordt, Erich

(Kordt), German diplomat. Born in 1903. From 1934 he worked in the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, subordinate to Joachim von Ribbentrop. Took part in important negotiations and meetings at the highest level. In May 1935 he accompanied Ribbentrop to London to sign the Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935. In 1942-45 he worked at the German embassy in Japan and China.

After the war he was rehabilitated during the process of denazification.

"Brown House"

(Braunes Haus), since 1931 the headquarters of the leadership of the National Socialist Workers' Party of Germany, located in Munich at Brennerstrasse 45. Until that time, the NSDAP occupied various premises in Munich, including the building of the Echer Publishing House, the official publishing house of the Nazi Party. In 1928, with funds received from Rhineland industrialists, the Barlow mansion was purchased, which, on Hitler's orders, was rebuilt by the architect Paul Ludwig Troost into a complex of party offices.

Kortner, Fritz

(Kortner), German theater actor and director. Born March 12, 1892 in Vienna. He studied acting in Mannheim. In 1911 he moved to Berlin, where he worked at the Deutsche Theater with the famous director Max Reinhardt. With a group of young actors, Cortner rebelled against Reinhardt's theatrical techniques and developed his own expressionist production forms.

He became widely famous for playing the roles of Caesar, Richard III, Othello and others.

After the Nazis came to power, he was forced to leave Germany and settled in the USA, where he acted in films. In 1949 he returned to his homeland and won enormous success with the production of the plays “Waiting for Godot” (1954) and “The Storm” (1968).

Koch, Erich

(Koch), (1896–1961), Nazi party and military leader. In 1928 he was appointed to the post of Gauleiter of the East. Prussia, from 1933 - Chief President of the East. Prussia, from 1941 to 1944 - Reich Commissioner of Ukraine. He was distinguished by extreme cruelty, even compared to other Nazi functionaries.

Kreisleiter

(Kreisleiter), head of the district party organization of the NSDAP in the district - kreis. Like the Reichsleiter and Gauleiter, the Kreisleiter were appointed directly by the Fuehrer.

Kramer, Joseph

(Kramer), (1906–1945), commandant of the Belsen concentration camp, who received the nickname “Belsen Beast” for his extremely cruel treatment of prisoners. He began serving in concentration camps in 1934. He received his first “experience” of work in Auschwitz under the leadership of Rudolf Franz Hess, and later “trained” in Mauthausen, Dachau and Birkenau. In 1940, Kramer accompanied Hess on an inspection trip to Auschwitz regarding the construction of a new plant there for the production of synthetic coal fuel and rubber. In November 1944 he was appointed commandant of Belsen, which by March 1945 housed about 60 thousand prisoners. The Allied troops that liberated Belsen in April 1945 found the bodies of over 28 thousand dead prisoners in the camp.

After the war, Kramer was tried by the British Military Tribunal in Lüneburg, sentenced to death on November 17, 1945, and executed shortly after.

"Red Chapel"

(Rote Kapelle), a German underground resistance organization created with the help of Soviet intelligence. It had about 100 members and had a wide agent network in Germany. Among its leaders were many famous people in Germany, including the grandson of Admiral von Tirpitz, Garro Schulze-Boysen, and the nephew of the famous theologian Adolf von Harnack, Arvid Harnack. Members of the Red Chapel managed to infiltrate many military and civilian departments and occupy high positions there. The organization's agent network was uncovered by the Abwehr in 1942. The Red Chapel case was led by Gestapo chief Heinrich Müller. Most of its leaders were executed by guillotine.

Kraus, Clemens

(Kraus), (1893–1954), German conductor. Worked at the Bavarian National Theater. Then - in the opera companies of Frankfurt am Main and Vienna. In 1938-45 - artistic director of the Munich Opera.

Kreisau, group

A small group of opponents of the Nazi regime, consisting of junior officers and civil servants, created in 1933. The group was led by Helmuth Count von Moltke and Peter Count von Wartenburg. Members of the group met at Moltke's estate in Kreisau, Silesia. Clearly understanding that Hitler would lead Germany to disaster, the group members agreed that the only way out of the current situation was the revival of Christian values, ideas of humanism and ethical principles in the country. On August 9, 1943, the group distributed the so-called. The basic principles of the new order, which were proposed as the basis for the future polity.

In 1943 the group already numbered more than 20 people. It included army officers, academics, liberals and socialists, Catholics and Protestants. Those of them who were closely associated with participants in the July 1944 plot were arrested and executed.

"Peasant Union"

Peasant Front (Landbund), the most significant organization of agricultural producers in the Third Reich. Created in 1933. The union was headed by Reichsleiter Walter Darre.

(Kripo), V department of the RSHA, which exercised control over the activities of the criminal police of the Reich (in a broad sense, Kripo is the criminal police).

Consisted of four departments: VA - criminal police and preventive measures; VB - repressive criminal police, crimes and offenses; VC - identification and search; VD - Zipo Institute of Forensics (Gestapo and Kripo). From 1940 to July 22, 1944 it was headed by SS Obergruppenführer and Police General Arthur Nebe, then by Panzinger until the end of the war. The central service consisted of 1,200 employees.

Christian, Gerda

(Christian), Hitler's secretary in 1933-45. Born on December 13, 1913 in Berlin. Born Daranowski. She married a young officer, Eckard Christian, who eventually became a general and chief of staff of the Luftwaffe. Together with Hitler's second secretary Gertrud Junge, she was in the Führerbunker during the last days of the Third Reich. She was one of the few guests at the wedding ceremony of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun. After the war she lived in Düsseldorf, avoiding any interviews about her work with the Fuhrer.

Krosigg, Lutz Schwerin von

(Krosigk), from 1932 to 1945 - Reich Minister of Finance in Hitler's government. See Schwerin von Krosigg, Lütz Graf.

Krupp von Bohlen, Gustav

(Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach), (1870–1950), German industrialist and financial magnate who provided significant material support to the Nazi movement.

Born on August 7, 1870 in The Hague in the family of a banker. In 1893 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Heidelberg. He began his career as a diplomat, working in the German missions in Washington, Beijing and the Vatican. Since 1906 he was a member of the board of directors of the Krupp concern. In the 20s opposed the Nazi movement, but after a meeting with Hitler on February 20, 1933, he changed his mind and began providing financial assistance to the German rearmament program. In May 1933, Krupp von Bohlen was appointed president of the Adolf Hitler Foundation. At Krupp's enterprises, where tanks, artillery and other military equipment were produced on a huge scale, the labor of prisoners of war and other concentration camp prisoners was widely used. In 1948, Krupp von Bohlen appeared before an American military tribunal as a war criminal, but due to age and health conditions he was exempt from criminal liability. He died in Blunbach, near Salzburg, on January 16, 1950.

Kubicek, August

(Kubizek), (1889-?), close friend of Adolf Hitler in his youth. He was an assistant draper in Linz.

He met Hitler in 1904 at the local opera house and soon became his best friend. They rented one room for two, walked together, went out of town. In Kubizek, the nervous, impulsive Adolf found an attentive and patient listener. “His speech was reminiscent of a volcanic eruption,” Kubizek recalled. “It seemed to exist separately from him, as something independent.” At the beginning of 1908, Kubizek left the draper's shop and went to Vienna to study playing the viola.

Adolf Hitler also went to Vienna, but with the intention of becoming an artist. They rented an apartment together at 29 Stumper Alley. Kubizek entered the Conservatory, and Adolf was rejected by the Academy of Arts - a blow he could not recover from all his life. “He was rejected by the world, he became unstable,” Kubizek recalled. Soon the friends separated, and their next meeting took place 30 years later at the Bayreuth Festival dedicated to the work of Wagner. After World War II, Kubizek published a book of memoirs, The Young Hitler I Knew.

Keitner, Helmut

(KIutner), German director and screenwriter. Born on March 25, 1908 in Düsseldorf. In 1931-35 he worked in the Munich theater cabaret, from 1935 in the drama theater, and from 1938 in cinema. Keitner's political comedy Kitty and the International Conference (1939) was banned by Nazi censors. His films Romance in Minor (1943) and Great Freedom Street 7 (1944), which did not meet the goals of war propaganda, were also banned.

Kempka, Erich

(Kempka), Hitler's personal chauffeur. Born September 16, 1910. Member of the NSDAP. With the rank of SS Sturmbannführer (major), he served in Hitler's personal guard regiment "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler".

Koenigsberg speech

Speech by Hjalmar Schacht on August 18, 1935 in Koenigsberg, East. Prussia, in which he condemned the senseless cruelty against the Jews. Like Vice-Chancellor Franz von Papen's Marburg Speech, this speech was intended to expose the most brutal aspects of Hitler's regime. However, it received little public response in the Nazi-controlled press, since it did not affect the ideological foundations of National Socialism. The text of the speech was published in a secondary publication of the Reichsbank.

Kepler, Wilhelm

(Keppler), (1882–1960), German industrialist who provided significant financial support to Hitler on his rise to power. Member of the NSDAP. Organizer (1931) and active participant in the pro-Nazi financial and industrial group (the so-called Kepler group), which financed the National Socialist movement in order to obtain large privileges and profits in the future. After becoming chancellor, Hitler appointed Kepler Reich Commissioner for Economic Affairs. As a member of the Reichstag, Kepler in 1936 became Goering's adviser on the Four Year Plan. He participated in the preparation and implementation of the Anschluss of Austria, and in March 1938 he was sent to Vienna as Reich Commissioner. During World War II, he served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was the head of various enterprises and funds subordinate to the SS. After the defeat of the Third Reich, Kepler, as a war criminal, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but was released in 1951.

Kerrl, Hans

(Kerrl), (1887–1941), Reich Minister without portfolio in Hitler's first cabinet.

Born on December 11, 1887 in Fallersleben in the family of a Lutheran school teacher. During World War I he served as a lieutenant and was awarded the Iron Cross II and I degrees and the Brunswick Medal. After the Nazis came to power, Kerrl was appointed Prussian Minister of Justice and at the same time Reich Minister without portfolio. In July 1935 he was also appointed Minister of Church Affairs; pursued a policy of subordinating the evangelical church to the state. He died on December 15, 1941 in Berlin.

Kersten, Felix

(Kersten), (1898–1960), personal physician of Heinrich Himmler. Born on September 20, 1898 in Dorpat (now Tartu, Estonia). He studied at the Agricultural Institute in Holstein and worked as a manager of a large company in Anhalt. In 1919 he served in the Finnish army, took part in the war with Russia, and received Finnish citizenship. In 1922 he moved to Berlin, received a medical education and began practicing medicine.

In March 1939, on the recommendation of Rudolf Hess, he began treating Himmler for stomach colic, the success of which provided Kersten with a large fortune and authority in high Nazi circles. He was also the attending physician of Robert Ley and Joachim von Ribbentrop.

After the war, he published a book of memoirs, “The Death’s Head” and Loyalty,” in which he detailed Himmler’s ideas about the future world order: the removal to Germany and extermination of all American Jews; a radical change in European borders; the introduction of German as the official language for all European countries; the prohibition of having children for all non-Aryan races; the execution of the Pope as a symbol of the destruction of Catholicism; the revival of ancient Nordic beliefs, etc.

Kesselring, Albert

(Kesselring), (1885–1960), Field Marshal of the Luftwaffe. Born November 20, 1885 in Marktstaft, Bavaria. In 1904 he joined the army and served in the artillery. He fought on the Western Front for two years during World War I, after which he was invited to join the General Staff. In 1936, after the death of General Wefer in a plane crash, Kesselring was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Luftwaffe. From February 1938 he commanded the 1st Air Fleet, and in 1939 he took part in the war against Poland. In 1940 he commanded the 2nd Air Fleet in the Western Theater of Operations, which took part in the French campaign and raids on England. On July 19, 1940, he was awarded the rank of Field Marshal. From December 2, 1941 to March 10, 1945, Kesselring commanded the German forces of the South-West (Mediterranean - Italy). From March 25 to May 6, 1945, Commander-in-Chief of the German forces of the West. Surrendered to the Americans.

On May 6, 1947, Kesselring was brought before a British military tribunal on charges of killing 335 Italian citizens in response to an attack by Italian partisans on a German unit. He was sentenced to death, but in October 1947 it was commuted to life imprisonment. On October 23, 1952, Kesselring was granted amnesty. He died on July 16, 1960 in Bad Nauheim.

Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist was a German military leader (field marshal since 1943). During the invasion of the USSR, he commanded a tank army in the southern direction. The only field marshal to die in Soviet captivity.

After the assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20, 1944, he was arrested by the Gestapo. Kleist was accused of knowing about the existence of the conspiracy and not reporting it. However, he was later released.

He was probably one of the main organizers of German victories. Thus, the invasion of German invaders both on Taganrog and Rostov was carried out mainly by units of the 1st German Tank Army of General Kleist. Ewald von Kleist was famous for his military abilities.

He was the creator of the world's first tank army and a master of encircling his enemy's armies. The entire year of 1941 was very tragic for us. These were large and small encirclements of Soviet troops. In 1941, Kleist, together with General Guderian, created the largest encirclement of Soviet troops in the entire Second World War - the Kiev Cauldron.

On April 25, 1945, he was arrested by American troops and taken to London, brought as a witness to the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg.

After the assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20, 1944, he was arrested by the Gestapo. Kleist was accused of knowing about the existence of the conspiracy and not reporting it. However, he was later released. On April 25, 1945, he was arrested by American troops and taken to London, brought as a witness to the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg.

In September 1946 he was transferred to Yugoslavia and in August 1948 he was sentenced by the Yugoslav People's Court to 15 years of hard labor. In March 1949 it was transferred to the USSR. He was held in the internal prison of the MGB, Butyrskaya and Lefortovo prisons, and then in the Vladimir prison. On February 21, 1952, the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR sentenced him to 25 years of imprisonment in camps.

According to the prisoner's registration card, he died in prison from mitral valve insufficiency. Burial location unknown

So what was the essence of his case? Here is the verdict of the Yugoslav Themis.

