Hermann Foertsch

Hermann Foertsch (4 April 1895 – 27 December 1961) was a German general during World War II who held commands at the divisional, corps and army levels. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.

Hermann Foertsch
Born	4 April 1895 Drahnow, Deutsch-Krone
Died	27 December 1961 (aged 66) Munich
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Army (Wehrmacht)
Years of service	1913–45
Rank	General of the Infantry
Commands held	Chief of General Staff of Army Group F X. Armeekorps 19th Army 1st Army
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Balkan Campaign Invasion of Yugoslavia Battle of Narva (1944) Courland Pocket Operation Undertone
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Relations	Friedrich Foertsch (brother)

Foertsch was tried at the Hostages Trial in 1947. The trial resulted in Foertsch's acquittal because he was a staff officer at the time that the criminal orders were transmitted.

Hostages trial

As a chief of staff for several generals commanding Wehrmacht forces in occupied Greece and Yugoslavia, Foertsch passed on orders to subordinate units to take hostages or conduct reprisals. These orders were deemed criminal by the Tribunal, but staff officers were not considered culpable unless they drafted such criminal orders or made a special effort to distribute them to the troops that carried them out. Citing a lack of evidence of a commission of an unlawful act, the Tribunal acquitted Foertsch of war crimes.[1]

Later life

After his acquittal, Foertsch collaborated with Hans Speidel in the development of concepts for Germany's rearmament many years before the official foundation of the Bundeswehr, the German army, in 1955.[2] In 1950, Foertsch was the leading member of the select group of former Wehrmacht high-ranking officers invited by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer to take part in the conference to discuss West Germany's rearmament (Wiederbewaffnung). The conference resulted in the Himmerod memorandum that contributed to the myth of the "clean Wehrmacht".[3] Foertsch was involved in the establishment of the European anti-communist organisation Interdoc.[4]

Awards and decorations

• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 August 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of 21. Infanterie-Division [5]

See also

• List of Axis personnel indicted for war crimes

References

Citations

1. Heberer & Matthäus 2008, p. 99.
2. Critchfield, James H. Partners at the Creation: The Men Behind Postwar Germany's Defense and Intelligence Establishments. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 2003. p.220.
3. Wette 2007, pp. 236–238.
4. Scott-Smith p.357.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 154.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Heberer, Patricia; Matthäus, Jürgen (2008). Atrocities on Trial: Historical Perspectives on the Politics of Prosecuting War Crimes. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-1084-4. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
• Scott-Smith, Giles. Interdoc and West European Psychological Warfare: The American Connection. Intelligence and National Security Vol. 26, Nos. 2–3, 355–376, April–June 2011.
• Wette, Wolfram (2007). The Wehrmacht: History, Myth, Reality. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674025776.