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{{Infobox military person
__NOTOC__{{Infobox military person
| name = Joachim Witthöft
| name = Joachim Witthöft
| birth_date = {{birth date|1887|9|23|df=y}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1887|9|23|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1966|7|7|1887|9|23|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1966|7|7|1887|9|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Kwidzyn|Marienwerder]]
| birth_place = [[Kwidzyn|Marienwerder]], [[German Empire]]
| death_place = [[Dalheim, Rhineland-Palatinate|Dalheim-Rödgen]]
| death_place = [[Dalheim, Rhineland-Palatinate|Dalheim-Rödgen]], [[West Germany]]
| image =
| image =
| caption =
| caption =
| nickname =
| nickname =
| allegiance = {{flagicon|German Empire}} [[German Empire]] (to 1918)<br>{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Weimar Republic]] (to 1933)<br>{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
| allegiance = <!----{{flag|German Empire}} (to 1918)<br/>{{flag|Weimar Republic}} (to 1933)<br/> --->{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
| branch = [[German Army (1935-1945)|Heer]]
| branch = [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|Army (Wehrmacht)]]
| serviceyears = 1906&ndash;1945
| serviceyears = 1906–45
| rank = [[General of the Infantry (Germany)|General der Infanterie]]
| rank = [[General of the Infantry (Germany)|General of the Infantry]]
| commands = 86. Infanterie-Division<br>[[XXVII Army Corps (Germany)|XXVII. Armeekorps]]
| commands = [[XXVII Army Corps (Wehrmacht)|XXVII Army Corps]]<br>[[Army Group South Rear Area]] (Army Group B)
| unit =
| unit =
| battles = [[World War I]]<br>[[World War II]]
| battles = <!---[[World War I]]
---- --->
[[World War II]]
*[[Battle of France]]
<!----*[[Battle of France]]
*[[Operation Barbarossa]]
*[[Operation Barbarossa]]
*[[Battle of Smolensk (1941)]]
*[[Battle of Smolensk (1941)]]
*[[Battle of Moscow]]
*[[Battle of Moscow]]
*[[Battles of Rzhev]]
*[[Battles of Rzhev]] --->| awards = [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]
⚫
| laterwork =
⚫
| awards = [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]
⚫
| laterwork =
}}
}}
'''Joachim Witthöft''' (23 September 1887 &ndash; 7 July 1966) was a highly decorated [[General of the Infantry (Germany)|General der Infanterie]] in the [[Wehrmacht]] during [[World War II]]. He was also a recipient of the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Joachim Witthöft was captured by British troops in May 1945 and was held for several months.
'''Joachim Witthöft''' (23 September 1887 – 7 July 1966) was a German general during [[World War II]]. He was a recipient of the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]. Witthöft commanded [[Army Group South Rear Area]] (as Army Group B) during the 1942 Wehrmacht's campaign.{{sfn|Pohl|2008|p=100}}

Like other [[Army Group Rear Area]]s, the territories under Witthöft's control were the sites of mass murder during the [[Holocaust]] and other [[crimes against humanity]] targeting the civilian population. Rear Area commanders operated in parallel, and in cooperation, with the [[Higher SS and Police Leader]]s appointed by the head of the [[SS]], [[Heinrich Himmler]], for each of the army group's rear areas.{{sfn|Megargee|2007|p=36}} In the words of historian Michael Parrish, these army commanders "presided over an empire of terror and brutality".{{sfn|Parrish|1996|p=127}}


==Awards and decorations==
==Awards and decorations==
* [[Iron Cross]] (1914)
<!---- * [[Iron Cross]] (1914) 1st Class--->
⚫
* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] on 14 December 1941 as ''[[Generalleutnant]]'' and commander of the 86th Infantry Division<ref>Fellgiebel 2000, p. 364.</ref>
** 2nd Class
** 1st Class
* [[Cross of Honor]]
* [[Iron Cross]] (1939)
** 2nd Class
** 1st Class
* [[Eastern Front Medal]]
⚫
* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] on 14 December 1941 as ''[[Generalleutnant]]'' and commander of 86. Infanterie-Division<ref>Fellgiebel 2000, p. 364.</ref>


==References==
==References==

;Citations
===Citations===
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist|25em}}
⚫
;Bibliography

⚫
===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). ''Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945''. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
|last=Fellgiebel
* Scherzer, Veit (2007). ''Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives'' (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
|first=Walther-Peer
|author-link=Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
|year=2000
|orig-year=1986
|title=Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945
⚫
|trans-title=The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945
|language=de
|location=Friedberg, Germany
|publisher=Podzun-Pallas
|isbn=978-3-7909-0284-6
}}
*{{cite book|last=Megargee|first=Geoffrey P.|author-link=Geoffrey Megargee|title=War of Annihilation: Combat and Genocide on the Eastern Front, 1941|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2007|isbn=978-0-7425-4482-6}}
*{{cite book|first=Michael|last=Parrish|title=The Lesser Terror: Soviet State Security, 1939–1953|url=http://www.abc-clio.com/ABC-CLIOCorporate/product.aspx?pc=D2153C|publisher=Praeger Press|year=1996|isbn=978-0-275-95113-9}}
* {{cite book|first=Dieter|last=Pohl|title=Die Herrschaft der Wehrmacht: Deutsche Militärbesatzung und einheimische Bevölkerung in der Sowjetunion 1941–1944|publisher=Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag|year=2008|isbn=978-3486580655}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[http://www.ww2awards.com/person/43264 World War 2 Awards.com]
*[http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/enwiki/w/WitthoeftJoachim.htm Lexikon der Wehrmacht]


