Helmuth Weidling
Wehrmacht general (1891-1955) · Germany · On the map · Died at 64
The German general who commanded Berlin's final defence in 1945, holding the collapsing capital against Soviet encirclement until surrender became the only arithmetic left.
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About this person
Helmuth Otto Ludwig Weidling was born on 2 November 1891. During the Second World War he rose to the rank of general in the German military. In the spring of 1945, as the Reich crumbled, he was appointed the last commander of the Berlin Defence Area during the Battle of Berlin. He led what remained of the city's forces against the advancing Soviet army in the war's closing days. The defence collapsed, and Weidling surrendered just before the end of World War II in Europe. He died on 17 November 1955.