« The verdict of the second instance of the Supreme Military Court in Belgrade against Field Marshal E. von Kleist. March 4, 1949

The verdict of the second instance of the Supreme Military Court in Belgrade against Field Marshal E. von Kleist. March 4, 1949 Belgrade

Translation from Serbian

IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE

The Supreme Military Court in Belgrade, composed of: Colonel Milie Lakovic - the chairman of the court, Lieutenant Colonel Mihail Jankovic and Major Dobrivoj Babic - members of the court, with the participation of Captain Todor Popadic as the court secretary, having considered in the second instance the appeal of the accused von Kleist Ewald regarding the military verdict court in Belgrade, court

No. 268/48, according to which the accused for a number of crimes under Art. 3 paragraph 3 of the law on criminal activities directed against the people and the state, sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment with forced labor, according to Article II of the law on military courts, at a closed meeting held on March 4, 1949, issued the following

SENTENCE

The appeal of the accused von Kleist Ewald is rejected. Fully confirm the verdict of the military court in Belgrade, court No. 268/48 of August 4, 48.

GROUND: The accused von Kleist filed an appeal in which, emphasizing that he cannot be held responsible for the crimes committed, since they were committed without his knowledge, he asks the first court verdict to be quashed and the charges against him dropped.

Having examined the indictment and the first court verdict, the Supreme Military Court found the appeal filed to be unfounded and approved the first court verdict as completely correct and legally justified.

The Supreme Military Court made this decision on the basis of reliable testimony from witnesses, which undoubtedly proved that the crimes listed in the first court verdict were committed by units subordinate to the accused von Kleist.

It is this circumstance that makes him responsible for the crimes committed, which is entirely consistent with the spirit of both international laws and domestic laws.

Taking into account the number and severity of the crimes committed by the accused, the Supreme Military Court finds that the first court correctly established the degree of responsibility of the accused von Kleist and, in proportion to this, correctly determined the measure of punishment, which in this case is necessary in order to protect society.

Based on all this, the Supreme Military Court decided to reject the appeal of the accused von Kleist and confirm the sentence passed by the first military court.

DEATH TO FASCISM - FREEDOM TO THE PEOPLE!

Secretary -

Chairman of the court -

Captain Todor Popadic

Colonel Milia Lakovic

The accuracy of the correspondence is certified by:
Head of the Office Anja Spander

Here is the first Soviet interrogation protocol, after it was handed over to the Soviet side. At first he did not directly touch upon Kleist’s crimes against the USSR.

« Protocol of interrogation of Field Marshal E. von Kleist. April 14, 1949

Transcript

INTERROGATION PROTOCOL
FORMER FIELD MARSHAL GENERAL OF THE GERMAN ARMY
KLEIST EWALD

dated April 14, 1949


non-partisan,
with higher military education, former commander
German army group "A" on
Soviet-German front, Field Marshal.

The interrogation began at 15:00. 30 min.

Question: Do you know the former employee of the German Foreign Ministry Neubacher?

Answer: I don’t know Neubacher personally, but I heard that he is the German government’s special representative for economic issues in the Balkans.

Question: What else do you know?

Answer: In 1946-1949, during my stay in Yugoslavia, while I was in prison, I repeatedly heard from people, I don’t remember their names, who came to us from other prisons, that Neubacher was also a prisoner of the Yugoslavs and was being held in prison by the Yugoslav secret field police "Uzba". In prison, Neubacher is allegedly working on some economic issues on behalf of the Yugoslav government.

On March 4, 1949, when me and the former artillery general of the German army, Angelis, were sent from a Belgrade prison to Budapest for transfer to the Soviet command, one arrested person, Russian by nationality, was traveling with us under escort.

I don’t know his last name, but he said that he was a native of the Poltava region and was also handed over by the Yugoslavs to the Soviet authorities. Along the way, this Russian told us that Neubacher was in Yugoslavia, being held in prison and working on a plan for the electrification of Yugoslavia.

Question: What else did this Russian tell about Neubacher?

Answer: Nothing else.

Question. Did he see Neubacher in Yugoslavia?

Answer: He didn’t tell us about this.

Question: Where was this person who was traveling with you?

Answer: He was handed over with us to the Russian general, but, obviously, remained in Budapest, since we went to Moscow with Angelis without him.

Question: What do you know about the negotiations between the German government and representatives of the Yugoslav partisans?

Answer: I am not aware of this.

Question: Don’t you know about Neubacher’s activities in Yugoslavia?

Answer: I heard that during the last war Neubacher was involved in economic issues in the Balkans on behalf of the German government, but I do not know the details of his activities in this regard.

Question: Having repeatedly visited Hitler’s Headquarters, you could not help but know about the negotiations that Neubacher conducted with representatives of the Yugoslav partisans.

Answer: I have never heard of such negotiations.

von Kleist Ewald

Kuzmishin"

Here is the second interrogation protocol.

« Protocol of interrogation of Field Marshal E. von Kleist. May 31, 1949

Protocol of interrogation of Field Marshal E. von Kleist. May 31, 1949 Moscow

Transcript

INTERROGATION PROTOCOL
FORMER FIELD MARSHAL GENERAL OF THE GERMAN ARMY
KLEIST EWALD

dated May 31, 1949
Kleist Ewald, born in 1881, native
locality Braunfeld, province of Hesse
(Germany), German, German subject,
non-partisan, with a higher military education,
former commander of the German army group "A"
on the Soviet-German front,
Field Marshal General.

The interrogation began at 12 o'clock. 00 min.

Question: When were you captured?

Answer: I was captured on April 25, 1945 by American troops in the village. Mitelfels (Bavaria), where he came to see his youngest son, who was in this village doing agricultural work. I was with the Americans until mid-May, and then was handed over to the British.

Question: In what camps were you kept by the Americans and the British?

Answer: After I was captured by the Americans, I was immediately sent to the headquarters of some military unit, and from there on April 26, 1945, I was placed in a prisoner of war camp near the city of Augsburg.

At the beginning of May 1945, from a camp near the mountains. Augsburg I was transferred to the city. Wiesbaden to the villa along with 20 senior German officers and generals.

In mid-May 1945, I was sent to the mountains. Kissingen on the Main River, and from there a few days later by plane to London, where they were handed over to the British.

The British initially held me for eight days in the Trench Park camp near London, and then transferred to the Crais Dahl camp on the border of Scotland, where I remained until January 1946.

In January 1946 I was transferred to Bridge End camp in the south-west of England, where I was detained until the end of August 1946, after which I was detained in London in a camp run by the Secret Service. I stayed in this camp, owned by Secret Service, for only about a day and was sent by plane to the mountains. Vienna and handed over to the Yugoslav government there.

Question: Which of the German generals and senior officers was with you with the Americans and British?

Answer: I know that the Americans had the following German generals:

Leeb - Field Marshal General, former commander of the German army group "Nord" on the Soviet-German front. Saw him in July 1946 at the Nuremberg trials 148 , at which I acted as a witness. Leeb also acted as a witness at this trial. Leeb was kept in an American prison in the mountains. Nuremberg. I don’t know what happened to him afterwards. I believe that he is at large, because during my stay in Yugoslavia I heard that many German generals and field marshals were released by the Americans in the spring of 1947.

List - Field Marshal General, former commander of the German army group "A" on the Soviet-German front. I also saw him at the Nuremberg trials in July 1946. He was kept in the same cell with him in a prison in the mountains. Nuremberg. At this trial he acted as a witness.

While in Yugoslavia, I read in Yugoslav newspapers, and also heard from the Yugoslav investigator in charge of my case, that List was brought in as a defendant in the so-called South-Eastern Trial, which took place in 1947-1948. in the mountains Nuremberg. At this trial, German generals and government officials who participated in the war against the Balkan states were tried. List was found not guilty at this trial and was released.

Weike * - Field Marshal General, former commander of the German army group “F” or “E”, I don’t remember exactly, located in the Balkans. I saw him at the Nuremberg trials in July 1946, where he acted as a witness. He was later brought in as a defendant in the South-Eastern trial. Found not guilty and released.

Halder is a Colonel General and former Chief of the General Staff of the German Army (OKH). I saw him at the Nuremberg trials in July 1946, where he acted as a witness. I don’t know what happened to him later. When I was sent back to the Bridge End camp from Nuremberg in mid-August 1946, Halder still remained in Nuremberg.

Guderian - Colonel General, former Chief of the General Staff of the German Army (OKH) after July 20, 1944, i.e. after the assassination attempt on Hitler. I saw him in July 1946 at the trial in Nuremberg, where he acted as a witness. I don’t know what happened to him later.

Falkenhausen was an infantry general and former commander of the German occupation forces in Belgium. I saw him in July 1946 at the trial in Nuremberg, where he acted as a witness. I heard, while in captivity in Yugoslavia, that he was released from captivity and sent home.

Bayerlein is a lieutenant general or general of tank forces, former commander of a tank corps in France. I saw him in mid-May 1945 in the mountains. Kissingen, from which I was sent to London. After my departure to London, Bayerlein remained in the mountains. Kissingen.

Goisinge ** - Lieutenant General, former head of the Operations Department of the OKH. I saw him on April 23, 1945 in Bavaria, when he was not yet a prisoner of war; I believe he was captured by the Americans. Later I didn’t meet him again and I don’t know what happened to him.

Glaise-Horstenau *** - Lieutenant General or General of Infantry, former head of the German military mission in Croatia. Saw him in Nuremberg in July 1946, where he was a witness. In Yugoslavia, I heard, I don’t remember from whom, that he committed suicide.

Lörzer was an aviation general who held some high position with Goering. I saw him in Nuremberg in July 1946, where he acted as a witness at the trial; I don’t know what happened to him later.

Stumpf* - Colonel General of Aviation, former commander of the German air force, which defended Germany from enemy air raids. Saw him in Nuremberg in July 1946.

Bach-Tselevsky** - SS-Obergruppenführer, before his capture he held some high position in the city. Warsaw. I saw him in Nuremberg in July 1946 at the trial, where he acted as a witness.

Waldeck und Pyrmont, Prince, SS-Gruppenführer, former head of the police and SS in the province of Thuringia. I saw him in Nuremberg in July 1946 at the trial.

In addition to these individuals, with whom I myself personally met, I heard, while being captured by the Americans, British and Yugoslavs, that the following German generals were also in American captivity:

Schörner - Field Marshal General, former commander of the German group in Czechoslovakia. He was captured by the Americans and then allegedly handed over to the Soviet government.

Weisenberger*** - Colonel General, Deputy Commander of a military district, I don’t remember the number, whose headquarters was in the city. Regensburg.

Lanz - General of the Mountain Troops, former commander of the 1st Mountain Corps. He was brought in as a defendant in the South-Eastern trial in 1947-1948.

Bock von Wülfingen **** - Major General of the Signal Corps, former commandant of Liege, where he was captured by the Americans.

Gauser***** - Colonel General of the SS troops, former commander of the German army in France. Arrived after me in Nuremberg as a witness at the trial.

Sepp Dietrich - Colonel General of the SS troops, former commander of the German army in Austria. In August 1946, he was brought in as a defendant in the trial of employees of the Dachau concentration camp. Sentenced to prison.

Thomas is an infantry general, head of the Department of Economics and Armaments at the OKB. I heard from the generals who were in captivity with me that Thomas was taken to the USA and there he entered some kind of civil service.

During my stay in the English camps for German prisoners of war, I met there with the following German generals, who were also prisoners of the British:

Sperrle is an air field marshal and former commander of the German air force in France. He was with me in the Trench Park and Kreis Dahl camps. Around August 1945, Kreis Dahl left the camp somewhere. I assume that it was sent to Germany, since I do not know about it being sent to the USA or Canada. After he left the Kreis Dahl camp I heard nothing more about him.

Rundstedt is a field marshal and former commander of the German occupation forces in France. He was captured by the Americans in the town of Bad Tölz in Bavaria at the end of April - beginning of May 1945. The first time I met him was in the mountains. Wiesbaden in May 1945 in an American transit camp. I met him for the second time around July 1945, in the English camp Kreis Dahl. He was then with me in the Bridge End camp and at the Nuremberg trials in July 1946. Remained at Bridge End camp after I was handed over to the Yugoslav government. While in Yugoslavia, I heard that in 1947 he was given leave and the opportunity to go to Germany.

Strauss - Colonel General, former inspector of fortified points in eastern Germany. Met him at Crais Dahl camp, then was with him at Bridge End camp. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I was sent to Yugoslavia.

Heinrici is a colonel general, former commander of an army group or army in Hungary. Met him at Crais Dahl camp, then was with him at Bridge End camp. He was at the Nuremberg trials in July 1946 as a witness, then returned again to the Bridge End camp, where he remained after I was sent to Yugoslavia.

Kranke is an admiral, a former commander of some kind of battleship. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. During this time, he was taken to Germany, for what purpose, I don’t know, then he was again returned to the Bridge End camp, where he remained after I was sent to Yugoslavia.

Brauchitsch - Field Marshal General, commander of the German ground forces until 1942. In 1942, he was relieved of command and until his capture lived in Silesia, doing nothing. He was captured by the British in the province of Schleswig-Holstein. I saw him in Nuremberg in July 1946, where he acted as a witness at the trial. I met him for the second time at the end of August 1946 at the Bridge End camp. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left there. At the beginning of 1949, I read in Yugoslav newspapers that he had died.

Manstein - Field Marshal General, former commander of the army group "South" 149 . He was retired in April 1944 and lived in Silesia, in the mountains. Liegnitz, doing nothing. Captured by the British in the province of Schleswig-Holstein. I saw him in July 1946 at the trial in Nuremberg. At the end of August 1946, he arrived with Brauchitsch at the Bridge End camp. He remained in this camp even after I left. I never saw him again and never heard anything about him.

Manteuffel * - general of tank forces, former commander of a tank army on the Western Front. He was with me in the Trench Park, Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He was interrogated several times by American officers on the issue of waging war against the British and Americans.