{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}
Line 53: Line 61:
{{succession box
{{succession box
| before = None
| before = None
| after = General der Artillerie [[Helmuth Weidling]]
| after = General [[Helmuth Weidling]]
| title = Commander of [[86th Infantry Division (Germany)|86. Infanterie-Division]]
| title = Commander of [[86th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|86th Infantry Division]]
| years = 26 August 1939 – 1 January 1942
| years = 26 August 1939 – 1 January 1942
}}
}}
{{succession box
{{succession box
| before = Generalleutnant [[Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz]]
| before = General [[Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz]]
| after = Generaloberst [[Walter Weiß]]
| after = Generaloberst [[Walter Weiß]]
| title = Commander of [[XXVII Army Corps (Germany)|XXVII. Armeekorps]]
| title = Commander of [[XXVII Army Corps (Wehrmacht)|XXVII Army Corps]]
| years = 3 January 1942 – 1 July 1942
| years = 3 January 1942 – 1 July 1942
}}
{{succession box
| before =
| after =
| title = Commander of [[Army Group South Rear Area]] (Army Group B)
| years = 21 July 1942 – 10 January 1943
}}
}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}
{{Army Group Rear Area (Wehrmacht)}}

{{Subject bar
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
| portal1=Biography
| NAME = Witthoeft, Joachim
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = German General and Knight's Cross recipient
| DATE OF BIRTH = 23 September 1887
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Kwidzyn|Marienwerder]], [[Pomerania]]
| DATE OF DEATH = 7 July 1966
| PLACE OF DEATH = [[Dalheim, Rhineland-Palatinate|Dalheim-Rödgen]], [[Germany]]
}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Witthoeft, Joachim}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Witthoeft, Joachim}}
[[Category:1887 births]]
[[Category:1887 births]]
[[Category:1966 deaths]]
[[Category:1966 deaths]]
[[Category:Wehrmacht generals]]
[[Category:Generals of Infantry (Wehrmacht)]]
[[Category:Prussian Army personnel]]
[[Category:Prussian Army personnel]]
[[Category:German military personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:German Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Cross of Honor]]
[[Category:Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Iron Cross]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross]]
[[Category:German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United Kingdom]]
⚫
[[Category:German prisoners of war]]
[[Category:World War II prisoners of war held by the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:People from Kwidzyn]]
[[Category:People from Kwidzyn]]
[[Category:People from West Prussia]]
[[Category:Military personnel from West Prussia]]
⚫
[[Category:German police officers]]
[[Category:Nazi war criminals]]
[[Category:German Army generals of World War II]]

Latest revision as of 23:06, 12 February 2024

Joachim Witthöft
Born(1887-09-23)23 September 1887
Marienwerder, German Empire
Died7 July 1966(1966-07-07) (aged 78)
Dalheim-Rödgen, West Germany
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service / branchArmy (Wehrmacht)
Years of service1906–45
RankGeneral of the Infantry
CommandsXXVII Army Corps
Army Group South Rear Area (Army Group B)
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Joachim Witthöft (23 September 1887 – 7 July 1966) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Witthöft commanded Army Group South Rear Area (as Army Group B) during the 1942 Wehrmacht's campaign.[1]

Like other Army Group Rear Areas, the territories under Witthöft's control were the sites of mass murder during the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity targeting the civilian population. Rear Area commanders operated in parallel, and in cooperation, with the Higher SS and Police Leaders appointed by the head of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, for each of the army group's rear areas.[2] In the words of historian Michael Parrish, these army commanders "presided over an empire of terror and brutality".[3]

Awards and decorations

[edit]

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ Pohl 2008, p. 100.
  2. ^ Megargee 2007, p. 36.
  3. ^ Parrish 1996, p. 127.
  4. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 364.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Megargee, Geoffrey P. (2007). War of Annihilation: Combat and Genocide on the Eastern Front, 1941. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7425-4482-6.
  • Parrish, Michael (1996). The Lesser Terror: Soviet State Security, 1939–1953. Praeger Press. ISBN 978-0-275-95113-9.
  • Pohl, Dieter (2008). Die Herrschaft der Wehrmacht: Deutsche Militärbesatzung und einheimische Bevölkerung in der Sowjetunion 1941–1944. Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag. ISBN 978-3486580655.
Military offices
Preceded by
None
 Commander of 86th Infantry Division
26 August 1939 – 1 January 1942 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander of XXVII Army Corps
3 January 1942 – 1 July 1942 		Succeeded by
Generaloberst Walter Weiß
Preceded by
 Commander of Army Group South Rear Area (Army Group B)
21 July 1942 – 10 January 1943 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Joachim_Witthöft&oldid=1206717608"