Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Reichenau

Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Reichenau
Name	Walther von Reichenau
Birth date	8 October 1884
Birth place	Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden
Death date	17 January 1942
Death place	Pola, Kingdom of Italy
Rank	Generalfeldmarschall
Battles	* World War I * Invasion of Poland * Battle of France * Operation Barbarossa
Awards	* Pour le Mérite * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Reichenau

Walther von Reichenau was a German Generalfeldmarschall of the Wehrmacht noted for his commands during the Invasion of Poland, the Battle of France and Operation Barbarossa, and for his role in implementing Nazi anti-Jewish policies in the Army Group South area. A career Prussian Army officer who served in World War I and in the Reichswehr, he rose under the Nazi Party era to senior command but remains controversial for involvement in war crimes and ideological alignment with National Socialism. Reichenau's death in 1942 removed a senior figure from the German high command during the critical winter of World War II.

Early life and military career

Born in Karlsruhe in the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1884, Reichenau entered the Prussian Army as a cadet and attended the Prussian Military Academy before commissioning into an infantry regiment. He served alongside officers from the Imperial German Army, advanced through staff assignments influenced by the General Staff (German Empire), and developed connections with figures such as Hermann von Hanneken and contemporaries from the German General Staff. His early career involved postings in the XV Corps area and participation in pre‑war maneuvers that reflected doctrines derived from the Schlieffen Plan era.

World War I and interwar period

During World War I, Reichenau served on the Western Front and the Eastern Front, participating in battles linked to the Battle of Verdun and operations against the Russian Empire; he earned recognition including the Pour le Mérite and staff appointments. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918 he remained in the reduced Reichswehr and was involved in the suppression of Spartacist uprising‑era disturbances and the stabilization efforts of the Weimar Republic. In the 1920s and 1930s Reichenau held key positions in the Ministry of the Reichswehr and on the Truppenamt, engaging with figures like Werner von Blomberg, Werner von Fritsch, and interacting with evolving doctrines influenced by suppliers such as Krupp and tactics studied from the Spanish Civil War.

Rise under the Nazi regime and role in rearmament

With the accession of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to power, Reichenau's career advanced amid the German rearmament program; he participated in expansion plans tied to the Four Year Plan and coordination with the OKH and OKW. As commander of military districts and later field formations, he worked alongside senior leaders including Albert Kesselring, Gerd von Rundstedt, and Erwin Rommel in preparations for the Blitzkrieg campaigns. Reichenau supported policies of ideological conformity promoted by the NSDAP and engaged with institutions such as the Waffenamt during mobilization and training reforms.

World War II commands and campaigns

In 1939 Reichenau commanded the 10th Army Corps during the Invasion of Poland and later led the 6th Army in the Battle of France, coordinating operations with Panzergruppe Kleist and commanders like Heinz Guderian. Promoted to Generaloberst and then to Generalfeldmarschall, he took command of the 6th Army and later of the Army Group South sector during Operation Barbarossa, conducting major operations around Ukraine, Kiev, and the Crimean Peninsula. His command interacted operationally with the SS formations, units of the Wehrmacht and allied contingents from countries such as Hungary and Romania during campaigns that included sieges, encirclements, and large‑scale battles such as the Battle of Kiev (1941).

War crimes and involvement in anti-Jewish policies

Reichenau is documented as endorsing and facilitating anti‑Jewish measures in occupied territories, issuing orders that aligned the Wehrmacht with directives from the Reichssicherheitshauptamt and the SS leadership. His "Severity Order" and related directives advocated harsh treatment of populations in areas administered by the 6th Army and referenced policies consistent with actions by the Einsatzgruppen and units of the Waffen-SS; these measures contributed to mass shootings, deportations, and collaboration with the Gestapo and local auxiliaries in Ukraine and Belarus. Historians link his command decisions with the wider Final Solution apparatus and note coordination with authorities such as Heinrich Himmler, Reinhard Heydrich, and regional commanders involved in anti‑partisan operations that targeted civilians and Jewish communities.

Illness, death, and legacy

In late 1941 Reichenau fell ill with a stroke and related complications, receiving medical attention in Berlin and later dying in Pola in January 1942; his death removed a senior conservative yet politically committed commander from the Wehrmacht leadership during the Battle of Moscow period. Posthumously his reputation was contested amid debates among historians including Richard J. Evans, Omer Bartov, and Ian Kershaw about the complicity of the German officer corps in Nazi crimes and the degree of ideological commitment among senior commanders like Reichenau. Contemporary scholarship situates him within studies of Wehrmacht war crimes, the relationship between the German Army and the SS, and the broader historiography of World War II accountability and memory.

Category:1884 births Category:1942 deaths Category:German Army (Wehrmacht) generals