Branch: Kaiserliche Heer / Reichswehr Heer / Wehrmacht
Heer
Born: 30 October 1882 in Posen, Province of Posen,
German Empire.
Died: 19 August 1944 in Metz, France.
Ranks:
Generalfeldmarschall 19 July
1940
Generaloberst 1 October 1939
General der Artillerie 1 August
1936
Generalleutnant 1 April 1934
Generalmajor 1 February 1933
Oberst 1 February 1930
Oberstleutnant 1 July 1927
Major 1 April 1923
Hauptmann 2 August 1914
Oberleutnant 16 June 1910
Leutnant 22 March 1901
Fähnrich
Decorations:
Iron Cross 1914
2nd Class
1st Class
House Order of Hohenzollern Knight's Cross with Swords
Bavarian Military Merit Order 4th class with Swords
Mecklenburg-Schwerin Military Merit Cross 2nd class
Verdienstmedaille für Rettung aus Gefahr
Order of the Iron Crown 3rd class with War Decoration
Austrian Military Merit Cross 3rd class with War Decoration
Wound Badge 1918 in Black
Cross of Honor
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13 March 1938
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1 October 1938
Clasp to the Iron Cross 1939
2nd class 5 September 1939
1st class 17 September 1939
Eastern Front Medal
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Knight's Cross 30 September 1939
Oak Leaves 18 January 1943
Swords 29 October 1943
Commands:
Other: Personnel
Articles:
Günther Adolf Ferdinand von Kluge was born on 30 October
1882 and became was a German military leader. Günther
von Kluge was born in Posen into a Prussian military family.
Günther von Kluge rose to the rank of Field Marshal in
the Wehrmacht. During the First World War, Günther von
Kluge was a staff officer and in 1916 was at the Battle of
Verdun. By 1936 Günther von Kluge was a lieutenant-general,
and in 1937 took command of the 6th Army Group.
Günther von Kluge was in command of the 6th Army Group,
which later became the German 4th Army, Günther von Kluge
led the 6th Army Group into battle in Poland in 1939. Although
Günther von Kluge opposed the initial German plan to
attack westwards into France, Günther von Kluge led the
4th Army in its attack through the Ardennes that attributed
to the fall of France. Günther von Kluge was promoted
to field marshal in July 1940.
On 29 June 1941, Field Marshal Günther von Kluge ordered,
Women in uniform are to be shot.
In July 1941, Günther von Kluge commanded the 4th Army
in Operation Barbarossa, where Günther von Kluge developed
a awkward relationship with
Heinz
Guderian over tactical matters in the advance, accusing
Heinz
Guderian of frequent non-compliance of his orders.
Later on Fedor von Bock was relieved of his command of Heeresgruppe
Mitte (Army Group Centre) in late 1941, Günther von Kluge
was promoted and led that Heeresgruppe until Günther
von Kluge was wounded in October 1943. Günther von Kluge
often flew in an aeroplane to inspect the divisions under
his command and occasionally alleviated his boredom on the
flights by hunting foxes from the air a definitely untraditional
way. On 30 October 1942, Günther von Kluge was the beneficiary
of an large bribe from
Adolf
Hitler who posted a letter of good wishes together with
a huge cheque made out to him from the German Department of
the Treasury and a promise that any improvements to his estate
could be billed out to the German Department of the Treasury.
Günther von Kluge accepted the money, but after experienced
severe criticism from his Chief of Staff, Henning von Tresckow
who reproached him for his corruption, agreed to meet Carl
Friedrich Goerdeler in November 1942. Günther von Kluge
assured Goerdeler that he would apprehend
Adolf
Hitler the next time he came to the Eastern Front, but
then receiving another present from
Adolf
Hitler, changed his mind and resolved to stay loyal.
Adolf
Hitler, who appears to have discovered that Günther
von Kluge was disgruntled with his leadership considered his
presents as entitling him to Günther von Kluge's total
allegiance. On 27 October 1943, Günther von Kluge was
seriously hurt when his car turned over on the Minsk Smolensk
road. Günther von Kluge was incapable to return to duty
until July 1944. After his convalescence Günther von
Kluge became commandant of the German forces in the West (Oberbefehlshaber
West) as
Gerd
von Rundstedt's successor.