In the spring of 1946, he was handed over to the Americans by the British and sent to the mountains. Ober-Osel, near the city of Frankfurt am Main, to an American camp for German prisoners of war, in which all German prisoners of war who could report anything for the history of the war compiled by the Americans were collected. Manteuffel supervised the compilation of this history. Now I don’t remember from whom exactly I heard that the Americans were engaged not only in compiling the history of the war, but also collected other information from German prisoners of war regarding the prehistory of the war. Manteuffel remained in the Ober-Osel camp until I was sent to Yugoslavia.

Roricht ** - infantry general, former corps commander stationed in Germany. The oldest ally of Schleicher, the former Minister of War and Reich Chancellor of Germany, who was shot by Hitler when he came to power. He was captured by the Americans and was with me in the years. Wiesbaden and Kissingen.

Dornberger - Lieutenant General, former head of the organization for the design and production of V-aircraft missiles. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He was captured by the Americans in Upper Bavaria in May 1945, along with his research headquarters for the construction of the V-V. Immediately after his capture, the Americans entered into an agreement with him that he would work for them. The Americans took the employees of his headquarters to the United States, but for some reason Dornberger was not sent to America, but was handed over to the British. He remained in Bridge End even after I was sent away. During my time with him, I am not aware that he was interrogated by the British.

Tippelskirch - Colonel General, former commander of the German army operating in Germany. Before that, he worked in the OKH, in the department of foreign armies. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left. I never met him again and never heard anything about him.

Woirsch - SS-Obergruppenführer and General of Police, former chief of police of the mountains. Dresden, has recently been under Himmler on special assignments. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He was a witness at the trial in Nuremberg and from there was allegedly sent to the American Lang-Wasser camp near Nuremberg.

Bush - Field Marshal General, former commander of the army in West Germany. Capitulated to the British. In May 1945 he arrived at the Trench Park camp and died two or three days later.

Mackensen* - Colonel General, former commander of German troops in Italy. After the occupation of Rome by the Anglo-American troops, Hitler was removed from command and was in reserve. Arrived at the Bridge End camp in the spring of 1946 and was left there after my departure from this camp. While in Yugoslavia, I heard that he and Kesselring had a trial in Italy, where both were sentenced to some term of imprisonment. After this, both of them were sent to Germany to serve their sentences.

Kesselring - Field Marshal General, former commander of German troops on the Western Front after Rundstedt. I saw him at the trial in Nuremberg in July 1946, where he remained after I was sent from Nuremberg. While in Yugoslavia, I heard that he and Mackensen were sentenced to prison at a trial in Italy, and then were sent to Germany to serve their sentence.

Reinhardt ** - Colonel General, former commander of the army in East Prussia. After the occupation of the mountains by Soviet troops. Koenigsberg was relieved of command and was in reserve. I saw him in Nuremberg in July 1946, and remained there after I left Nuremberg. I never met him again and never heard anything about him.

Falkengorst *** - Colonel General, former commander of German troops in Norway. I met him in Nuremberg in July 1946, where he acted as a witness at the trial. Then he spent a short time with me in the Bridge End camp, from this camp in August 1946 he was sent to the trial in the mountains. Braunschweig, where he was sentenced to death. During my stay in Yugoslavia, I heard from someone that Falkenhorst had been pardoned.

Fitingof* - Colonel General, former commander of the German army in Italy. I met him in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left there.

Hollidt - Colonel General, former commander of the Sixth German Army. I don’t know what position he held before the capitulation. I saw him in the Kreis Dahl camp. In June 1945, he was supposed to be sent from this camp with other German generals, I don’t know their names, on a plane to Canada, but for what purpose I don’t know. I heard later that he was sent not to Canada, but to an English camp for German prisoners of war in the mountains. Cherbourg.

Bremer ** - cavalry general, I don’t know what position he last held. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camp. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left.

Herr *** - general of infantry, former commander of the German corps in Italy. In the summer of 1946 he arrived from the Rimini camp (Italy). A few weeks later, due to a painful condition, he was returned to the mountain camp. Rimini.

Kinitz - general of infantry, former commander of the XVII Corps 150 , has recently been in reserve. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left there.

Kunz - general of the sapper troops ****. I don’t know what position I held recently. I remember that he was involved in the construction of the Western Defense Line, and in the summer of 1941 he replaced List as commander of the German troops in Greece. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left there.

Title *****—general of artillery, his last position is unknown to me. I know that he commanded the German troops in Norway. In the summer of 1946 he arrived at the Bridge End camp and remained there after my departure from this camp.

Herrnlein****** - general of infantry, former commander of the German corps located in Germany. He was with me at the Bridge End camp. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left there.

Bechtolsheim ******* - Lieutenant General, former German military attaché in England. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left there.

Blumentritt - general of infantry, former chief of staff of Rundstedt. He arrived at the Kreis Dahl camp together with Rundstedt and was a witness at the trial in Nuremberg. From Nuremberg I returned to the Bridge End camp and remained there after my departure from the camp.

Wagner - Major General, former commander of the German occupation forces on the island of Rhodes. Arrived in the summer of 1946 at the Bridge End camp from Egypt, remained in this camp even after I left there.

Bodenschatz - General of Aviation, former chief adjutant to Goering and at the same time adjutant to Hitler. He was with me in the Kreis Dahl camp, from there in the summer of 1946 he was sent to Nuremberg as a witness against Goering at the trial of the main war criminals. I never heard anything more about him.

Keller is a Colonel General, former commander of some kind of air force stationed in Germany. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left there.

The student is a colonel general, former commander of the German parachute troops. He was with me in the Trench Park, Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. In the spring of 1946 he was sent to the mountains. Luneburg, province of Hanover, for the trial of participants in the occupation of the island of Crete *. At this trial he was acquitted and released. I never heard anything more about him.

Seidel - General of Aviation, former Quartermaster General of the German Air Force. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left this camp.

Herf ** - General of the SS troops, former head of the Personnel Directorate of the SS troops. He was with me in the Kreis Dahl camp, where he died in the summer of 1945.

Demmelhuber*** - SS Gruppenführer, I don’t know what his last position was. In the spring of 1946 he arrived at the Bridge End camp and remained there after I left the camp.

Steiner is an SS Obergruppenführer and former army commander on the Eastern Front. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He was involved as a witness at the Nuremberg trials in July 1946. Stayed in Nuremberg after I left there. I never saw him again or heard anything about him.

Lorenz is an SS Obergruppenführer, who recently worked on the commission for the resettlement of Germans from other states to Germany. I saw him in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left there.

Enar is an SS Gruppenführer, former chairman of the Kyffhäuser Bund union of old front-line soldiers. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left there.

Ripstein - Major General, former commander of the brigade in Africa. Arrived in the spring of 1946 from a prisoner of war camp in Canada to the Bridge End camp, where he remained after my departure from this camp.

Schlieben* - Major General, former commander of a tank brigade on the Eastern Front. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left there.

Gunerman ** - Major General, most recently worked in the Department of Economy and Armaments of the OKB. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left there.

Voss is a major general, a former inspector of prisoner of war camps in some military district in Saxony, if I’m not mistaken, in the XIV, in the mountains. Magdeburg. I saw him in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. He was interrogated several times by the British about his activities. He remained in the Bridge End camp even after I left there.

Böhme *** - Colonel General, former commander of the German occupation forces in Norway. He was with me in the Crais Dahl and Bridge End camps. Remained at Bridge End camp after I left there. While in Yugoslavia, I heard that he was brought in as a defendant in the South-Eastern Trial and, while in Nuremberg, committed suicide.

I don’t remember any other generals of the German army whom I personally met in English prisoner of war camps.

While in captivity, I heard about some other generals who were also being held by the British, but I did not have the opportunity to meet these generals.

I heard that the British had the following German generals:

Krüwel - Lieutenant General, former commander of the German Panzer Division in Africa. He was captured there, lived in England in some villa, then was sent to Canada.

Kunzen**** - cavalry general, former commander of the German corps in France. He was in Belgium in an English prisoner of war camp. In April 1947, he was released and sent to Germany, which I learned from his letter, which I read while in Yugoslavia.

Dostler is an infantry general who, it seems, was recently commander of the German corps and commander of the rear in Italy. He was captured by the British and executed by court at the beginning of 1945.

Question: Do you know which German generals and senior officers are in Yugoslavia?

Answer: During my time as a prisoner of war in Yugoslavia, I met the following German generals there:

Angelis is an artillery general and former commander of the Second German Panzer Army in Hungary. He was captured by the Americans and then handed over to the Yugoslav government. In Yugoslavia, in October 1948, he was sentenced to 20 years of forced labor. On March 5, 1949, he was handed over to the Soviet authorities along with me.

Meissner* - top SS and police leader, most recently senior police leader in Serbia. He was in the same cell with me in a military prison in the mountains. Belgrade. In December 1946 or January 1947, he was sentenced to death at an open trial in Belgrade and then hanged.

Neitgold** - Lieutenant General, commander of the German division in the Balkans. He was also in the same cell with me in a military prison in Belgrade. In February 1947, together with Colonel General Löhr, he was sentenced to death at an open trial and hanged.

Kübler 2nd *** - Lieutenant General, commander of the German division in Yugoslavia. He was in the same cell with me. Sentenced to death along with Colonel General Löhr.

Oberkamp **** - SS Gruppenführer, commander of the German division in the Balkans. Spent several hours in my cell in a military prison in Belgrade. On April 1, 1947, he was sentenced to death at a trial in Belgrade and hanged.

Gravenhorst *****— Major General, I don’t know what position he recently held. He was in the same cell with me in a military prison in Belgrade. Along with Oberkamp, ​​he was sentenced to death in April 1947 and executed.

Stroemeyer****** - Lieutenant General, former commander of the German division in the Balkans. He was in the same cell with me in a military prison in Belgrade. At the end of 1947, he was sentenced to death and executed.

Windisch - Lieutenant General, former division commander in the Balkans. He was in the same cell with me in a military prison in Belgrade. In the fall of 1947 he was sentenced to death. The death penalty was then replaced by 20 years of forced labor.

Fiebig* - General of Aviation, most recently commander of the German Air Force in the South-East. In the summer of 1947, he was in the same cell with me in a military prison in Belgrade. In the fall of 1947, he was sentenced to death and executed.

Fischer ** - Lieutenant General, former commander of the German corps in the Balkans. In the summer of 1947, he was kept in the same cell with me. In the fall of 1947, together with Fibich, he was sentenced to death and executed.

Ludwiger - Lieutenant General, former commander of the German corps in the Balkans. In February-March 1947 he was in the same cell with me in a military prison in Belgrade. At the end of March 1947, he was sentenced to death and executed.

Wagner *** - Major General of the SS troops, I don’t know what his last position was. In April 1947, he was in the same cell with me in a military prison in Belgrade. Sentenced to death and executed.

Stockhausen is a lieutenant general, most recently serving in the Imperial Military Court. It was handed over by the British to the Yugoslavs. He was in the same cell with me in a military prison in Belgrade in April 1947 and the summer of 1948. Sentenced to death, then pardoned with the death penalty replaced by lifelong forced labor.

Wurster - Lieutenant General, most recently the highest German liaison officer in the city. Belgrade. Transferred to the Yugoslavs by the Americans. In August-September 1948, he was in the same cell with me in a military prison in Belgrade. In the fall of 1948, he was sentenced to death and executed.

Mai is a police major general, former commander of the order police in Belgrade. At the beginning of 1949 he was sentenced to death. He spent two days with me in the same cell in a military prison in Belgrade, and submitted a request for pardon. When I was taken from this prison to be handed over to the Soviet authorities, he was still awaiting an answer to his request.

In addition to the German generals I have listed, whom I met while in a Yugoslav prison, I heard and read in Yugoslav newspapers that there are, or rather were, the following German generals in Yugoslavia:

Kübler 1st - general of the mountain troops, former commander of the rear in Istria (the Dalmatian coast). On trial in the mountains. Agram was sentenced to death in June 1947 and executed.

Toner* - SS Gruppenführer, former head of the Military Administration of the German occupation forces in Serbia. At the trial in Belgrade in the fall of 1947, he was sentenced to death and executed.

Schnitthuber ** - SS Gruppenführer, former commander of the SS division "Prince Eugene" 151 . At the trial in Belgrade in February 1947, he was sentenced to death and executed.

Dunkelmann is an aviation general who was the commander of the German occupation forces in Serbia in 1942. Was handed over to the Yugoslav government by the British. Sentenced at the trial in the city. In Belgrade in the fall of 1947 he was sentenced to death and shot.

Löhr is a colonel general, former commander of an army group in the Balkans. Recently I was with my headquarters in Hungary. He arrived from Hungary to Yugoslavia to his troops stationed there and was taken prisoner by the Yugoslavs. At the trial in Belgrade in January 1947 in the city. Belgrade was sentenced to death by hanging. Then his hanging was replaced by shooting. Shot in January 1947.

Berenc *** - SS Gruppenführer and senior police officer, former senior police officer in Serbia. Previously he worked together with Lorenz on the resettlement of Germans from other countries to Germany. He was with me in the English camp Bridge End. In the summer of 1947 it was transferred to the Yugoslav government. At the trial at the end of 1947 in the city. Belgrade sentenced to death and executed.

Everstein **** - SS-Obergruppenführer and senior police officer, former commander of the assault group in Northern Greece. He was captured during the retreat from Greece through Yugoslavia in 1945. He was in one of the camps for German prisoners of war in Yugoslavia.

In addition to these generals, I know of five or six more generals of the German army who, during my stay in Yugoslavia, were sentenced to hanging or execution, but I don’t remember the names of these generals now.

I would like to add that at the time when I was in the mountains in June 1946. Nuremberg, as a witness at the trial, I met several other German generals there, however, I don’t know who had them in captivity.

Of these generals I remember:

Jüttner 1st - SS Obergruppenführer, former employee of Himmler's headquarters. After July 20, 1944, he was appointed commander of the reserve forces instead of General Fromm. At the same time he was Himmler's deputy. Remained in Nuremberg after my departure. He was involved in the trial as a witness.

