october april general nazi_germany member adolf_hitler entourage brother law marriage sister joined cavalry regiment transferred april leader equestrian group charge preparation courses facilities equestrian events berlin olympic games tried olympic equestrian team eliminated qualifying rounds september successful invasion poland commanded death head horse regiment garrisoned warsaw december june participated battle belgium france member later renamed service campaigns awarded 2nd class december units command eastern responsible deaths civilians swamps operation commander 8th involved operations partisans defensive operations awarded close combat bronze seriously wounded september reassigned hitler headquarters staff liaison officer representative present failed attempt hitler life july duty hitler berlin closing months war shot april days hitler suicide historians cynical called people hitler circle granted best assignments rapid promotions career born bavaria retired boy working father equestrian school munich proficient riding skills participated jumping events period met original member later sponsored entry studying terms joined cavalry regiment april joined munich officer cadet left police service caught stealing examination solutions teaching superior office official communication time resigned family reasons later stated left police account better serve father started riding institute came contact father institute available meeting place training facilities horses equestrian units joined membership number transferred april membership number worked instructor leader equestrian group based facility mid-1930s took administration school father promoted rank year april november beginning november oversaw preparation courses facilities equestrian events berlin olympic games promoted rank january participated selection process german equestrian team unable prevail strong competition cavalry school went win equestrian gold medals won und international tournament brother promoted rank january july special order created munich school started father stud farm named commander promoted day funding expensive horses came supported school annually won band von brown ribbon germany annual horse race held premises riding school munich time strong ambitions participate summer olympics help friend und higher police leader arranged transfer state police horses riding school case fear horses handed world war september commanded death head horse regiment arrived poland shortly end polish campaign unit placed command order police split small groups assigned support police activities posts district november ordered expansion regiment thirteen squadrons renamed 1st death head cavalry regiment additional men recruited ethnic germans living officers including attended officer training school training provided new recruits rudimentary rigorous men developed strong unit involved alongside ordered hitler members polish elite intellectuals clergy action called december unit involved mass shooting people december unit split regiments commanding overall command und unit short basic supplies weapons food uniforms led deteriorating morale ill health incidents corruption theft took place particularly members regimental staff warsaw april faced court martial charges incident unit caught stealing money luxury goods transportation germany court martial direct order allegations brought forward included murder motivated greed apparently ordered arrests executions prison warsaw addition charged having unlawful sexual relationship polish woman woman pregnant forced abortion attempted multiple times investigate accusations time attempt unit took anti partisan fighting group polish soldiers area march april killed half partisans remainder escaped april unit killed polish men villages area report described behaviour troops clean decent incidents period men behaved way killing civilians orders june promoted march participated france member service campaigns awarded 2nd class december march renamed war soviet_union start german invasion soviet_union began june saw active service eastern unit assigned june cover gap lines near elements 1st reached right flank operational area june mounted elements unable maintain pace exhausted horses left men transported combat zone horse drawn artillery pieces towed available vehicles units arrive crossed near engaged soviets unable break ordered retreat north infantry elements division captured june cavalry sent reconnaissance mission south east keen units control combat reserves withdrew cavalry control division june ambitious stressed reports believed unit combat ready played bigger role operation actually men received second class efforts awarded class engagement demonstrated shortcomings cavalry units modern mobile warfare requires quick changing conditions sought improve asking combine 1st 2nd cavalry regiments brigade additional support units temporary measure assigned charge regiments unit undertook field training political coming weeks addressed july offering opportunity men unwilling participate upcoming special tasks transfer unit took advantage offer partly clear upcoming work include mass shooting unarmed civilians july assigned regiments general command von bach systematic swamps operation designed round jews partisans civilians area orders operation passed met bach july new quarters general instructions given area partisans jewish collaborators jewish women children driven away interpreted orders follows enemy soldiers uniform taken prisoner found uniform shot jewish males exception skilled workers doctors leather workers shot split territory covered sections divided taking northern half 2nd regiment south regiments worked way east west assigned territory filed daily reports number people killed taken prisoner meeting july announced amalgamation regiments additional units bicycle reconnaissance detachment formed added brigade complement august assigned leadership brigade notified telegram august numbers killed far low days later issued regimental order called male jews age killed women children driven swamps drowned units holocaust entire jewish communities water swamps shallow areas swamps proved impractical women children shot final report operation dated september states killed jews partisans soldiers prisoners taken losses dead wounded missing historian estimates actual number jews killed closer received infantry assault badge october days later brought court captured goods prosecution halted mid