CV)q~ju THE UiN KON GENERALS -- GERMAN CORPS COMMANDERS IN WOILD WAR II

0

Athesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. ArmyCommand and General Staff College in partial D T ICfulfillment of the requirements for the

degree" SEP 0 6 1W8

MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE ,

D

by

FRENCH L. hACLEAN, MiAJ, USAB.S.,United States Military Academy, 1974

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas1988

*Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

-.ks.! Pk -3237 -

* 88 92 n_, **,v

Unclassified u, 2.. /SECUR&TY CLASSIFICATION OF TIS PAGE / / ( d ' . . -

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6a. NAME OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION 6b. OFFICE SYMBOL 7a. NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZATIONtfA anG e (If applicable)StfUS"AyclgCOmmand and General ATLSDG.

S ge ATZL-SWD-GD&A RESktLYjae.didi ZIP code) 7b. ADDRESS (City State, and ZIP Code)

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 66027-6900

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-F 11 TITLE (Include Security Classification)

THE UNKNOWN GENERALS -- GERMAN CORPS COMMANDERS IN WORLD WAR II

1 PfRSO L AUTHOR(S1n Major rencnHL. MacLean

13a. TYPE OF REPORT 13b. TIME COVER D 114. DATE OF REPORT (Year, Morth, Day) 1S. PAGE COUNTMaster's Thesis FROM 8-1987 TO 6-19881 1988 June 3 , 169

16 SUPPLEMENTARY NOTATION

17. COSATI CODES 18. SUBJECT TERMS (Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number)FIELD GROUP SUB-GROUP World War II Generals, Corps Commanders, Leadership

Characteristics

'9 ABSTRACT Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number)

THE UNKNOWN GENERALS - GERMAN CORPS COMMANDERS IN WORLD WAR II: ALeadership Analysis of German Army Corps Comnanders by Major FrenchL. MacLean, USA, 169 pages.

(See reverse side)

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DD FORM 1473. 84 MAR 83 APR edition may be used until exhausted. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGEAll oth r editions are obsolete.

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UnclassifiedS ,CURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAOE

19. ABSTRACT "(Continued)

This study is an historical analysi.s of the background anddemonstrated leadership attributes of 332 World War II German corpscommanders on the Eastern, Italian, and Western Fronts. Overallcharacteristics are determined based on each officer's experienceand performance based on available historical records. These recordsfocus on age, nobility, background, education, branch, previouscommand and staff positions, membership in the General Staff,demonstrated military achievement, promotion, and subsequent highercommand.

Among the many conclusions which could be drawn from thisinvestigation are: most successful corps commanders possessed anexcellent educational background, performed well in previoussignificant comnnand and staff positions, and demonstrated thecapability for independent action; and, political factors played aminor role in the selection of officers for corps conmand.

The study concludes that the Eastern, Western, and Italian Fronts

all had competent German corps commanders conducting operations; noFront had a preponderence of successful commander's to the detrimentof the other two.

...

5.

Unclassified

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE

THE Ui%INC4N GENEaLS -- GERNAN CORPS COMMANDERS IN WORLD WAR II

A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. ArmyComumand and General Staff College in partial

fulfillment of the requirements for thedegree

MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE

by

FRENCH L. !"LCLEA, MAJ, USAB.S.,United States Military Academy, 1974 -g>--,----

TNt

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas1988 'I

A Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

88- 3237

0 PRs

MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE

THESIS APPROVAL PAGE

Name of candidate - French L. MacLean

Title of Thesis - The Unknown Generals -- German CorpsCommanders in World War II

Approved by:

Thesis Coummittee ChairmanYohn A. Reichley, M.B.A. M.J.

~~eAtM.PMember, Graduate Facultyr ] u ne W..THein M.P .A

-r Graduate FacultyDr:. Robert F. Baum r, Ph.D.

Accepted this 3rd day of June 1988 by:

Ph.D.4- Director, Graduate Degree ProgramsPhilip'J. Brookes, Ph.D.