Jüttner 2nd* - Obergruppenführer of the SA. Recently he held some position in the leadership of the SA organization. Participated in the Nuremberg trials as a witness. He remained there even after I left.

I don’t remember any other German generals who are with the Americans and British.

The interrogation ended at 5 p.m. 30 min.

The protocol from my words was recorded correctly and read to me in a translation into German.

Kleist

Interrogated by: head of the Investigative Unit department
for particularly important cases of the USSR MGB Lieutenant Colonel

Kuzmishin"

Here is the following protocol dating back to 1951 (the rest are probably not available)

« Protocol of interrogation of Field Marshal E. von Kleist. August 8, 1951

Protocol of interrogation of Field Marshal E. von Kleist. August 8, 1951 Moscow

INTERROGATION PROTOCOL

dated August 8, 1951
Kleist Ewald, born in 1881, native
town of Braunfeld, province of Hesse
(Germany), German, German subject,
with higher education, former commander
army group "A" on the Soviet-German front.

The interrogation started at 1:30

Question: You were the commander of army group “A” on the Soviet-German front. From what time?

Answer: Since February 1943.

Question: And before that time, what position did you hold?

Answer: Commanded the 1st Tank Army.

Question. Also on the Soviet-German front?

Answer: Absolutely right.

Question: When did you arrive at the Soviet-German front?

Answer: I took part in battles on the Soviet-German front from the first days of the war, i.e. from June 24-25, 1941.

Question: When did you become aware of the preparations for an attack on the Soviet Union?

Answer: Around the beginning of March 1941.

Question: From whom?

Answer: From the liaison officer Field Marshal Rundstedt, who informed me that in the event of war against the USSR, I would act under the command of Rundstedt.

Question: You took an active part in preparing Hitler’s aggression against the Soviet Union. Show about it.

Question: I did not take part in the development of plans for a military attack on the Soviet Union.

Answer: You're lying. You were involved in unleashing a criminal war against the USSR and you will be questioned about this.

The interrogation ended at 02-00

Recorded correctly from my words, translated into German.

von Kleist

Interrogated by: assistant [assistant] head of [department]
Investigative Department of the 2nd Main Directorate of the USSR Ministry of State Security, Major

Solovov"

Here is the next protocol.

« Protocol of interrogation of Field Marshal E. von Kleist. August 17, 1951

INTERROGATION PROTOCOL
ARRESTED KLEIST EWALD

dated August 17, 1951
Kleist E[wald], born 1881],
native of Braunfeld, German,
b[without]/p[party], with higher education,
former commander of army group "A"
on the Soviet-German front, Field Marshal.

The interrogation began at 12.00

The interrogation ended at 18.00

German translator, senior lieutenant Kushch L.M. on liability for knowingly false translation under Art. 95 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR warned.

[Tush]

Question: You have been charged under paragraphs. 1-a, 1-6 and 1-c art. 2nd Law No. 10 of the Control Council in Germany. Do you understand it, do you plead guilty?

Answer: The accusation brought against me is clear. I do not deny that indeed, being the commander of a German tank group consisting of three corps, on June 23 or 24, 1941, I don’t remember exactly, but it was in the first days of the war of Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union, in the area of ​​​​the city of Lvov he crossed the Soviet border and invaded with his troops on Soviet soil.

I was on the territory of the Soviet Union until April 1944, i.e. For about three years, commanding various formations of German troops, he conducted military operations against the Soviet Army. Moreover, recently I commanded army group “A”, which consisted of two infantry armies.

Despite this, I do not consider my participation in the war against the Soviet Union criminal and I do not admit that I am guilty of the charges brought against me, because participated in the war as an officer of the German army, according to the orders of Rundstedt and Brauchitsch.

Question: Your reference to the orders of higher commanders, according to which you participated in the criminal war against the Soviet Union, does not relieve you of responsibility for crimes committed on the territory of the Soviet Union.

Answer: Perhaps this is so, but I once again declare to the investigation that I acted in the war against the Soviet Union only according to orders.

In particular, a few days before Germany attacked the Soviet Union, I received a written order from Field Marshal Rundstedt, which stated that soon, on a certain day and hour, troops of the 6th and 17th German armies would cross the Soviet border and break through the Soviet line defense

According to this order, I was obliged to take command of a group of tank forces, consisting of the 3rd 152 and 14th 153 tank corps and the Kempf tank corps*, and penetrate into the broken front of the Russian defense deep into Soviet territory to repel the counterattack of Russian tank formations and destroy them.

Fulfilling this order, on June 23 or 24, 1941, I invaded Soviet territory with the tank formations indicated above and moved in the direction of Dubno and Rovno, without occupying the cities themselves.

Question: The actions of your troops were not limited to this. The troops subordinate to you committed numerous atrocities and humiliations against Soviet citizens. Show about it.

Answer: I did not issue orders to commit atrocities and abuses against the Soviet population on the territory of the Soviet Union, and I do not know that the troops subordinate to me committed these atrocities against Soviet citizens on Soviet territory.

The interrogation protocol from my words was recorded correctly and read to me in German.

von Kleist

Interrogated by: Deputy Head of the Investigative Department
2nd Main Directorate of the USSR MGB Major

Volkov

Translated by: German translator of the Investigative Department
2 Main [main] directorate of the USSR MGB senior [senior] lieutenant

Tabernacle"

The investigation, of course, did not believe Von Kleist’s false words that he was a humanist throughout the war, and there were many facts against it

Kleist's tanks in Rostov in October 1941,

On Mius

March to Rostov in the summer of 1942

End of the road....

Indictment against Field Marshal E. von Kleist. December 7, 1951

Indictment against Field Marshal E. von Kleist. December 7, 1951 Moscow

The indictment is approved.
The case should be sent to the Military Collegium for consideration.
Supreme Court of the USSR, without prosecution or defense.

Deputy Chief Military Prosecutor
S[Soviet] A[army] Major General

D. Kitaev

18.XII 51*

CLOSING INDICTMENT

For participation in the preparation and conduct of a criminal war against the USSR and other countries, committed atrocities and atrocities in the temporarily occupied territory of the Soviet Union, a prisoner of war, Field Marshal General of the former German Army Kleist Ewald, was arrested and prosecuted.

THE INVESTIGATION IN THE CASE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED

Kleist, being a large landowner from among the German Junkers, a career officer of the German “black Reichswehr” and Hitler’s army, and holding command posts, took part in the preparation and conduct of an aggressive war in violation of international laws and treaties.

Being one of Hitler's close associates, Kleist, carrying out his aggressive plans, directly participated in the attack on Poland, France, Yugoslavia and the occupation of their territory, commanding large formations of tank forces of the German army called the “Kleist Panzer Group”.

At the end of 1940, Kleist, on instructions from the fascist command, was inspecting and creating new tank and mechanized formations of the German army for the upcoming war against the Soviet Union.

In February 1941, Kleist was officially informed by Field Marshal Rundstedt about the time of the military attack of Nazi Germany on the USSR and received under his command three tank corps that were part of Rundstedt’s army group called “South”.

In April 1941, Kleist, on the instructions of the same Rundstedt, began to develop specific plans for a German military attack on the Soviet Union, and for this purpose, from the tank corps, led by Generals Mackensen *, Kempf and Wittersheim **, he formed a tank group and positioned these troops are on Polish territory in the area of ​​​​the cities of Tomaszew-Zamosc, 15-30 km from the Soviet border.

On the question of participation in the preparation of a military attack on the Soviet Union, Kleist testified during interrogation on April 9, 1949:

“I first became aware of the impending German attack on the Soviet Union in February 1941, when I was in Bulgaria. I remained in Yugoslavia until April 18, 1941, and then with my headquarters I went to Germany, where on April 25, 1941, while in Breslau, he began preparing an armed attack on the Soviet Union."

“Having received from Rundstedt a list of units that would be under my command and task, I began to develop issues related to the offensive. Preparations for the invasion of Soviet territory were completed by mid-June 1941, and then I left with my headquarters for the area the city of Tomaszew-Zamosc on the Soviet-Polish border at the location of my buildings" (vol. 1, pp. 18-26, 37)."

On June 22, 1941, fascist Germany, violating the treaty with the Soviet Union, carried out a treacherous military attack on the USSR, and on June 23, Kleist, carrying out Hitler’s aggressive plans, crossed the state border of the Soviet Union with his troops and invaded Soviet territory.

During the same interrogation, Kleist testified about his participation in the treacherous attack of Nazi Germany on the USSR: “On June 22, 1941, the troops of the Reichenau Army crossed the Western Bug and went on the offensive, and on June 23 or 24, 1941, my tank group moved after them.” . “In mid-August 1941, my corps approached the Dnieper and entered the battle for the cities of Kherson, Nikopol, Zaporozhye” (vol. 1, pp. 26-27, vol. 2, pp. 9-11) "

From June 1941 to April 1944, Kleist, successively commanding the 1st Tank Group, the 1st Tank Army and Army Group “A”, participated in the capture and occupation of Ukraine, the North Caucasus, the Krasnodar Territory, the Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and Soviet Moldova. and Crimea (vol. 1, pp. 26-36, vol. 2, pp. 9-17).

The troops subordinate to Kleist in the temporarily occupied Soviet territory committed atrocities and atrocities against the civilian population, brutally suppressed the partisan movement, carried out massive destruction that was not caused by military necessity, destruction of industrial enterprises, transport, buildings, structures and other material and cultural values; were engaged in robbery and confiscation of livestock and food from citizens and collective farms, and the punitive agencies that were part of the units commanded by Kleist and located in the territory occupied by his troops exterminated a large number of the civilian Soviet population.

It has been established that in the Krasnodar region alone, the Nazi invaders, including troops under the command of Kleist and Ruof, during the period of temporary occupation shot, tortured, gassed and exterminated in other ways more than 61 thousand civilian Soviet citizens, and destroyed more than 63 thousand industrial and economic buildings, plundered and took from collective farms and individual citizens more than 5 million centners of grain and flour, more than 300 thousand heads of cattle, the same number of pigs, at least 275 thousand horses and more than 2 million poultry.

More than 66 thousand agricultural machines and implements, more than 2 thousand engines and 6 thousand cars and other property were destroyed or taken to Germany.

They destroyed about a million hectares of grain crops and hundreds of thousands of hectares of other crops, looted and burned dozens of collective farm villages, burned, blew up and destroyed, along with other valuable structures, entire blocks of residential buildings in the city of Krasnodar, 1334 schools, 368 theaters and clubs, 377 hospitals and clinics and 194 buildings of children's institutions (vol. 3, pp. 1-146).

Kleist is exposed in the atrocities listed above by the testimony of former German prisoners of war who were previously subordinate to him and directly carried out his criminal orders.

Former prisoner of war, German Bartel, during interrogation on December 4, 1947, testified: “While in the 1st battalion of the 2nd regiment of the 1st Tank Army under the command of Field Marshal Kleist, I was in the Soviet cities of Shakhty, Kropotkin, Armavir, Prokhladny, etc. ". “During the offensive of the 1st Tank Army, soldiers were allowed to plunder civilians and take collective farm property, livestock, bread and other things for the needs of the German army.” "

On December 30, 1942, while in the city of Prokhladny, the company commander read out to us an order from Field Marshal Kleist, in which he ordered, on the route of his retreat, to destroy industrial and railway facilities and structures and create a “desert” on the territory of the Soviet Union, for this purpose so as not to leave anything to the Red Army."

“To implement von Kleist’s order, special demolition teams were created for each platoon, which were engaged in explosions and destruction” (vol. 3, pp. 199-203).

On the same issue, former prisoner of war of the German army Weips Georg testified during interrogation on December 18, 1947: “I served in the SS Viking division.”

The SS Viking Division was part of the army commanded by Field Marshal von Kleist. From July 1941 to March 1944, I personally took part in the plunder of collective farm property. During the period of retreat, I also exported food looted from collective farms” (vol. 3, pp. 207-208).

A former prisoner of war of the 1st tank communications regiment of the 1st Tank Army, Brandes, during interrogation on December 9, 1947, testified: “Retreating under the attacks of the Red Army, the personnel of the 1st Tank Army took livestock and food from the civilian population along the way.” “During the retreat of part of the 1st Panzer Army, commanded by Field Marshal von Kleist from the Caucasus, in the cities of Nalchik, Pyatigorsk, Mineralnye Vody, they took almost all the livestock and drove it to the West. In addition, I personally saw how in the city In Artemovsk, office and residential premises were destroyed" (vol. 3, pp. 227-228).

A soldier of the former German army, Berndt, during interrogation on December 10, 1947, testified: “Parts of the German army that were part of the tank group of Field Marshal Kleist, while on the territory of the USSR, were everywhere engaged in robberies, which were usually accompanied by violence and executions of civilians. These atrocities were especially widespread. took on a character during the retreat of German troops from the Caucasus.

What could not be taken away was burned and everything along the route of retreat was destroyed. In Bataysk and Rostov, German troops, under the pretext of fighting partisans, carried out mass executions of Soviet citizens" (vol. 3, pp. 229-231).

A soldier of the former German army, Blass Erich, during interrogation on December 15, 1947, testified: “Retreating from the regions of the North Caucasus, units of the 1st Tank Army of General Field Marshal von Kleist destroyed all large structures on their way, blew up, burned and destroyed clubs in all populated areas , theaters and other cultural institutions, factories, factories, railway stations and bridges. I personally saw how large butter factories, sugar factories and brick factories were blown up in the cities of Kropotkin and Georgievsk” (vol. 3, pp. 143-145).

The Nazi invaders under the command of Kleist committed similar atrocities on the territory of Soviet Moldova, the North Caucasus, the Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukraine and Crimea (vol. 3, pp. 146-147).

In addition, Kleist in the Crimea, together with the commander of the 17th Army, Colonel General Eneke*, who was under his command, brutally suppressed the partisan movement by using asphyxiating gases and creating so-called “dead zones” in areas where Soviet partisans appeared, burning completely populated areas points.

