File:Walther_Model_on_the_front_(b)_(cropped).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Walter Model was a German military commander who rose to the rank of field marshal during World War II. He is historically significant as one of Nazi Germany's most capable generals, known for his defensive operations on the Eastern Front before his defeat and suicide in 1945.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Born
- Otto Moritz Walter Model , ( 1891-01-24 ) 24 January 1891, Genthin , Saxony , Prussia , Germany
- Died
- 21 April 1945 (1945-04-21) (aged 54), near Duisburg , Germany
- Cause of death
- Suicide by gunshot
- Buried
- Hürtgenwald (reinterred)
- Allegiance
- Germany
- Branch
- Imperial German Army Reichswehr German Army
- Service years
- 1909–1945
- Rank
- Generalfeldmarschall
- Commands
- 3rd Panzer Division XLI Panzer Corps Ninth Army Army Group North Army Group North Ukraine Army Group Centre Army Group B OB West
- Awards
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- Walter
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Germany
- Place of birth
- Genthin
- Place of death
- Ratingen
- Occupation
- military officer
- Languages spoken
- German
- Conflict
- World War II
- Military branch
- Wehrmacht
- Military rank
- Fahnenjunker
- Image
- Walter Model October 1944.jpg
Show 11 more facts
- Commons category
- Walter Model
- date of birth
- 1891-01-24
- date of death
- 1945-04-21
- allegiance
- Nazi Germany
- manner of death
- Suicide
- commander of (DEPRECATED)
- 3rd Panzer Division
- start of work period
- 1908-00-00
- end of work period
- 1945-04-21
- nickname
- Hitlers Feuerwehrmann
- name in native language
- Walter Model
- archives at
- German Federal Archives
Sources (6)
via Wikidata · CC0
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Encyclopedic overview
Otto Moritz Walter Model ( IPA: [ˈmoːdəl]; 24 January 1891 – 21 April 1945) was a German Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. Although he was a hard-driving, aggressive panzer commander early in the war, Model became best known as a practitioner of defensive warfare. His relative success as commander of the Ninth Army in the battles of 1941–1942 determined his future career path.
Model first came to Hitler's attention before World War II, but their relationship did not become especially close until 1942. His tenacious style of fighting and loyalty to the Nazi regime won him plaudits from Hitler, who considered him one of his best field commanders and repeatedly sent him to salvage apparently desperate situations on the Eastern Front as commander of Army Group North, Army Group North Ukraine and Army Group Centre.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Walter Model” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.