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Friedrich Paulus

German general (1890-1957) · Germany · Historical Figures · Died at 66

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The highest-ranking German officer ever taken alive in combat - a field marshal who surrendered an entire army at Stalingrad and then, from Soviet captivity, turned against the regime that promoted him the day before his capture.

Historical FiguresOtherGermanyEurope20th Century

A life in dates

1957Died1 February 19571943“Soldiers were and will remain soldiers. They fight, carrying out their duty, not thinking about the reasons, true to their military oath.”In their words4 February 1943To A. Schmidt and others - February 4th, 1943. Quoted in "Report of the Special Section of the Don Front NKVD to Special Sections

“Troops without ammunition or food. Effective command no longer possible. 18,000 wounded without any supplies or dressings or drugs. Further defence senseless. Collapse inevitable.”In their words24 January 1943Radio message to Adolf Hitler, January 24, 1943. Quoted in "The World Changers" - Page 171 - by Bruce Bliven - 1965

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak LeavesAward1942Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossAward1890Born23 September 1890

Also in Deutsch

Photos 8

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B24575, Friedrich PaulusBundesarchiv Bild 183-B24575, Friedrich PaulusBundesarchiv Bild 101I-771-0366-02A, Russland, Lagebesprechung mit HitlerBundesarchiv Bild 101I-771-0366-02A, Russland, Lagebesprechung mit HitlerBundesarchiv Bild 183-B24543, Hauptquartier Heeresgruppe Süd, LagebesprechungBundesarchiv Bild 183-B24543, Hauptquartier Heeresgruppe Süd, LagebesprechungBaden-Baden-Hauptfriedhof-Grabmal Friedrich Paulus-10-hf12-2021-gjeBaden-Baden-Hauptfriedhof-Grabmal Friedrich Paulus-10-hf12-2021-gjeBaden-Baden-Hauptfriedhof-Grabmal Friedrich Paulus-12-2022-gjeBaden-Baden-Hauptfriedhof-Grabmal Friedrich Paulus-12-2022-gjeBundesarchiv Bild 101I-021-2081-31A, General Friedrich PaulusBundesarchiv Bild 101I-021-2081-31A, General Friedrich PaulusBundesarchiv Bild 146-1971-070-73, Russland, Paulus und v. Seydlitz-KurzbachBundesarchiv Bild 146-1971-070-73, Russland, Paulus und v. Seydlitz-KurzbachBundesarchiv Bild 169-0946, Russland, General Friedrich Paulus mit OffizierenBundesarchiv Bild 169-0946, Russland, General Friedrich Paulus mit Offizieren

In their own words 4

,
Friedrich Paulus
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4 statements, newest first

  1. Soldiers were and will remain soldiers. They fight, carrying out their duty, not thinking about the reasons, true to their military oath.

    Feb 4, 1943, To A. Schmidt and others - February 4th, 1943. Quoted in "Report of the Special Section of the Don Front NKVD to Special Sections, Own words

  2. Troops without ammunition or food. Effective command no longer possible. 18,000 wounded without any supplies or dressings or drugs. Further defence senseless. Collapse inevitable.

    Jan 24, 1943, Radio message to Adolf Hitler, January 24, 1943. Quoted in "The World Changers" - Page 171 - by Bruce Bliven - 1965, Own words

  3. You are talking to dead men here.

    To a Luftwaffe officer sent to Stalingrad. Quoted in "Voices From The Third Reich: An Oral History" - Page 152 - by Johannes Steinhoff,, Own words

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Awards

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves1943
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross1942
Military Merit Cross III. Class
Order of Michael the Brave, 1st class
Military Merit Order (Bavaria)
Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
Wound Badge (1939) in Black
Sudetenland Medal
Eastern Medal
Anschluss Medal
Cross of Liberty, 1st Class
Order of the Zähringer Lion
Wehrmacht Long Service Award
Iron Cross 1st Class
Iron Cross 2nd Class
Military Merit Cross
Clasp to the Iron Cross
Military Order of the Iron Trefoil

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Friedrich Paulus

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About this person

Friedrich Paulus fought through World War I in France and the Balkans, rose to major general by 1939, and helped plan the invasion of the Soviet Union as deputy chief of the German Army General Staff. In 1942 he took command of the 6th Army and drove toward Stalingrad, where Soviet forces encircled his 265,000 men inside the city. Hitler forbade breakout or surrender; the defense collapsed over months. On 31 January 1943, one day after being promoted to field marshal - a rank Hitler assumed would compel suicide rather than capture - Paulus surrendered. In Soviet captivity he joined the National Committee for a Free Germany and became a public critic of the Nazi regime. He moved to East Germany in 1953 and spent his final years in Dresden researching military history.

Country
Germany
Category
Historical Figures
Type
Historical Figure
Status
deceased
Dates
Lived 1890 to 1957 · aged 66

Historical Figures from Germany 6

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