Hossbach, Friedrich

Hossbach, Friedrich, born 21-11-1894 in Unna, Westfalen, joined the Reichsheer in 1913 and served on the Eastern Front during World War I. His services were retained in the post-war Reichswehr, where he was assigned to the General Staff. In 1934, he was appointed as Hitler’s adjutant, though retaining his staff position. His most important contribution to history is his creation of the Hoßbach Memorandum. The Hossbach Memorandum was the summary of a meeting on 05-11-1937 between German dictator Adolf Hitler  and his military and foreign policy leadership where Hitler’s future expansionist policies were outlined. The meeting marked a turning point in Hitler’s foreign policies, which then began to radicalize. According to the Memorandum, Hitler did not want war in 1939 with Britain and France. This was a report of a meeting held on 05-11-1937 between Hitler and Feldmarshall der Infanterie, Werner von Blomberg,  Generaloberst der Infanterie, Werner Freiherr von Fritsch,  Admiral Erich Raeder,  Hermann Goering (see Goering Fock )  (see Goering-Sonnemann) (see Goering Peter), foreign minister, Konstatin Baron von Neurath and Hoßbach. His account was found among the Nuremberg papers, where it was an important piece of evidence. In early 1938, Hoßbach was present when Adolf Hitler (did you know) was presented by Hermann Goering (did you know) with a file purporting to show that General von Fritsch, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, was guilty of homosexual practices. In defiance of Hitler’s orders, Hoßbach took the file to von Fritsch to warn him of the accusations he was about to face. Fritsch gave his word as an officer that the charges were untrue, and Hoßbach passed this message back to Hitler. This did not, as it might have, cost Hoßbach his life, though he was dismissed from his post as Hitler’s adjutant two days later. Hoßbach rose to the rank of General of Infantry, commanding the 82^nd Infantry Division , The 82^nd  Infantry Division was raised in December 1939 and was first deployed into action the following May during the invasion of France and the low countries, the LVI Panzer Corps and latterly Fourth Army on the Russian front.  In early 1944, the division was encircled by Soviet Armed Forces near Kiev during the Battle of Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket. Although it managed to escape from the Soviets, it sustained such heavy casualties that it was reduced to being a designated “Division Group”, absorbed by the 254^th. until being dismissed on 28-01-1945 for attempting to break out of East Prussia in defiance of Hitler’s orders. In March 1944, during his time as LVI Panzer Corps commander, Hoßbach, acting on the orders of Generaloberst der Panzertruppe, Kommandeur der 12^th Panzer Division,  Josef Harpe

     , the 9^th Army commander, created three camps directly behind the front line in Belorussia, near the town of Ozarichi. Approximately 45.000 civilians, the sick, the elderly, and women with small children, as well as others incapable of work, were herded into these camps, with no shelter, food, or water. LVI Panzer Corps forces, under command of General der Infanterie Johhanes Block  , than ringed the camps with mines and withdrew to a line further west. Between 9.000 and 10.000 civilians died by the time the Soviet army was able to liberate the camps. At the end of the war, Hoßbach was being treated for a minor illness in Göttingen when US troops approached the town. As a traditionalist conservative largely opposed to the Nazi regime, Hoßbach had been warned by friends to expect a visit from the Gestapo, who arrived at his house an hour before the Americans. Hoßbach, armed with his pistol, proceeded to engage the visitors in a firefight until they fled, and was taken into American custody. 

General Johannes Block was killed in battle Baranow-Brückenkopf , age 50 on 26-01-1945.

  Released in 1947 Hossbach retired in Göttingen, where he at the old age of 85 died, on 10-09-1980. He is buried with his wife Magarete, born Jähns, who died old age 86 in 1989, on the Stadtfriedhof of Göttingen and only steps away are the graves of the WWII Generalleutnant der Flieger, Chief of Field Economics Office, OKW, Wilhelm Becker, Generalleutnant der Artillerie, Kommandeur 34^th Division , Friedrich Bremer, General der Panzertruppe, Kommandeur 4^th Panzer Grenadier Division, Fritz Gräser, Generalleutnant der Infantrie, Kommandeur der 83^th Infanterie Division , Wilhelm Heun, General der Infanterie, Commander of 4^th Heeresgruppe, Friedrich von Hossbach