The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of thestudent author and do not necessarily represent the views of theU.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any othergovernmental agency. (References to this study should include theforegoing statement.)

li

ABSTRACT

THE UNKNOWN GENERALS - GERMAN CORPS COMMANDERS IN WORLD WAR II: ALeadership Analysis of German Army Corps Commanders by Major FrenchL. MacLean, USA, 169 pages.

This study is an historical analysis of the background anddemonstrated leadership attributes of 332 World War II German corpscommanders on the Eastern, Italian, and Western Fronts. Overallcharacteristics are determined based on each officer's experienceand performance based on available historical records. These recordsfocus on age, nobility, background, education, branch, previouscommand and staff positions, membership in the General Staff,demonstrated military achievement, promotion, and subsequent highercommnand.

Among the many conclusions which could be drawn from thisinvestigation are: most successful corps commanders possessed anexcellent educational background, performed well in previoussignificant command and staff positions, and demonstrated thecapability for independent action; and, political factors played aminor role in the selection of officers for corps command. '

-The study concludes that the Eastern, Western, and Italian Frontsall had competent German corps commanders conducting operations; noFront had a preponderence of successful commander's to the detrimentof the other two. ( ) ..

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Page

Chapter 1 - Defining the Problem 1

Chapter 2 - Review of Literature 10

Chapter 3 - The German Corps System 26

* Chapter 4 - Background, Education, and

Experience 38

Chapter 5 - Performance, Promotion, and

Potential 73

Chapter 6 - Overall Characteristics 103

Appendix A - Abbreviations 118

Appendix B - List of Commanders 123

Bibliography 164

iv

0

LIST OF TABLES

' Table Title Page

Table 1 Army Strength 3

Table 2 Corps Headquarters Strength 26

Table 3 Parent Army Headquarters 29

Table 4 Corps Assigned to Army Headquarters 30

Table 5 Divisions Assigned to Corps 32

Table 6 General Officer Grades 38

Table 7' Age of Cxmnanders 40

Table 8 Newly Promoted Majors 43

Table 9 Newly Promoted Lieutenant-Colonels 44

Table 10 Newly Promoted Colonels 44

Table 11 Commanders of Noble Descent 46

Table 12 Commander's Background 47

." Table 13 Corps Commanders with

Police Backgrounds 49

Table 14 Panzer Corps Commanders

with Police Backgrounds 51.

Table 15 Austrian Army and Army

Group Cotmanders 52

Table 16 Newly Promtoted Generalmajor 53

Table 17 Newly Promoted Generalleutnant 54

Table 18 Newly Promoted General der

Infanterie, etc. 54

. Table 19 Branch Affiliation 56

V

- .* , . - - b.. " d" W - i - %, . . .. .. .. , .

Table 20 Commanders from the General Staff 58

Table 21 Prior Division Coniand Experience 61

Table 22 Corps Commanders Coming

out of Retirement 67

Table 23 Corps Commanders from the Police 68

Table 24 Panzer Corps Commanders

from Panzer Divisions 70

Table 25 Army Recipients of the

Knight's Cross 77

Table 26 Highest Decor"tions Received

by the Corps Commanders 78

Table 27 Knight's Cross with Oakleaves

and Swords for Corps Command 79

Table 28 General Officers in Service 83

Table 29 Corps Commanders Promoted

to Generalfeldmarschall 84

Table 30 German Dead 1939-1944 89

Table 31 General Officer Fatalities by Grade 89

Table 32 General Officer Fatalities by Cause 90

Table 33 Corps Commander Fatalities 90

Table 34 National Comittee for a

Free Germany 93

Table 35 Generaloberst 99

Table 36 General leutnant 100

Table 37 Army Group Commanders 100

Table 38 Corps Coaander Baseline

Characteristics 106

Table 39 Corps Commanders by Front Comparison 108

Vi.

MO0

CHAPTR 1

DEFINING THE PROBLM

INTRODUCTON

The purpose of this study is to examine the background and

proficiency of German corps commanders in World War II. It is

evident that these men, the links between operational and tactical

levels, were key components in the resulting succe