About the German atrocities committed on the orders of Kleist, the arrested Colonel General of the former German army Eneke testified during interrogation on November 22, 1947: “On the issue of economic cleansing of the Kuban, all orders of von Kleist provided for: the removal from the Kuban of all food supplies, livestock, grain, oil , wine and other agricultural products and industrial materials and equipment, and everything that could not be taken out, according to von Kleist’s order, was subject to destruction and destruction.”

Eneke further testified: “Von Kleist’s order stated that the primary task of the 17th Army in the Crimea was to suppress the partisan movement. According to this order, I, as the commander of the army, had to myself develop an action plan for its implementation. I have already shown earlier what activities my army carried out, including the creation of a “dead zone”. I reported daily to von Kleist in daily reports about the progress of creating the “dead zone”, as well as about the operations in the Kerch quarries (where gases were used).

Kleist was constantly aware of the measures taken by the 17th Army to create a “dead zone”. In these reports, after each operation, von Kleist was informed about the number of settlements burned and other results.

When von Kleist was reported about this (about the use of gases against Soviet partisans), I don’t remember exactly, but a special report was sent to von Kleist about the arrival of the Sonderkommando and its operations in the Kerch quarries at the headquarters of the Southern Group of Forces” (vol. 2, l .d. 202-210).

Interrogated as an accused, Kleist Ewald did not plead guilty to the charges brought against him, but does not deny that he participated in the preparation and conduct of the war against the USSR and that his troops carried out massive destruction on temporarily occupied Soviet territory, as well as confiscating livestock and food from collective farms and population (vol. 2, pp. 4-7,68-69, 80-90,120-122, 146-148).

The criminal activities of Kleist Ewald are fully confirmed by the materials of the Extraordinary State Commission to investigate the atrocities of the Nazi invaders, the testimony of German prisoners of war: Schörner, Eneke, Angelis, Bartel, Weips, Dorfer, Brandes, Berndt and others (23 people in total), as well as the testimony eyewitnesses and victims from among Soviet citizens: Govenko, Baldina, Serbina, Izyumova, Ryabovolenko and others (28 people in total) (vol. 3, pp. 1-242).

ON THE BASIS OF THE ABOVE

Kleist Ewald, born in 1881,
native of Braunfeld, province
Hesse (Germany), German, German citizen,
non-partisan, with higher education, former large landowner, in the German
Served in the army from 1900, from 1941 to 1944.
participated in the war against the USSR in the rank
Field Marshal General, recently
commanded army group “A”,
for active participation in the First World War
against Russia awarded two Iron
crosses 1st and 2nd class, and for participation
in the war against the USSR was awarded by Hitler
government Iron Crosses of the 1st and
2nd class, Knight's Cross, "oak leaves"
and “swords” to him. Captured in Bavaria
April 25, 1945.

ACCUSED:

The fact that he, holding command positions in the former German army, took an active part in preparing and waging a criminal war against the USSR; being from June 1941 to 1944 on the temporarily occupied territory of the Soviet Union, together with his troops and punitive authorities, he committed mass destruction, atrocities and atrocities provided for under Art. 1 of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 19, 1943 and under Art. 2nd § 1st paragraph. "a", "b" and "c" of Law No. 10 of the Control Council in Germany.

In accordance with Art. Art. 208 and 225 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the RSFSR, the case of Kleist Ewald is subject to referral to the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR.

Soviet Army Lieutenant Colonel

Gavrilyak

REFERENCE

2. There is no material evidence in the case.

Military prosecutor of the Main Military Prosecutor's Office

Soviet Army Lieutenant Colonel

Gavrilyak

List

persons subject to summons to a court hearing

1. Accused Kleist Ewald - held in the Butyrka prison of the USSR Ministry of State Security.

Military prosecutor of the Main Military Prosecutor's Office
Soviet Army Lieutenant Colonel

Gavrilyak»

« The verdict of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR against Field Marshal E. von Kleist. February 21, 1952

Verdict of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR against Field Marshal E. von Kleist. February 21, 1952 Moscow

SENTENCE

IN THE NAME OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS

MILITARY COLLEGE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE USSR

consisting of:

Chairman - Major General of Justice Chertkov
Members: Colonel of Justice Senin
and Colonel of Justice Artyukhov
with the secretary, senior lieutenant Afanasyev
in a closed court session, in the city. Moscow on February 21, 1952, examined the case on charges:

Kleist Ewald, born in 1881,
native of the town of Braunfeld, province
Hesse (Germany), German, married, former
Field Marshal General of the German Army -

in committing crimes under Art. 1st Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 19, 1943 and art. 2nd § 3 paragraph “c” of Law No. 10 of the Control Council in Germany.

The preliminary and judicial investigation established:

At the end of 1940, on instructions from the fascist command, Kleist was engaged in the creation of tank and mechanized formations for the upcoming war against the USSR.

In February 1941, he received three tank corps under his command, then began to develop specific plans for a military attack on the Soviet Union, formed a tank group and stationed its troops on Polish territory 15-30 kilometers from the Soviet border. June 23, 1941, i.e. On the second day of Nazi Germany's treacherous attack on the Soviet Union, Kleist and his troops invaded Soviet territory.

From June 1941 to April 1944, Kleist, successively commanding the tank group, the 1st Tank Army and Army Group “A”, participated in the capture and occupation of a number of regions of Ukraine, the North Caucasus, the Krasnodar Territory, the Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and Soviet Moldova. and Crimea.

The troops subordinate to Kleist in the temporarily occupied Soviet territories committed atrocities and atrocities against the civilian population, carried out destruction of industrial enterprises, buildings, material and cultural values ​​not caused by military necessity, engaged in robbery, confiscation of livestock and food, and the punitive authorities at the formations under the command Kleist, exterminated many innocent Soviet citizens.

In the Krasnodar region alone, the Nazi invaders, including those under the command of Kleist, exterminated more than 61 thousand civilian Soviet citizens, destroyed more than 63 thousand industrial and economic buildings, plundered and took away more than 500 thousand heads of various livestock from collective farms and individual citizens, and burned dozens of villages, destroyed many schools, hospitals and children's institutions.

Troops under the command of Kleist committed similar atrocities in other temporarily occupied Soviet territories. In Crimea, in addition, the troops of the 17th Army, subordinate to Kleist, brutally suppressed the partisan movement and created so-called “dead zones” in areas where the partisans operated.

Kleist’s crimes were proven by the materials of the Extraordinary State Commissions to investigate the atrocities of the Nazi invaders, the testimony of 20 German prisoners of war - Eneke, Bartel, Weips, Dorfer, Gielen, Berndt, Schwankel, Brandes and others, the testimony of eyewitnesses and victims of Soviet citizens - Baldina, Izyumov, Golovatenko, Serbin, Ryabovolenko and others, among 28 people.

Finding Kleist guilty of committing crimes under Art. 1st Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 19, 1943 and art. 2 § 1 pp. “a”, “b” and “c” of Law No. 10 of the Control Council in Germany, and guided by Art. Art. 319 and 320 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the RSFSR, Military Collegium of the Supreme Court -

SENTENCED

Kleist Ewald based on Art. 2nd § 3 paragraph “c” of Law No. 10 of the Control Council in Germany, imprisonment in forced labor camps for a period of twenty-five (25) years, with confiscation of property, his own on the basis of Art. 1st Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated April 19, 1943 and based on the totality of the crimes he committed, imprison him in forced labor camps for a period of twenty-five (25) years, with confiscation of property.

The verdict is final and cannot be appealed.
Chairman: Chertkov

Members:

Senin
Artyukhov"

Here is the basic definition of a military college

« Determination No. SP-0078/51 of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR in relation to Field Marshal E. von Kleist. April 17, 1952

Determination No. SP-0078/51 of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR in relation to Field Marshal E. von Kleist. April 17, 1952 Moscow

SUPREME COURT OF THE USSR UNION
DEFINITION No. SP-0078/51

Consisting of: Presiding Lieutenant General of Justice Cheptsov
members: Major General Dmitriev and
Major General Zyryanov,
having considered at the meeting of April 17, 1952
in accordance with Article 461 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the RSFSR

the case of Kleist Ewald, convicted by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR on February 21, 1952 on the basis of Art. 1st Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 19, 1943 and art. 2nd § 3 paragraph “c” of Law No. 10 of the Control Council in Germany to imprisonment in a correctional labor camp for a period of 25 years with confiscation of property,

Having heard the report of Comrade Zyryanov and bearing in mind that the convicted Kleist Ewald is a particularly dangerous criminal who requires his strict isolation from society,

DEFINED

Based on Article 461 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the RSFSR, amend the verdict of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR dated February 21, 1952 * and consider that the convicted Kleist Ewald should serve his sentence not in forced labor camps, as indicated in the verdict of the Military Collegium, but in prison .

Presiding
Cheptsov
Dmitriev
Zyryanov"

Kleist became the only German field marshal to die in Soviet captivity. Why exactly did Kleist suffer such a severe punishment? If you look at it this way, he doesn’t look like a particularly outstanding war criminal. Paulus and Rundstedt brought no less evil to our country.

But firstly, Kleist apparently did not fall under the tutelage of the Allied governments, which often snatched up Nazi criminals. But for some reason they did not defend Kleist.

Secondly, he did not provide any assistance to the USSR, unlike Paulus in captivity, who was ready to cooperate against Hitler, although it was Paulus who became the author of the Barbarossa plan.

Thirdly, given his successful actions in the USSR, Kleist most likely and certainly was not a Soviet spy

There was no reason to show him leniency.

Moscow

Transcript

Kleist Ewald, born in 1881, native of the town of Braunfeld, province of Thyssen (Germany), German, German subject, non-partisan, with a higher military education, former commander of the German army group “A” on the Soviet-German front, field marshal general.

The interrogation began at 12 o'clock .

Question: What position did you hold most recently in the German army?

Answer: With the rank of Field Marshal of the former German Army, until April 1, 1944, I commanded Army Group “A” on the Soviet-German front, and after April 1, 1944, I was in the OKH reserve.

Question: Do you have relatives?

Answer: Yes. I have a wife von Kleist Gisela, née Wachtel, born in 1898 and two sons: Ewald, born in 1917, a native of the mountains. Hanover, captain (captain) of the former German army, who was being treated in a mountain hospital before the capitulation. Breslau, and Heinrich, born in 1921, also a native of the mountains. Hanover, who studied at the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Breslav and was in Bavaria, where he was sent to do agricultural work.

My father, von Kleist Hugo, born in 1848, was the director of a gymnasium in the city. Aurich (Germany), he died in the 20s. My mother is von Kleist Elisabeth, nee Gley, born in 1855, lives in the mountains. Stadt (Germany). Sister - Hertha Schwering, born in 1884, lives with her mother also in the mountains. Stadt. My sister's husband, Schwering Karl, was a Landrat in the mountains. Stadt, died in 1947. I have no other close relatives.

Question: When did you enlist in the German army?

Answer: I entered the German army voluntarily in 1900, immediately after graduating from high school, and served in it until the day I was captured by American troops on April 25, 1945.

Question: Tell us about your military service?

Answer: After graduating from high school in the city in 1900. Aurich, in the same year I joined an artillery regiment in the mountains as a volunteer. Brandenburg. In 1901 he graduated from military school, received the rank of lieutenant, and until 1907 he served in the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, most recently as an adjutant to the commander of a horse artillery battalion.

From 1907 to 1909 he studied at the cavalry school in the city. Hanover, from 1910 to 1913 at the Military Academy in Berlin. After graduating from the Academy, he was sent to the 14th Hussar Regiment in the city. Kassel, where, with the rank of senior lieutenant, he held the position of assistant commander of a cavalry squadron.

In March 1914 he received the rank of captain, and in May of the same year he was transferred to the position of reserve officer, candidate for squadron commander in the 1st Hussar Regiment, in the town of Langfuhr near Danzig.

In August 1914, he was appointed to the position of squadron commander and sent to the front in East Prussia. He took part in battles with Russian troops in East Prussia, Poland and Belarus, most recently as an officer of the General Staff at the headquarters of a cavalry division.

During the negotiations for the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty, in the fall of 1917, my division was recalled to Germany, where I remained until the spring of 1918, and then was sent to France, where I [served] as a General Staff officer at the headquarters of the 225th Division , and later the head of the operational department (“1a”) of the VII Corps, took part in the battles against the French and British on the Somme and in the Vosges. After the end of the war and the conclusion of the Treaty of Versailles, he remained in service in the Reichswehr, where he held various command positions up to and including squadron commander.

In 1921 he received the rank of major, and in October 1925 he was sent to the post of head and teacher of tactics and military history of a military school in the city. Hanover. In April 1928, he was appointed chief of staff of the 2nd Cavalry Division, stationed in the city. Breslau, and in July 1929 he was transferred to the same position in the 3rd Infantry Division in the city. Berlin. At the same time he received the rank of lieutenant colonel. In January 1931, I was awarded the rank of colonel and appointed to the post of commander of an infantry regiment in the city. Potsdam. In January 1932, he was appointed to the post of commander of the 2nd Cavalry Division, stationed in the city. Breslau, and, at the same time, was promoted to major general.

In mid-1934 he received the rank of lieutenant general, and in 1935 he was appointed commander of the VIII Corps in the city. Breslau. In 1936 he received the rank of cavalry general. He served as commander of the VIII Corps until February 1938, and then, together with generals Blomberg, Fritsch and others, was dismissed.

Question: What did you do after you retired?

Answer: Until August 1939, he lived on his estate, located in Lower Silesia, seven kilometers from the mountains. Breslau.

Question: And then?

Answer: At the end of August 1939, I was again drafted into the army and was assigned to form the XXII Corps headquarters with a location in the mountains. Hamburg.

At the end of August 1939, I completed the formation of the headquarters and joined him at the disposal of Field Marshal List, who was on the German-Polish border and preparing for an attack on Poland. Here, one tank division and one motorized division were allocated from List's army at the disposal of my headquarters, and the XXII Panzer Corps was formed under my command. With this corps I took part in the war against Poland on the southern flank of List's army. By mid-September 1939, my corps reached the area north of Tarnopl, met Russian troops there, and ended its further advance.

