Son of a musician, he was born in Genthin, Germany. He joined the German army and during the First World War won the Iron Cross.
After the war he remained in the army and in 1930 was appointed head of the war technical section of the war ministry. A great advocate of mechanized warfare, he was placed in charge of the department for the creation of new and improved weapons.
Model was in solidarity with the policies of Hitler and the Nazi party and was accused of favoring officers who shared his political views.
In 1939 he took part in the invasion of Poland and served under the command of Ersnt Busch in the 16th Army during the offensive to the west in 1940. The following year he served under the command of Heinz Guderian during the Operation Barbarossa and in October 1941, Model was promoted commander of the 41st Panzer Corps.On January 14, 1942, he was transferred to the 9th Army. Attacked by Soviet partisans, Model asked Hitler for a panzer corps to help protect his troops. Hitler refused this argument and Model told him that a commander on the front was in a better position to develop a strategy than a person in the back of the cards. Hitler, who respected Model as a possibly abandoned soldier and gave him the requested troops.
In spite of his disagreements with Hitler, Model was promoted to general in February 1942. While he was retreating in the USSR in 1943 Model gave orders for the systematic destruction of towns and their populations, which resulted in his classifying him as a war criminal.
In March 1944 he replaced Erich von Manstein as commander-in-chief in the USSR. In August 1944 he was transferred to the Western Front where he succeeded Günther von Kluge. However, after 18 days, Hitler reconsidered the question about Model and he lost his command for Gerd von Rundstedt.
Model was sent to command Army Group B in the Netherlands and Belgium where he managed to stop the advance of the Allies. In October 1944 he joined Hasso Manteuffel in the Ardennes offensive.
In 1945 Model and those on his left flank defended the Ruhr. Again he fought with Hitler when he refused to retreat to the Rhine. Aware that he would be tried as a war criminal he capitulated, he committed suicide on April 21, 1945.
0 commentaires :
Post a Comment