Gotthard Heinrici

Quotes

• “It was like hitting an empty bag. The Russian attack would lose its speed because my men, unharmed, would be ready. Then my troops on sectors that had not been attacked would close in and reoccupy the original front lines.”
• “The German defeat in the East was, in my opinion, due to one main reason—that our troops were compelled to cover immense spaces without the flexibility, in the command, that would have enabled them to concentrate on holding decisive points. Thus they lost the initiative permanently.”
• “Hitler always tried to make us fight for every yard, threatening to court-martial anyone who didn’t. No withdrawal was officially permitted without his approval—even a small-scale withdrawal. This principle was so hammered into the army that it was a common saying that battalion commanders were afraid ‘to move a sentry from the window to the door’.”
• “When the Russians were found to be concentrating for an attack, I withdrew my troops from the first line under cover of night to the second line—usually about 2 kilometres behind. The result was that the Russian blow hit the air, and its further attack did not have the same impetus.”

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Key facts

Nicknames

Unser Giftzwerg (lit. "our venomous dwarf"; "our nasty little man")

Born

Feodor August Gotthard Heinrici , ( 1886-12-25 ) 25 December 1886, Gumbinnen , Kreis Gumbinnen, Province of East Prussia , German Empire , (present-day Gusev, Gusevsky District , Kaliningrad Oblast , Russia )

Died

10 December 1971 (1971-12-10) (aged 84), Karlsruhe , Baden-Württemberg , West Germany

Buried

Bergäcker Cemetery

Allegiance

Kingdom of Prussia , German Empire , Weimar Republic , Nazi Germany

Branch

Prussian Army , Imperial German Army , Reichsheer , German Army

Service years

1905–1945

Rank

Generaloberst

Commands

16th Infantry Division , 14th Company, 13th Württembergish Infantry Regiment, III Battalion, 3rd Prussian Infantry Regiment, XII Army Corps , XXXXIII Army Corps , 4th Army , 1st Panzer Army , Army Group Vistula

Awards

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Spouse

∞ 1920 Gertrude Strupp (1897–1981)

Children

2 children

Relations

Georg Heinrici (uncle), Gerd von Rundstedt (cousin)

via Wikipedia infobox

Key dates

Born

25 December 1886

Died

13 December 1971

via Wikidata · CC0

Wikidata facts

Instance of

human

Gender

male

Citizenship

Germany

Place of birth

Gusev

Place of death

Freiburg im Breisgau

Occupation

military personnel

Languages spoken

German

Award

Eastern Medal

Conflict

Battle of the Seelow Heights

Military branch

Imperial German Army

Military rank

general

Image

Gotthard Heinrici.jpg

via Wikidata · CC0