Then, in September 1939, my XXII Corps headquarters was recalled to Germany, where until March 1940, in the Lower Rhine region, he led the preparation of German troops for war against the French and British.

In March 1940, I received an order from the OKH to advance with my corps headquarters to the city. Koblenz was at the disposal of the headquarters of Field Marshal Rundstedt, who was located there.

In Koblenz, I was given three tank corps, which, under the name of the Kleist Group, were to take part in the war against France.

On May 10, 1940, my group launched an offensive against the French and on May 20, having passed the Ardennes, the Meuse River and the Maginot Line, it reached the English Channel coast, capturing the mountains. Abbeville.

After this, the group turned north, captured the city of Boulogne, Calais and flanked the British troops retreating to Dunkirk. At the end of May 1940, my group defeated the British at Dunkirk and drove them out of the European continent.

After the occupation of Dunkirk, my group was divided into three tank groups: the group of Infantry General Hoth, the “Group Kleist” and the group of Panzer General Guderian, which moved into the interior of France.

The Kleist Group, under my command, moved southeast, passing to the left of Paris, turned southwest, and at the end of June 1940 reached the Franco-Spanish border, occupying the city of Biarritz.

By this time, the war with France was over, and I and my headquarters, which again received its former name, that is, XXII Corps Headquarters, left for the mountains. Soissy near Paris, where he awaited a new assignment until November 1940.

Question: What assignment did you receive?

Answer: In November 1940, my headquarters was recalled to the city. Dresden, where it was renamed the headquarters of the 1st group, and was given the task of inspecting all newly created motorized divisions located in Germany.

I was engaged in this work until December 1940, and then received an order to go with the group headquarters to the mountains. Sinaia (Romania), where to staff the group and resist the British in the event of their invasion of Bulgaria through Greece or Thrace. When the group was completed, I was ordered to move with it through Bulgaria to the Greek and Turkish borders.

Having brought the group to the border with Greece and Turkey, I completely completed the task assigned to me, and since there was nothing more to do here, I was seconded by List in March 1941 to the disposal of the OKH.

On the way to Germany, on March 26, 1941, before reaching the mountains. Sofia, was brought back to List, who ordered me to lead a special group, called the Kleist Group, and as soon as the war against Yugoslavia began, move with the group through the mountains. Nis to Belgrade.

On April 6, 1941, Germany attacked Yugoslavia, on April 9 I set out on a campaign, and on April 13 of the same year, the troops of my group entered Belgrade. I remained in Yugoslavia until April 18, 1941, and then with my headquarters I went to Germany, where on April 25, 1941, while in Breslau, I began preparing an armed attack on the Soviet Union.

Question: When did you first become aware of Germany's impending attack on the Soviet Union?

Answer: I first became aware of this in February 1941, when I was in Bulgaria. Then an officer came to me from Paris, from Field Marshal Rundstedt, who was still there, and conveyed Rundstedt’s personal order that in the war against the Soviet Union, which is supposed to begin this year, i.e. 1941, I will operate under the command of Rundstedt.

Question: What was your participation in preparing the war against the Soviet Union?

Answer: Having received from Rundstedt a list of units that would be under my command and task, I began to develop issues related to the offensive in such a way as to provide for all the contingencies that might occur on my way.

The following units were transferred to my subordination: XIV Panzer Corps of Infantry General Wittersheim; tank corps, I don’t remember its number, General of the Panzer Forces Kempff and III Panzer Corps of General of the Cavalry Mackensen.

These three corps formed the 1st Panzer Group, under my command, which, in turn, was part of the Army Group South, commanded by Field Marshal General Rundstedt.

The task was to move directly east into Soviet territory behind the leading troops of the VI Army, under the command of Field Marshal [von] Reichenau, also part of Army Group South.

I completed preparations for the invasion of Soviet territory in mid-June 1941, and at the same time I left with my headquarters for the Tomaszow-Zamosc region, where the corps subordinate to me were already located.

The layout of my troops before the offensive was as follows. Along the German-Polish border on the Tomaszow-Lublin line were troops of the VI Army of Reichenau, and behind them were my corps in the following order: on the left - III, in the middle - Kempff's corps and on the right - XIV.

On June 22, 1941, troops of the Reichenau Army crossed the Western Bug and went on the offensive. Following them, on June 23 or 24, I don’t remember exactly now, my tank group also moved. The XIV Corps headed southeast, while Kempff and III Corps headed east.

In mid-August 1941, my corps approached the Dnieper and entered into battle, which broke out in a bend of the Dnieper for the cities of Kherson, Nikopol, and Zaporozhye. During the fighting, the group alternately acted together with the VI Army of Reichenau, the XVII Army of Infantry General Stülpnagel and the XI Army of Colonel General Schubert.

By the end of August 1941, i.e. by the time the battle in the Dnieper bend ended, parts of my 1st Panzer Group were located at the following points: Kempff's corps near the city of Nikolaev. XI Corps near the city of Nikopol. Between them, the German I Mountain Corps of General of the Mountain Troops Kübler and the Romanian Infantry Division were advancing on Kherson. On the Dnieper near the mountains. In Zaporozhye there were parts of the Hungarian motorized corps under the command of General Miklos, the cavalry brigade of this corps stood between the Ingul and Ingulets rivers. To the left of the Hungarians stood the III Corps, individual parts of which crossed the Dnieper and entrenched themselves on the left bank, and to the left of the III Corps stood the Italian infantry corps of General Messe. All these units were by this time part of my 1st Tank Group. To the left of the Italian corps were units of the XVII Army of Infantry General Stülpnagel.

At the end of September, the XIV and Kempff Corps took part, together with Guderian's Panzer Group and Reichenau's VI Army, in the battle east of the city of Kyiv. The III Corps was at that time near the mountains of Dnepropetrovsk and fought for the crossing of the Dnieper. During the fighting east of Kyiv, Kempff's corps was transferred to Guderian's command, and I went with the XIV Corps in the direction of Dnepropetrovsk to assist the III Corps, which was engaged in heavy fighting with the Soviet troops and was unable to advance.

Having freed my III Corps, I went in the direction of the mountains with two corps, III and XIV. Melitopol to provide assistance to the XI Army, which encountered strong resistance there. In the Melitopol area, the XIV Corps entered the battle, and the III Corps turned east and began to advance towards the coast of the Sea of ​​​​Azov.

During this period of time, when I don’t remember exactly, my 1st Panzer Group was renamed the 1st Panzer Army, continuing to remain part of Field Marshal Rundstedt’s Army Group South. At the beginning of October 1941, after the completion of the battles for the Dnieper and the occupation of the Azov coast, the army group “South” moved on a broad front to the east, and only one XI Army was advancing in a southern direction to the Crimea.

On the right flank of the army group “South” my tank army was advancing, which included the III, XIV tank corps, the I mountain corps and the Italian infantry corps.

To the left of the 1st Tank Army the XVII Army was advancing, heading towards the mountains. Artemovsk, and to the left of the XVII Army the VI Army was advancing, heading towards the mountains. Kharkiv. The army group “Center” was advancing even further to the left. At the beginning of October, the “South” group reached the Kharkov-Taganrog line and our further advance was stopped. Having gained a foothold at the Kharkov-Taganrog line, the group went on the defensive, which lasted until the end of November 1941.

At the end of November, I was given the order to break through the front of the Soviet troops in the Rostov region with two tank corps, go as deep as possible into the location of the Soviet troops and reconnoiter the enemy forces on the front against the South group. At the same time, I was ordered to destroy the bridges across the Don in order to prevent the accumulation of Soviet troops on this section of the front.

Having broken through the front, I sent the XIV Corps to the northeast to contain the Soviet troops, and the III Corps to Rostov, which was captured by me.

After holding out in Rostov for 2-3 days, under pressure from Soviet troops, I was forced to retreat across the Mius River, losing a large number of tanks and personnel. The assigned task, however, was completed, the bridges were blown up and it was discovered that the Russians had a large number of troops and equipment on this section of the front.

Until February 1942, the South group did not conduct active hostilities. In February 1942, Soviet troops, having broken through the front between the VI and XVII armies in the Barvenkovo-Izyum area, deeply wedged themselves into the location of our troops and created a threat to cut the railway along which supplies were supplied to the entire army group “South”.

The battles to eliminate the Russian breakthrough continued until May-June, after which our troops regrouped for the summer offensive.

Question: What exactly was this regrouping?

Answer: On the outer, southern wing of the Soviet-German front, a new army group “A” was created under the command of Field Marshal List.

It included: the XI Army under the command of Manstein (Schubert was killed), which was advancing on the Crimea, the XVII Army under the command of Colonel General Ruof (Ruof replaced Colonel General Hoth, who, in turn, replaced Stülpnagel), which occupied the area from the mountains . Taganrog to the mountains. Artemovsk and the 1st Tank Army under my command, which occupied the area from the mountains. Artemovsk to the junction with army group “South”, located north of army group “A”.

The army grouping "South", which at that time was commanded by Weichs (who replaced Field Marshal Bock in this post, who, in turn, replaced the ill Rundstedt), included: VI Army under the command of Colonel General Paulus (who replaced at the end of November - early December 1941 of the deceased Reichenau), the IV Panzer Army under the command of Hoth, the Hungarian tank corps under the command of Miklos and Italian units.

In July 1942, the summer offensive of German troops began. During the first period of the offensive, my 1st Panzer Army, which included the XIV, III Panzer Corps and I Mountain Corps, reached the mountains. Starobelsk. At this time, the XVII Army, advancing to my right, occupied Rostov, crossed the Don, and began to advance deeper into the Caucasus.

Question: What task was assigned to you?

Answer: The general task assigned to army group “A” was to occupy the Black Sea coast up to and including the city of Batumi, thereby depriving the Russian Black Sea Fleet of its last bases on the Black Sea, then seize the Caucasus and the Baku oil regions.

After the occupation of Starobelsk, I was ordered to transfer the XIV Tank Corps to the command of Army Group “A”, and with the III Tank Corps and the I Mountain Corps move south to the Don, cross the Don east of Rostov and move further to the Caucasus.

After crossing the Don, to facilitate the advance deeper into the Caucasus, I was given the tank corps of Colonel General Guyer and the L Infantry Corps of Infantry General Hoth, which had previously been part of the IV Panzer Army of Hoth and the XVII Army of Ruoff. I, in turn, transferred my I Mountain Corps to the XVII Army.

Having reached the Terek River with heavy fighting, I was forced to stop under the pressure of Soviet troops and, having occupied the front along the Terek, from the Kuban River and almost to the very coast of the Caspian Sea, go on the defensive.

German troops in the Caucasus remained in this situation until January 1943. My patrols went out several times to the coast of the Caspian Sea and destroyed the railway that had been built from the mountains during the war. Makhach-Kala to the mountains. Astrakhan, however, we were unable to achieve more tangible results. Paulus's VI Army, moving north of me in the Elista-Stalingrad area, managed to enter the mountains. Stalingrad, but it was also not possible to capture it completely.

Enraged by the failures that had befallen him, in December 1942, Hitler removed List from command of Army Group A and temporarily entrusted its command to me. At the end of January 1943, Soviet troops launched an attack on Rostov, approached it at a distance of 70 kilometers and, continuing to move further, threatened to cut off all German troops located in the Caucasus.

After heavy fighting, I managed to bring the 1st Tank Army to Rostov, and it came under the command of the army group “South”, whose commander at that time was already Manstein.

Soviet troops soon occupied Rostov, and the XVII Army remained cut off in the Kuban. In February 1943, I was confirmed as commander of army group “A”, at the same time I was awarded the rank of field marshal general.

After the transfer of the 1st Tank Army to Manstein, my group included the XVII Army, cut off in the Kuban, and units of the XI Army located in the Crimea.

Continuing the offensive, Soviet troops completely destroyed the German troops at Stalingrad, greatly battered the VI Army, newly created in the summer of 1943 and thrown into battle for the first time on the Mius River, and drove the army group “South” to the Melitopol-Zaporozhye region.

By August-September 1943, I managed to evacuate the XII Army through the Kerch Strait, after which I led some of its units through the Crimea and threw them near Melitop to help Manstein. At the same time, the remnants of the VI Army came under my command from Manstein.

Around the same time, I raised the question with Hitler about the need to evacuate Crimea, since Soviet troops intended to cut it off from the north. Hitler refused me this. At this time, my army group included the XVII Army and the remaining units of the VI Army, located between the Sea of ​​​​Azov and the bend of the Dnieper. Soviet troops continued their offensive and pushed Manstein's group and parts of my VI Army even further to the west. The exit from Crimea was cut off.

On March 29, 1944, I again turned to Hitler with a proposal to withdraw the VI Army beyond the Dnieper River in the direction of the mountains. Iasi, and Crimea to be evacuated by sea, however, this time too, having allowed the VI Army to be withdrawn to Romania, Hitler did not allow Crimea to be evacuated, citing the fact that if German troops leave Crimea, Turkey will declare war on Germany.

By April 1, 1944, the troops of my army group “A” were in the following points: the XVII Army was cut off in the Crimea, the VI Army on the Southern Bug River, Romanian troops were also located here, as well as the XVIII Army of Infantry General Weller, which was part of the army group “ South", and cut off from it by deeply embedded Soviet troops. Far to the west was the army group “South” itself, retreating under the onslaught of Russian troops.

On April 1, 1944, an order was issued to remove me from the post of commander of army group “A” and send me to the disposal of the OKH. Instead of me, Colonel General Schörner was appointed to the post of commander of this group. At the same time, Manstein was also dismissed, and Colonel General Model was appointed to the post of commander of the army group “South”.

Question: Where were you sent after you were recalled from the post of commander of army group “A”?

Answer: I was enlisted in the OKH reserve, retaining my rank and pay. They didn’t give me any work, and I left for my estate.

Question: What kind of estate is this?