october brigade left moved train new operational area partisan activity swamps organised difficult find report period october november shows partisans soldiers killed taken prisoner fewer weapons captured historians conclude majority killed unarmed civilians brigade losses seven dead wounded renewed offensive moscow mid november held operational reserve area massive counter attacks led weakening entire german line brigade called fight december reported forces equivalent divisions reality men total point ready combat brigade deployed south eastern sector defended attacks area battles took losses casualties cent squadrons february promoted transferred reserve force active service days later february initiative led attack strong enemy group northwest attack carried difficult weather conditions secured important road junction railway station nocturnal attack february brigade encircled destroyed enemy forces killing combatants captured february leading enemy units area leadership battles awarded knight march granted home leave appointed transportation des und position awarded war merit cross 2nd class swords september disbanded march remaining men equipment formed battalion strength unit called commanded august sent line december day promoted given command based great bend don wounded action soviet december december april appointed commander division involved operations partisans july included annihilated partisan group south west personally blew bunker attack week later division attacked partisan prisoners taken june reported unit killed persons deported confiscated cattle destroyed villages southwest june destroyed villages direct orders hitler killed suspected partisans june july reported destruction additional villages killed deported cattle confiscated division deployed defensive operations soviet attacks august september division repulsed attacks divisional strength attacks battalion strength heaviest combat occurred august near august division halted soviet breakthrough led counterattack september height september defensive battles awarded close combat bronze severely wounded september hospitalized weeks received gold november following appointed chief january time assigned hitler headquarters staff liaison officer representative promoted rank und der june july present failed attempt hitler life wolf headquarters received minor wound left thigh bomb blast showed photographs hanged men executed result failed assassination attempt marriage politically motivated marriage sister took place june historians believe courted way advance career hitler acted witnesses ceremony day celebration held hitler mountain homes eagle nest known playboy affairs hitler state popular socially particularly women funny amusing charming marriage glad entourage dance hitler distant social situations publicly showing affection worked hard develop friendship hitler powerful private secretary missed drinking parties told things career life fun death early germany military situation verge total collapse hitler presiding rapidly retreated berlin january nazi leadership clear battle berlin final battle war berlin bombarded soviet artillery time april hitler birthday evening april tanks reached outskirts city april berlin cut rest germany april deputy commander sent find abandoned post deciding want join suicide pact caught squad berlin apartment wearing civilian clothes preparing flee sweden switzerland carrying cash german foreign jewellery belonged uncovered containing documents evidence attempted peace negotiations according accounts arrested brought kept makeshift cell evening april night hitler informed bbc broadcast news report attempted negotiations western allies hitler flew rage apparent betrayal ordered arrest sensing connection disappearance betrayal hitler ordered knew plans according hitler personal adjutant hitler ordered stripped rank transferred prove loyalty combat expressed concern hitler desert hitler ordered court journalist donnell conducted extensive interviews 1970s provides account happened presided court martial told donnell hitler ordered set tribunal arranged court martial panel consisted generals drunk refused accept answer hitler stated responsible drunk crying unable stand floor german military civilian law require defendant sound mind understand charges certain guilty opinion judges condition stand trial closed proceedings turned defendant general security squad saw alternative scenario death based soviet hitler written based interrogation reports differs accounts given arrested brought hitler ordered transferred prove loyalty combat expressed concern hitler desert hitler ordered demoted court court led point accounts differ states court evening april court headed fellow officers sentenced death evening shot member based stated chain events author concluded according german law deprived honours honorary signs considered facto recipient knight wife late stages pregnancy baby born early hitler considered releasing punishment assigning troops eye witness bunker events stated pleaded hitler spare brother law tried justify actions taken garden april shot like dog survivor disputed aspects account interview according hitler order execution claimed know identity killer refused reveal assessment historians cynical called people hitler circle return granted best assignments related cavalry rapid promotion ranks historian studied period march notes lack formal training officer led deficiencies way prepared combat repeatedly stated combat readiness troops exaggerated accomplishments opinion order seen leader worthy promotion honours faulty analysis brigade readiness led use december march combat situations unsuitable military situation deteriorating eventually thrown role regardless end march brigade suffered casualties cent higher army units deployed area parents brother survived war inherited valuable jewellery survived war gave birth daughter named late aunt committed suicide april boyfriend killed car accident moved munich remarried died aged awards decorations olympic games decoration 1st class german gold german bronze bronze bronze general silver infantry silver close silver silver july silver 2nd class december 1st class june gold november division knight oak leaves swords knight cross march commander brigade oak leaves december commander swords july commander death sentence april resulted loss orders awards honorary signs dates rank held ranks following table shows progression explanatory notes
Hermann Fegelein