Erhard Milch

Erhard Milch (March 30th 1892, January 25th 1972), was a German general of aviation, feldmaréchal. It supervised the development of the Luftwaffe and thus played a big role in the rearmament of Germany after the First World War.

First World War

Milch was born with Wilhelmshaven in Germany. His/her mother was German and, on the origin of his father, there were rumors according to which it would have been Juif. The Erhard young person serves in the German army during the First World War, at the beginning as an artillery officer. He is transferred then in a body air and trained like air observer. Towards the end of the war, it reaches the post of commander of flotilla. In 1920, it leaves the army to make benefit the private sector from its aeronautical experiment.

Private career

The career of Milch, before the advent of the Third Reich, is the reflection of the aircraft industry incipient in full upheaval. It creates a small air line with Gdansk with Gotthard, a buddy of flotilla, under the banner Lloyd Luftdienst, integrated into the regional association of the German airline companies Norddeutscher Lloyd. The air line names Lloyd Ostflug and connects Gdansk to the Baltic States. In 1923, he becomes the director of the company Danziger Luftpost which is the result of the fusion of Lloyd Luftdienst with its competitor Aero Union, the new business bears the name of Deutscher Aero Lloyd. Starting from this date, Milch and Sachsenberg leave for the competitor Junkers Luftverkehr, where Sachsenberg has just been appointed director. Sachsenberg occupies this position until in 1925 only, it is replaced by Milch. It is at this station that Milch supervises the fusion of Luftverkehr Junkers with Deutscher Aero Lloyd in 1926, it becomes thus the first director of the Lufthansa.

In 1933, Milch is named at the post of Secretary of State of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (ministry for aviation) lately created, under the direct responsibility of Hermann Göring. For this reason, it contributes to set up the Luftwaffe, at the origin in load of the production of the weaponry, even if it is Ernst Udet which takes the majority of the decisions concerning the aeronautical military contracts. It makes use quickly of this position to regulate own accounts with other personalities of the aircraft industry, in particular Hugo Junkers and Willy Messerschmitt. Its disagreement with Messerschmitt is one of the reasons for which Willy Messerschmitt manages to personally acquire the company Bayerische Flugzeugwerke only in 1938, this is why the Bf prefix is used to indicate the Messerschmitt planes before the acquisition of the company by Messerschmitt.

In 1935, the ethnic origin of Milch makes surface whereas the rumors say that his/her father, Anton Milch, were Juif. The Gestapo opens an investigation quickly choked by Göring, which produces a declaration under oath, signed by the mother of Milch, informant that Anton is not truly the father of Erhard and its children, and that the name of the true father is Karl Brauer, his/her uncle. These events bring the publication of a certificate of authenticity of German blood. It is at that time that one allots to Göring celebrates it sentence " I decide who am and who am not Juif".

Second world war

Whereas the Second world war bursts, Milch, which is now a general, orders a wing of the Luftwaffe during the Campagne of Norway. After the defeat of France, Milch is promoted with the row of Feld-maréchal and one gives him the title of inspector as a chief of aviation. At that time, Milch is in load of the production of planes, and its errors contribute to the loss of the German air superiority as the war progresses. The manufacturers, such as Messerschmitt, are unable to concentrate their efforts on the production of planes, because of the changes of design and frequent requirements. Germany produces only 5,000 planes in 1942, whereas the Russians increase their production with more than 40,000, making rock the superiority on the face of the east. Curiously, in 1944, whereas the Allies bombard and shave the German factories and cities, the German production reaches the level of Soviet, that is to say 40,000 planes, but too late. In 1944, Milch lines up at the sides of Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler in order to convince Hitler to withdraw with Göring the command of Luftwaffe following the failure of the Invasion of the Soviet Union. Hitler refuses and Göring is avenged by obliging Milch to leave its station. Milch works then for Albert Speer until the end of the war.

Period of post-war period

Milch tries to flee Germany after the suicide of Hitler but it is captured by the troops allied on the coast of the Baltic the May 4th 1945. He is judged for War crime with Nuremberg and, recognized guilty, he is condemned to perpetuity. He purges his sentence with the prison of Landsberg. He is all the same released in June 1954 and passes the remainder of his life to Düsseldorf, where he dies in 1972.

In 1973, David Irving publishes a biography very sympathizing on Milch, The Rise and Fall off the Luftwaffe: The Life off Field Marshall Erhard Milch .

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