Dietrich von Choltitz
Dietrich Hugo Hermann von Choltitz (9 November 1894 – 5 November 1966) was an officer of the German Army in World War II. Choltitz was born in Gräflich Wiese (now Łąka Prudnicka) next to Neustadt (now Prudnik).
| Dietrich Hugo Hermann von Choltitz | |
|---|---|
 Von Choltitz in 1940 | |
| Allegiance | German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
| Years of service | 1907–1945 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | LXXVI Panzer Corps 11th Panzer Division |
| Battles/wars | World War I
|
He participated in occupation of Sudetenland in 1938 and in the invasion of Poland in 1939.
On 7 August 1944 he became the military governor of Paris. On 25 August he surrendered Paris to the Allies. [1][2]
He has been called the "Saviour of Paris" because he prevented its destruction. Choltitz said he defied Hitler's direct order for its destruction because it was militarily useless. Other reasons were his affection for Parisian history and culture, and his belief that Hitler had become insane.
Choltitz died on 5 November 1966 in Baden-Baden.
Dietrich Von Choltitz Media
Rank insignia of the German Wehrmacht, here “General of the branch” – Army, shoulder strap until 1945.
Ruins of the castle in Łąka Prudnicka
- For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Dietrich v.
Dietrich von Choltitz signing the Nazi surrender after the liberation of Paris
Surrender of the German garrison in Paris, signed by General von Choltitz on August 25, received by General Leclerc and countersigned by Colonel Rol-Tanguy
Dietrich von Choltitz with Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque and Jacques Soustelle in the M3 Scout Car
Dietrich von Choltitz (standing far left) at Trent Park in London
Grave of Dietrich von Choltitz and Otto von Garnier in Baden-Baden
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References
- ↑ "Paris liberated - Aug 25, 1944 - HISTORY.com". Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ↑ "World War II: The Liberation of Paris - HistoryNet". Retrieved 3 January 2017.