Between June and July 1944, whilst the invasion of Normandy
was taking place by Allied forces, Rommel commanded Heeresgruppe
B (Army Group B) under Field Marshal
Gerd
von Rundstedt. Rommel was charged with planning and preparing
German counter strikes designed to drive the Allied forces
back to the beaches. On 2 July, Günther von Kluge supplanted
Gerd
von Rundstedt, since
Gerd
von Rundstedt was recommending negotiation with the Allies
forces. Two weeks later, Rommel was injured and Günther
von Kluge took over as commandant of Heeresgruppe B (Army
Group B) as well.
Günther von Kluge found that German forces proceeding
towards Normandy were perpetually set upon by Allied fighters
and bombers. The climax came with the encirclement of Günther
von Kluge's forces around the town of Falaise by combined
United States, Canadian, British and Polish armies. The oppositions
air superiority is alarming and suffocates almost every one
of our movements, phoned Field Marshal Günther von Kluge
to General Warlimont,
Adolf
Hitler personal representative in the West. All movement
of the enemy is prepared and protected by its air force. Losses
in men and equipment are phenomenal. Günther von Kluge
was not invulnerable to personal danger. USAAF Group Commander
Col. Howard F. Nichols and a squadron of his 370th Fighter
Group's P-38 Lightnings devastated Günther von Kluge's
military headquarters, the Colonel skipped a bomb right through
the front entrance of his military headquarters. The explosion
killed numerous men, though Günther von Kluge wasn't
present at the time.
In August, after the failed coup attempt by Claus von Stauffenberg,
Günther von Kluge was recalled to the German capital
Berlin and replaced by
Walther
Model.
A leading figure of the German military resistance, Henning
von Tresckow, served as his Chief of Staff of Heeresgruppe
Mitte (Army Group Centre). Günther von Kluge was moderately
involved in the military resistance. Günther von Kluge
knew about Tresckow's plan to shoot
Adolf
Hitler during a visit to Heeresgruppe Mitte (Army Group
Centre), having been advised by his former subordinate, Georg
von Boeselager, who was now serving under Tresckow. At the
last minute, Günther von Kluge aborted Tresckow's plan.
Boeselager later hypothesised that because Heinrich Himmler
had decided not to accompany
Adolf
Hitler, Günther von Kluge feared that without eliminating
Heinrich Himmler too, it could lead to a civil war between
the Waffen SS and the Wehrmacht.
Whilst Claus von Stauffenberg set about to assassinate
Adolf
Hitler on 20 July, Günther von Kluge was West Supreme
Field Commander West (Oberbefehlshaber) with his military
headquarters in La Roche-Guyon. The commandant of the occupation
troops of France, General Karl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel,
and his colleague Colonel Cäsar von Hofacker a cousin
of Claus von Stauffenberg came to visit Günther von Kluge.
Karl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel had just ordered the arrest
of the Schutzstaffel units in Paris. Günther von Kluge
had already ascertained that
Adolf
Hitler had survived the assassination attempt and declined
to provide any support. Ja wenn das Schwein tot wäre!
(Well if the pig were dead!) he said. On 17 August Günther
von Kluge was supplanted by
Walther
Model and called back to Berlin for a meeting with
Adolf
Hitler after the takeover failed, believing that
Adolf
Hitler would punish him as a conspirator, Günther
von Kluge committed suicide by taking cyanide near Metz that
same day. Günther von Kluge left Adolf Hitler a letter
in which Günther von Kluge advised
Adolf
Hitler to make peace and put an end to a hopeless struggle
when necessary.
Adolf
Hitler reportedly handed the letter to Alfred Jodl and
remarked that There are substantial reasons to suspect that
hadn't hadn't Günther von Kluge committed suicide he
would have been apprehended in any case.
Günther von Kluge's nickname among the troops and his
fellow officers was der kluge Hans (Clever Hans). Hans was
not part of his given name, but a nickname acquired early
in his career in admiration of his cleverness (klug is German
for clever). It's a reference to Clever Hans, a horse which
became famous for its apparent ability to do arithmetic.
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