Answer: As I already showed above, my estate was located in Lower Silesia, seven kilometers from the mountains. Breslau. Now this territory has passed to Poland. The estate consisted of 200 hectares of land, 50 dairy cows, six horses and over 50 heads of other livestock. About 20 hired workers worked there. I remained on my estate until January 27, 1945, when an order came from the local authorities to evacuate everything that was possible to Saxony.

Having evacuated people and horses to the town of Lomach on the Elbe River, in April 1945 my wife and I went by car to Bavaria to visit our youngest son, who was at that time in the village. Mitelfels. There I was detained by American troops on April 25, 1945.

Question: Where were you sent by the Americans after your arrest?

Answer: At first, I was sent to the headquarters of some American division, where I was interrogated about my biography and service in the German army, and then, on April 26 of the same year, I was placed in a prisoner of war camp near the city of Augsburg.

Question: Were your wife and son also with you?

Answer: No, the Americans released their wife and son, and I don’t know where they went.

Answer: At the beginning of May 1945, I was transferred from the Augsburg camp to the city. Wiesbaden, where the headquarters of the Bradley Army group was located, and was placed in a villa together with 20 senior German officers and generals. Here I was interrogated about my biography and military service.

In mid-May I was sent to the mountains. Kissingen on the Main River, where the headquarters of the American Air Force was located, and from there a few days later, together with several other German generals, they were transported by plane to the mountains. London. On my arrival in London I was placed in the general's camp at Trench Park, near London, where I remained for eight days.

During this time, I was interrogated twice regarding my conduct of tank battles on the Soviet-German front. However, I refused to answer these questions. From the camp in Trench Park I was sent by train to the mountains. Windamere on the border of Scotland, where about 150 people were placed in the Kreis Dahl camp, in which only German generals were kept. I stayed in this camp until January 1946, and during that time I was never interrogated. In January 1946 he was transferred to Bridge End camp in southwest England. It was a large camp that once housed the American Expeditionary Forces intended to land on the continent. During my stay in this camp I was never interrogated.

In June 1946, together with Field Marshal Rundstedt, I traveled to Nuremberg, where I gave written testimony at the trial of a group of OKW and German General Staff employees. After 4-6 weeks in Nuremberg, he returned again to Bridge End, and at the end of August 1946 he was transported to London and placed in a small camp located in London itself and owned by Secret Service. The next day, I was sent from this camp by plane, accompanied by an English captain, to the mountains. Vienna.

Question: For what purpose?

Answer: The British handed me over to the Yugoslav authorities there. From Vienna by car, accompanied by a Yugoslav colonel, I was taken on September 1, 1946 to the city. Belgrade and imprisoned by the secret police.

I was in this prison in solitary confinement until the beginning of December 1946. During this time, I was once interrogated by the so-called historical commission, which was interested in my actions in the war against Yugoslavia.

In December 1946, he was transferred to a military prison, where at first he was also kept in solitary confinement, and then in a cell whose composition was constantly changing, but did not exceed 18-20 people. While in this prison, I was interrogated for the first time on March 15, 1947, and the second time on August 4 of the same year, both times about the atrocities committed on Yugoslav territory by the troops subordinate to me.

On August 4, 1948, a closed trial took place, at which I was found guilty of the atrocities committed by my soldiers and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. After the verdict was passed, I filed a cassation appeal, and after that I waited for an answer for seven months, continuing to be held in the same prison.

On March 4, 1949, they announced to me that my complaint was rejected and the sentence was confirmed. On the same day I was taken to the mountains. Subbotitsa on the Hungarian border and on March 5, 1949 handed over to the general of the Soviet Army.

Question: What awards did you have for serving in the German army?

Answer: I have the Iron Crosses II and I First Class for my participation in the First World War. For my participation in the Second World War, I was awarded buckles for the Iron Crosses II and I first class, the Knight's Cross, oak leaves and swords for the Knight's Cross.

The interrogation ended at 5 p.m. .

The protocol from my words was recorded correctly and read to me in a translation into German.

VON KLEIST EWALD

Interrogated: Head of the Investigative Unit for Special Cases of the USSR Ministry of State Security, Lieutenant Colonel KUZMISHIN

Central Asia of the FSB of Russia. D. N-21135. In 3 vols. T. 1. L. 15-46. Script. Typescript.

Notes:

Tippelskirch K. History of the Second World War. M., 1956; Erich v. Manstein. Verlorene Siege. Bonn, 1955 (Russian translation: Manshpgein E. Lost victories. M., 1957); Mellentin F. Tank battles 1939-1945. M., 1957; The fatal decisions. Ed. by Seymour Freidin and William Richardson. Translated from the German by Constantine Fitzgib-bon. New-York, 1956 (Russian translation: Westphal Z., Kreipe V., Blumentritt G., Bayerlein F., Zeitzler K., Zimmermann B., Manteuffel X. Fatal decisions. M., 1958), etc.

Muller K-D. German prisoners of war: Current state of research and future prospects // Soviet and German prisoners of war during the Second World War. pp. 293-294.

Konasov V.B. The fate of German prisoners of war in the USSR; diplomatic, legal and political aspects of the problem. Essays and documents. Vologda, 1996. P. 257; Bezborodova I.V. Prisoners of war of the Second World War: Wehrmacht generals in captivity. M., 1998. P. 14.

Konasov V.B., Kuzminykh A.L. German prisoners of war in the USSR... P. 25.

Russian Archive: The Great Patriotic War: Foreign prisoners of war of the Second World War in the USSR. T.24 (13). P. 529.

Each sheet of the interrogation protocol is certified by the personal signature of E. von Kleist.

Now Wroclaw (Republic of Poland).

The Brest-Litovsk Treaty is a separate peace treaty between Russia, on the one hand, and Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey, on the other, concluded in Brest-Litovsk (now Brest) on March 3, 1918.

The Eighth Army Corps (German VIII. Armeekorps) is a combined arms formation of the German army. Formed in October 1934 as a military unit of the Breslau ground forces (Heeresdienstelle Breslau), in 1935 it was reorganized into the main command of the VIII Army Corps. From May 1941, he was part of the 9th Army of Army Group Center (Bialystok, Smolensk); since November at the disposal of Army Group D (Paris). Since March 1942 at the disposal of Army Group “South”, since April as part of Army Group “South” (Kharkov, Don); from August as part of the 6th Army of Army Group B (Stalingrad). From December 1942 to January 1943 as part of the 6th Army of Army Group Don (Stalingrad). Corps of the 2nd formation (1943): since April as part of the 16th Army of Army Group North. In 1944: from January in the 16th Army of Army Group North; from April - as part of the 2nd Army of Army Group Center (Brest-Litovsk); from July - in the 4th Tank Army of Army Group “Northern Ukraine” (Bug, Vistula); from August - in the 9th Army of Army Group Center (Warsaw); from December - in the 9th Army of Army Group A (Warsaw). In 1945: from January in the 9th Army of Army Group A (Warsaw); from February - in the 17th Army of Army Group Center (Silesia).

Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg and Colonel General Werner von Fritsch, like a number of other high-ranking Wehrmacht generals and officers, were dismissed as a result of the so-called. Blomberg-Fritsch crisis (January 24 - February 5, 1938), initiated by Hitler in order to achieve complete control over the armed forces.

The Twenty-Second Motorized (Mountain Rifle) Corps (German: XXII. Armeekorps) is a combined arms unit of the German army. Formed in August 1939 in the X Military District as the XXII Motorized Corps (German: XXII. Armeekorps). In March 1940, the corps located on the Western Front was deployed to the Kleist tank group (German: Panzergruppe von Kleist). After the end of the French campaign, the corps was restored, and in November, the command of the 1st Tank Group was formed on the basis of its headquarters. Re-formed in August 1943 in the VII Military District as the XXII Mountain Infantry Corps (German: XXII. Gebirgs-Armeekorps).

We are talking about the Dunkirk operation of 1940 (conventional name - “Dynamo”) - the evacuation of allied (British and part of the French and Belgian) troops from the area of ​​​​the French city of Dunkirk to England on May 26 - June 4, 1940. As a result of the breakthrough of German tank formations On May 20, 1940, towards Abbeville, the troops of the 1st Allied Army Group (10 British, 18 French and 12 Belgian divisions) found themselves cut off and pressed to the sea in the area of ​​Gravelines, Arras, Bruges. Army Group A troops attacked them from the west and southwest, and Army Group B attacked from the east and southeast. The British command decided on May 20 to evacuate its troops without notifying the allies.

We are talking about Infantry General Hermann Hoth.

We are talking about the British expeditionary force (62 thousand people), which was landed at the end of February 1941 in the Greek port of Thessaloniki after an agreement between the British Foreign Minister A. Eden and the Chief of the Imperial General Staff D. Dill with the Greek government. The corps, together with the Greek Army of Eastern Macedonia, was supposed to resist a group of German troops (6 divisions, including the 1st tank, united in the 18th and 30th army corps). The 2nd German Tank Division captured Soloniki on April 9, 1941. 225 thousand Greek soldiers and officers were captured. The British lost about 12 thousand people killed, wounded and captured. 50 thousand people the English Expeditionary Force was evacuated by sea.

The Fourteenth Army (motorized, tank) corps (German: XIV. Armeekorps) is a combined arms unit of the German army. Formed in April 1938 in Magdeburg as the XIV Motorized Corps (German: XIV. Armeekorps). In June 1942 it was also called the Wietersheim group (German: Gruppe von Wietersheim). In June 1942 it was transformed into the XIV Panzer Corps (German: XIV. Panzerkorps). In January 1943 it was destroyed at Stalingrad and in March of the same year it was re-formed in the occupied territory of France.

We are talking about the XLVIII Army (Tank) Corps. On June 22, 1941, at 10-00, von Kleist brought the XLVIII Panzer Corps of the 1st Panzer Group into the breakthrough, German tanks rushed in the direction of Radzekhov and Berestechko.

The Forty-eighth Army (Tank) Corps (German XLVIII. Armeekorps) is a combined arms unit of the German army. Formed in June 1940 as the XLVIII Army Corps, but disbanded the following month. It was re-formed in January 1941 and renamed the XLVIII Panzer Corps (German: XLVIII. Panzerkorps) on June 21 of the same year.

The Third Army (motorized, tank) corps, (German III. Armeekorps) is a combined arms formation of the German army. Formed in October 1934 as the III Army Corps on the basis of the 2nd Reichswehr Division (Berlin). In March 1941, transformed into the III Motorized Corps (III. Armeekorps). In February-April and June 1942 it was also called the Mackensen group. In June 1942, it was reorganized into the III Tank Corps (III. Panzerkorps).

General of the Mountain Troops L. Kübler commanded the XLIX Army (Mountain) Corps from October 1940 to December 1941, and there was no I Mountain Corps in the German army. The text refers to the XLIX Army (Mountain) Corps.

In June 1941, fascist Italy, together with Nazi Germany, entered the war against the USSR and sent an expeditionary force (about 62 thousand people - 2900 officers and 59 thousand ordinary soldiers) to the front. General Giovanni Messe was appointed commander of the corps. The corps included two mechanized divisions "Pasubio", "Torino" and the "Celere" division. The corps was also assigned an aviation group consisting of transport aircraft and a squadron of fighters. In the first days of its stay in Russia, the Italian corps acted as part of the 11th German Army, and then was transferred to the 1st Panzer Group of E. von Kleist, which was advancing to the crossings across the Dnieper between Zaporozhye and Dnepropetrovsk. For more details, see: Filatov G.S. The collapse of Italian fascism. M., 1973. S. 194-244.

On August 21, stubborn fighting took place in the Dnepropetrovsk area. The 11th German Army crossed the Southern Bug. The 1st Tank Group (1st TGr) continued fighting in the Dnieper bend. On August 28, Halder wrote in his diary: “(68th day of the war)... Units of the 1st Panzer Group lost an average of 50% of their tanks...”. On August 30-31, the 11th Army crossed the Dnieper. The 1st TGr continued fighting for the Dnepropetrovsk bridgehead, the 17th Army was preparing for crossing and crossing the Dnieper in the Kremenchug area.

The First Tank Army (German: 1. Panzer-Armee) is an operational formation of the German army. Formed as the command of the 1st Panzer Group (German 1. Panzergruppe) in November 1940 on the basis of the command of the XXII Corps. From December 1940 it was subordinate to Army Group C in Germany, from January - as part of the 12th Army in Romania, from April - in Yugoslavia. From May 1941 - as part of the 2nd Army in Germany, then transferred to Army Group South on the Soviet-German front. In May-July 1941 it was called the Kleist tank group, and from June - the Oberbaugruppe "South". On October 6, the regrouping of Army Group South was completed. On October 25, 1941, the 1st TGr was renamed the 1st Tank Army (TA). From August 1942 it was part of Army Group A (East), from February 1943 - Army Group Don, from March 1943 - Army Group South. Since April 1944, it has been included in Army Group “Southern Ukraine”, since October - Army Group “A” (East), since February 1945 - Army Group “Center”.

We are talking about the IX Army Corps, which was commanded by General of Infantry Hermann Geyer from October 25, 1939 to December 31, 1941. At the time of the events described by von Kleist, the corps was commanded by Infantry General Hans Schmidt.

The Ninth Army Corps (German: IX. Armeekorps) is a combined arms unit of the German army. Formed in October 1934 as a military unit of the Kassel ground forces, in 1935 it was reorganized into the IX Army Corps. From January 1942 he was part of the 4th Tank Army, and from May - into the 3rd Tank Army of Army Group Center.

Probably a translator's error, we are talking about the V Army Corps, since the 4th Tank Army from April 5 to September 2, 1942 included: V, VII, IX, XX Corps. L Corps in 1942 was part of the 18th Army of Army Group North.

The Fiftieth Army Corps (German: L. Armeekorps) is a combined arms unit of the German army. Formed in October 1940. In April-July 1944 it was also called the Wegener group (German: Gruppe Wegener).

So in the document, we are talking about General Otto Wöhler. Perhaps, speaking of the XVIII Army, von Kleist had in mind the XVII Army Corps, which in August 1947 became part of the Army Group South under the command of General Wöhler.

