Günther von Kluge

German general (1882-1944)

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Lived 1882–1944, aged 62

Historical Figures

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Wikipedia
45 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1882–1944
Aged 62
Awards
10
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

A German field marshal who commanded armies from Poland through the Eastern Front's bloodiest battles, then took the wheel in France just as the Third Reich crumbled — and swallowed poison on the road back to Berlin after the failed plot against Hitler.

Biography

About

Günther von Kluge led the 4th Army through Poland in 1939 and France in 1940, earning his marshal's baton. He pushed into the Soviet Union with Operation Barbarossa and the assault on Moscow in 1941, then took command of Army Group Centre during the crisis of the Soviet counter-offensive in December. Officers plotting Hitler's death, including Henning von Tresckow, served on his staff; Kluge knew but held back unless the assassination succeeded. A car accident in October 1943 knocked him off the Eastern Front for months. He returned in July 1944 as Supreme Commander West, replacing a predecess…

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