Hasso von Manteuffel

Hasso-Eccard Freiherr von Manteuffel (born the January 14th 1897, dead the September 24th 1978) was a general and politicking German. During the Second world war, it directed armor-plated troops and accepted the Croix of knight with sheets of oak, swords and brilliant. He was then elected with the German Parliament and spokesperson for the left liberal-democrat. As a partisan of rearmament, it was at the origin of the new name of the German army: the Bundeswehr .

Beginning of military career

Von Manteuffel was born with Potsdam in an aristocrat family and Prussian. In 1908, it arrives in a military academy as a junior. It joined the German imperial army the February 22nd 1916 as an officer in a regiment hussard. In April 1916, at the time of the First World War, it was integrated within the 5th squadron of the 3rd regiment hussard of the 6th division of Prussia infantry stationed on the western face. It was wounded on October 12th, 1916 at the time of the engagements in France. After its convalescence, it turned over to the active service in February 1917 and was posted with the major general staff.

With the arrival of the German Revolution of the end 1918, it was assigned at a station of monitoring of the bridge on the the Rhine with Cologne, thus allowing a retirement without problems of the German army from France and Belgium. After the dissolution of the imperial army, it integrated the Freikorps in January 1919. The Weimar Republic was proclaimed and it joined in May 1919 the news Reichswehr in the 25e regiment of cavalry to Rathenow.

He married the June 23rd 1921 Armgard von Kleist, the niece of Ewald von Kleist, which gave him two children. At the beginning of the Years 1920, von Manteuffel was with the head of a group of the 3rd regiment assembled Prussia, becoming later first lieutenant in the regiment. The 1930, it became ordering technical group.

From 1932 to 1945

October 1st 1932, it is transferred to the 17th Bavarian assembled regiment with Bamberg where it ordered a squadron. Two years later, on October 1st 1934, it is transferred again, this time in the regiment assembled Erfurt . The October 15th 1935, it is named ordering 2nd battalion of fusilier-motorcylcists, a unit of the 2nd division of panzers of Heinz Guderian. Between 1936 and 1937, it was useful as a major in the staff of division and as officer instructor. The February 25th 1937, it became consulting near the command of the troops of panzers to the '' Oberkommando of Heeres ''. Few before the Second world war, the 1939, it was named professor at school II troops panzers with Berlin - Krampnitz where it remained until in 1941. It is because of this work that it missed the first German campaigns in Poland and in France.

May 1st 1941, one allotted to him the post of commander of the battalion of the 7th regiment of fusiliers of the 7th division of panzers. It is with this unit that it entered in war under the command of Hermann Hoth which was with the head of the 3rd group of panzers at the time of the Opération Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. Its chief was killed with the combat and von Manteuffel took the command of the 6th regiment of fusiliers of the 7th division of panzers.

In May 1942, after intense combat close to Moscow at the time of the winter 1941-1942, the 7th division of panzers was transferred in France. The July 15th 1942, whereas division recovered in France, von Manteuffel was named ordering 7th pomegranate brigade of the 7th division of panzers.

To the beginning of the year 1943, von Manteuffel was sent in Africa where, starting from the February 5th, it became ordering division Von Manteuffel , under the orders of Hans-Jürgen von Arnim which directed the 5th army of panzers and which was a subordinate of Erwin Rommel. Manteuffel took part in the defensive operations within the framework of the Bataille of Tunis, leading efficiently the counter-offensives and blocking of this fact the allied ambitions. The March 31st, it disappears of exhaustion and was evacuated in Germany. May 1st 1943, whereas it was always in recovery, one named it major-general because of his states of service in Africa.

After this episode, it was placed at the head of the 7th division of panzers the August 22nd 1943, thus returning to the face is where the situation had been passably degraded. The Battle of Koursk and the counter-attacks Soviet had mined moral Germans. In spite of its wound with the back at the time of an air attack the August 26th 1943, von Manteuffel remained on the ground and continued the war in Ukraine. After fierce combats with Kharkov, Belgorod and close to the Dniepr, it succeeds in stopping the projection of the Red Army. In November, it seized Zhitomir and thus saved the 8th division of panzers which was almost encircled in the north of the city.

This exploit was worth to him the title of commander of the division of elite of the pomegranates '' Großdeutschland '' the 1944. With this division, it began long series from defensive battles in the west of Kirovograd but it had to turn back through the Ukraine and reorganized its troops in Romania at the end of March 1944. It took again its defensive operations until June, this time at the north of Romania, but the men of Großdeutschland started to show serious signs of weakness. The unit was placed in reserve until the end of July when one gave him the order to move in the east of Prussia, then strongly endangered by the Red Army. This one had crushed the Groupe of armies Center at the time of the Opération Bagration. Von Manteuffel launched an expensive counter-attack in Lithuania which however was crowned success since it succeeds in stabilizing the face. But this operation was made with the detriment of the Northern Groupe of armies which was blocked in the Duché of Courlande after the defeat of the Center group.

September 1st 1944, it accepted the rank of general of the troops of panzers and the command of the 5th army of panzers on the western face. He was opposed to the 3rd army George S. Patton in Lorraine but its unit had to be withdrawn and was put in reserve while waiting for the Bataille of the Ardennes. Even if it were affected with a role of support, the army of von Manteuffel makes a success of one of the major penetrations in the allied lines at the time of the offensive, almost succeeding in reaching the Meuse. This operation included/understood in particular the Bataille of Bastogne.

The March 10th 1945, von Manteuffel became ordering 3rd army of panzers on the face is. Its role was to defend banks of the Oder, in the north of the Seelower Höhen, to prevent the Red Army from penetrating in Poméranie and to attack Berlin. But the general Rokossovsky crushed the German forces at the time of the Bataille of Berlin. The April 25th 1945, the 2nd face Belorusse crosses the lines of the 3rd army of panzers close to Szczecin and crossed the marshes of Randow. Manteuffel decided to beat retirement until the Mecklenburg where its troops capitulated vis-a-vis the allies the May 3rd 1945, thus avoiding the capture by the Soviets.

Post-war period

Von Manteuffeul was prisoner of war in a allied camp until September 1947. After its release, it launched out in a political career within FDP and was representative with the Bundestag of 1953 with 1957. It was invited to the the United States where it visited the Pentagone and met the president Dwight D. Eisenhower with the White House. In 1968, it gave conferences to the Military academy of West Point and worked as military consultant for the movie studios.

He died in Austria with Reith im Alpbachtal in the the Tyrol, the September 24th 1978

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