On January 28, 1944, units of the Red Army near Cherkasy surrounded the 100,000-strong group of the 8th Army of General O. Weller and the 1st Tank Army of General G. Hube.

We are talking about the 12th Army Group of the US Army, commanded by General Omar Bradley.

We are talking about the Nuremberg trials of the US Military Tribunal. The US Military Tribunal trials at Nuremberg were held after the end of World War II; a total of 12 trials took place: No. 1 - the trial of the Nazi doctors; No. 2 - in the case of Field Marshal Erhard Milch; No. 3 - Lawyers' process; No. 4 - in the case of the Main Administrative and Economic Directorate of the SS; No. 5 - Flicka process; No. 6 - “Farbenindastry” process; No. 7 - on the matter of command in the Balkans; No. 8 - in the case of racial departments; No. 9 - in the case of SD operational groups; No. 10 - Krupp process; No. 11 - Wilhelmstrasse process; No. 12 - in the case of the Wehrmacht High Command (OKW).

The Iron Cross is a military order, one of the most popular awards in Germany. Established by the Prussian king Frederick William III on March 10, 1813 in three degrees. On September 1, 1939, it was restored in Nazi Germany with a change in its statute: the Knight's Cross of various denominations was added to the previously existing degrees. At the same time, its awarding for civil merits was abolished, thus it became a purely military order. In total, about 450 thousand people were awarded the order during the Second World War.

We are probably talking about the Buckle (spang) of the honor list of the ground forces - a military award introduced as a badge of honor on January 1, 1944. In fact, the spang was received by military personnel - holders of the Iron Cross 1st class, when their merits were not enough to receive the Knight's Cross or the German Cross, but they fulfilled the “norm” for the second Iron Cross, 1st class. The shpanga was a round gilded oak wreath, into which a straight swastika was inscribed. The spang was attached to the ribbon of the Iron Cross, Class II, worn in the buttonhole. For more details, see: Pia D. Orders and medals of the Third Reich. M., 2003; Orders and medals of the SS troops / With comments by Theodor Gladkov. M., 2003; Kurylev O.P. Military awards of the Third Reich: An illustrated encyclopedia. M., 2006.

We are talking about one of the degrees of the Order of the Iron Cross - the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Branches and Swords, introduced on June 21, 1941. A total of 160 people were awarded this award during the Second World War, of which 98 represented the Luftwaffe.

Ewald Paul Ludwig von Kleist

Kleist Ewald (8/8/1881, Braunfels am Lahn - Oct. 1954), one of the Nazi soldiers. criminals, Field Marshal of the Nazi Army (1943). For military service since 1900. Graduated from the military. academy (1913). During World War I he held staff positions. After the war he served in the Reichswehr cavalry. During the aggressive wars against Poland (1939), France (1940), Yugoslavia (1941) he commanded a tank, a corps and a tank group. On the Soviet-German front from the beginning of the war. Until November 1942 he commanded the 1st Tank Army (until October 1941 - 1st Tank, Group), which was the main. striking force of the Nazi troops on the southern wing of the Soviet-German front. Since November 1942 commands, Army Group A. In the spring of 1944 for leaving Crimea, defeat in the South. Bouguer and disagreement with Hitler's strategy were dismissed. At the end of the war he was captured by the British and in 1946 as a soldier. the criminal was transferred to Yugoslavia and then to the USSR. He was convicted of the barbaric practice of warfare, cruelty shown towards prisoners and the civilian population of occupied countries. Died in custody.

Materials from the Soviet Military Encyclopedia in 8 volumes, volume 4 were used.

Kleist, Ewald (1881-1954) - German fascist military leader, Field Marshal General (1943). In the army since 1900. He graduated from the Military Academy (1913), participated in the 1st World War in staff positions. After the war, he served in the Reichswehr (cavalry), and was an active advocate of the motorization of the army. In 1938, during the "purge" Hitler general, dismissed for monarchist beliefs. In 1939 he was appointed commander of the 22nd Corps and took part in the war with Poland. In the French campaign of 1940, he commanded the Kleist tank group. He was the commander of the 1st Tank Group in the war with Yugoslavia. On the Soviet-German front, from the beginning of the war until November 22, 1942, he commanded the 1st Tank Army (until October 6, 1941 - a group), which was the striking force of the German troops on the southern wing of the front (Ukraine, North Caucasus). From November 1942 - commander of Army Group A, operating in the Kuban and Crimea. In the spring of 1944, for defeats in the Crimea and the Southern Bug and disagreement with Hitler’s strategy, he was dismissed. After the war, he was convicted of war crimes in Yugoslavia and the USSR.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 7. KARAKEEV - KOSHAKER. 1965.

Kleist, Ewald Paul Ludwig von (Ewald Paul Ludwig von Kleist; 1881-1954) - German military leader; Field Marshal General (1943). In 1909 he graduated from the Cavalry School in Hanover and in 1912 from the Military Academy (Berlin). Member of the First World War. After demobilization from the army, he remained to serve in the Reichswehr. From August 1939, he commanded the 22nd Army Corps with the rank of cavalry general, and in 1940, a tank group on the Western Front. In 1941 he fought in the Balkans and took part in the capture of Belgrade. During the invasion of the USSR, the commander of the 1st Tank Army, which then took part in the battles near Rostov and in the North Caucasus. Since November 21, 1942, commander of Army Group A. On March 31, 1943, after leaving Crimea and retreating to the Southern Bug, he was dismissed. On April 25, 1945, he was arrested by American troops and taken to London. Involved as a witness at the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. In September 1946, transferred to Yugoslavia, on August 4, 1948. Sentenced to 15 years of hard labor by the People's Court in Belgrade. In March 1949, it was transferred to the authorities of the USSR. On February 21, 1952, the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR sentenced him to 25 years in prison. Died in a prisoner of war camp in Vladimir in October 1954.

The Wehrmacht on the Soviet-German front. Investigative and judicial materials from archival criminal cases of German prisoners of war 1944-1952. (Compiled by V.S. Khristoforov, V.G. Makarov). M., 2011. (Name commentary). P. 750.

Kleist Ewald Paul Ludwig von (08.08. 1881, Braunfels am Lahn, Hesse - 15.10. 1954, Vladimir, USSR) military leader, field marshal general (31.01.1943). From a military family, the son of a Ph.D. Graduated from a military school. In March 1900 he joined the 3rd Foot Artillery Regiment as a fanenjunker, and in 1901 he was promoted to lieutenant. In 1909 he graduated from the Cavalry School in Hanover, in 1912 - from the Military Academy. Participant of the 1st World War on the Eastern and Western Fronts, squadron commander, General Staff officer. In 1919, after the demobilization of the army, he remained to serve in the Reichswehr. A staunch monarchist, he did not sympathize with the Nazis. From 1920 he served in the cavalry, from 1923 at the Hanover Cavalry School. From 1927 chief of staff of the 2nd Cavalry Division (Breslau), from 1928 - 3rd Infantry Division. Since 1931 commander of the 9th Infantry Regiment (Potsdam). 01.02. 1932 replaced General G. von Rundstedt as commander of the 2nd Cavalry Division. On 05/01/1935, Kleist's division was disbanded, and on the basis of its headquarters the command of the 8th Army Corps and the 8th Military District in Breslau was created. Kleist was appointed their commander. During the “purge” of the high military command, after the Blomberg-Fritsch affair, Kleist 04.02. 1938 dismissed. In August 1939 he returned to duty and was appointed commander of the 22nd Army Corps, which was a tank group. As part of the 14th Army of General W. List, he participated in the Polish Company; captured the oil-producing area near Lvov. He took part in the battles of the Somme, in Bordeaux and, having made a dash to the English Channel, completed the formation of the Dunker cauldron. Before the start of the war with the USSR, the Kleist group (3rd and 48th tank, 4th motorized corps) became part of Army Group South of Field Marshal G. von Runstedt. On July 5, he launched an attack on the “Stalin Line” on the old Soviet border, breaking through which he took Zhitomir on July 10. From 21.11. 1942 commander of Army Group A, which, in addition to the 1st Panzer, also included the 17th Army of General R. Ruoff. In January 1943, Soviet troops broke through the defenses of Kleist’s troops, but A. Hitler only at the very last moment allowed Kleist to retreat, and he managed to hold Kuban. In the territory controlled by Army Group A, Kleist pursued a deliberate policy to attract representatives of various peoples of the USSR to the side of the Wehrmacht. According to some sources, his troops consisted of more than 800 thousand people (Karachais, Kabardins, Ossetians, Ingush, Azerbaijanis, Kalmyks, Cossacks and others). He tried to treat the local population humanely, which is why Kleist soon had a conflict with the Reich Commissioner of Ukraine E. Koch and the Commissioner General for the Use of Labor F. Sauckel. He prohibited SS units from conducting operations in the territory under his control.

03.09. 1943 obtained permission from Hitler to evacuate Kuban, which saved more than 300 thousand people. After leaving the Crimea and retreating to the Southern Bug, Kleist was called to headquarters on March 31, awarded the Knight's Cross with oak branches and swords and dismissed, and in April Army Group A was renamed Army Group Southern Ukraine, and its commander F. Schörner appointed. After the assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20. 1944 was arrested by the Gestapo. Kleist was accused of knowing about the existence of the conspiracy and not reporting it. However, he was later released. 25.04. 1945 arrested by American troops and taken to London, brought as a witness to the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. In September 1946 he was transferred to Yugoslavia and in August 1948 he was sentenced by the Yugoslav People's Court to 15 years of hard labor. In March 1949 it was transferred to the USSR. He was held in the internal prison of the MGB, Butyrskaya and Lefortovo prisons, and then in the Vladimir prison. 02/21/1952 The Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment in camps. According to the official version, he died in the camp from mitral valve insufficiency.

, Rhine Province, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire

Carier start

Coming from an aristocratic Prussian family. He entered military service in March 1900, as a fanen-junker (officer candidate) in the 3rd artillery regiment. In August 1901 he was promoted to lieutenant. From 1904 - adjutant of the battalion. In 1910-13 (chief lieutenant) he studied at the military academy. From December 1911 to March 1914 he served in the 10th Hussars. Promoted to captain, appointed squadron commander of the 1st Hussars.

World War I

From August 1914 to October 1915 he commanded the reserve battalion of the 1st Hussars ("Black Hussars"). He took part in the Battle of Tannenberg. In October 1914 he was awarded the Iron Cross, 2nd class, and in January 1915, 1st class.

Since October 1915, in staff positions at the division and corps level. From August 1917 - head of the operational department of the headquarters of the Guards Cavalry Division, then in the same position in 1918 in the 225th Infantry Division, from September 1918 - beginning. oper. Headquarters Department of the 7th Army Corps. He was awarded three more German orders.

Between world wars

After the war, Captain Kleist continued to serve in the Reichswehr in staff and command positions. Since October 1929 - colonel. In 1931 - commander of the 9th Infantry Regiment, in 1932-1933 he commanded the 2nd Cavalry Division (Major General, from October 1933 - Lieutenant General). In 1933-1935, in staff and command positions in the 8th Military District (Breslau). In 1935-1938, commander of the 8th Military District and the 8th Army Corps. In August 1936 he received the rank of cavalry general.

War in Europe

At the head of the corps he took part in the invasion of Poland. Awarded with bars for the Iron Cross (re-award).

Eastern front

Uman and Kyiv

In mid-August 1941, Kleist's group occupied the crossing of the Dnieper near Dnepropetrovsk, posing a threat to Donbass. At the same time, units of the 17th Army crossed the Dnieper near Kremenchug. On September 10, Kleist took over the Kremechug bridgehead from the 17th Army. The next morning, the 1st Panzer, launching an offensive from a bridgehead, broke through the defenses of the Soviet 38th Army and launched an offensive to the north. This sudden breakthrough took the Soviet command by surprise. In the first 12 hours, Kleist's tanks covered 70 km, and near the city of Romny, 200 km east of Kyiv, they linked up with units of the 2nd Panzer Group under the command of Guderian. Thus, Kleist and Guderian carried out the largest encirclement in the entire history of wars: 5 Soviet armies ended up in the cauldron near Kiev. On September 26, the battle ended. More than 600 thousand soldiers and officers of the Red Army were captured.

Rostov-on-Don

After the capture of Kyiv, Kleist's group (from that moment on it became known as the 1st Tank Army) moved towards Rostov, the main goal of its campaign in 1941. Having forced Soviet units on the Dnieper to retreat to Zaporozhye, Kleist's army advanced east and then turned south, getting behind the Southern Front's 18th Army, which was threatening Manstein's 11th Army forces from the east. On October 5, Kleist’s units reached the Sea of ​​Azov near Berdyansk, thus encircling the main forces of the 18th Army, concentrated near c. Chernigovka. As a result of the battle, which ended on October 10, the 18th Army suffered heavy losses. About 100 thousand people were captured. The army commander, Lieutenant General A.K. Smirnov, died.

Kleist's army continued moving east along the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov: Taganrog was taken on October 17, and on October 28 the Germans reached the Mius River, the last water barrier before Rostov. The onset of the autumn thaw and the depletion of fuel reserves forced Kleist to delay his advance.

In an effort to speed up the advance in the Transcaucasus, on September 9, Hitler removed List and took command of Group A. However, without achieving success, on November 21 he transferred command to Kleist. At the same time, command of the 1st Panzer passed to General Mackensen. Thus, under the command of Kleist were the 1st Panzer Army and the 17th Army.

Kuban line

At the end of November 1942, Soviet troops completed the encirclement of the 6th Army at Stalingrad, which put Kleist's group in a difficult situation. The main forces of Group A were located in the foothills of the North Caucasus. Thus, the Red Army units located in the Stalingrad area found themselves much closer to Rostov-on-Don, through which the group's only connection with the rest of the Eastern Front passed. It was necessary to quickly leave the Caucasus, but Hitler did not give the order to retreat until December 27.

To imagine the complexity of the task, you need to remember that at the moment the retreat began, the advanced units of the 1st Tank Army were on the Terek, 600 km from Rostov.