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The 1940 Field Marshal Ceremony refers to a promotion ceremony held at the Kroll Opera House in Berlin in which Adolf Hitler promoted twelve generals to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall ("field marshal") on 19 July 1940. It was the first occasion in World War II that Hitler appointed field marshals due to military achievements. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_Field_Marshal_Ceremony
WWII World War Two
Military History
Berlin
Ceremony
Edited 8 y ago
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 7
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Thanks for reminding us that Adolph Hitler promoted 11 Wehrmacht generals to Generalfeldmarschall in 1940 SGT John " Mac " McConnell and he promoted "Field Marshal Hermann Göring, head of the Luftwaffe ... to the specially-created rank of Reich Marshal of the Greater German Reich"
While some of these men stayed in Hitler's favor two participated in the attempt to assassinate Hitler and one committed suicide [von Kluge] and one was executed [Witzleben]
Colonel General Walther von Brauchitsch
Colonel General Fedor von Bock
General Albert Kesselring
Colonel General Wilhelm Keitel
Colonel General Günther von Kluge - Kluge committed suicide by taking cyanide poison on 17 August 1944
Colonel General Wilhelm von Leeb
Colonel General Wilhelm List]
Colonel General Erhard Milch
Colonel General Walther von Reichenau
Colonel General Gerd von Rundstedt
General Hugo Sperrle
Colonel General Erwin von Witzleben - who was to become Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht if the attempt had succeeded, was arrested and sentenced to death; the execution was carried out on 8 August 1944.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) Capt Christopher Mueller Capt Seid Waddell SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSG Steven E. SSG Leo Bell PO2 Ed C. SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT Forrest Stewart SrA Christopher Wright
While some of these men stayed in Hitler's favor two participated in the attempt to assassinate Hitler and one committed suicide [von Kluge] and one was executed [Witzleben]
Colonel General Walther von Brauchitsch
Colonel General Fedor von Bock
General Albert Kesselring
Colonel General Wilhelm Keitel
Colonel General Günther von Kluge - Kluge committed suicide by taking cyanide poison on 17 August 1944
Colonel General Wilhelm von Leeb
Colonel General Wilhelm List]
Colonel General Erhard Milch
Colonel General Walther von Reichenau
Colonel General Gerd von Rundstedt
General Hugo Sperrle
Colonel General Erwin von Witzleben - who was to become Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht if the attempt had succeeded, was arrested and sentenced to death; the execution was carried out on 8 August 1944.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) Capt Christopher Mueller Capt Seid Waddell SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSG Steven E. SSG Leo Bell PO2 Ed C. SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT Forrest Stewart SrA Christopher Wright
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2LT (Join to see)
I just looked into Witzleben. I knew of him, but didn't realize how active an opponent of the regime he was the whole way through.
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PO3 Donald Murphy
Thank you both for the compliments. I passed it on to my three kids and I enjoyed getting calls (last year!!) from their counselor 'complaining' that one of my kids was correcting the history teacher.
I think the defining moment for me was age 16, going to Germany for a family field trip and we toured Dachau concentration camp. After that, I immersed myself in German history to get more answers. After joining the Navy and being made Ship's Librarian, I got to read a lot as well. We'd get the latest stuff and it all seemed to be "Nazi" related.
I think the defining moment for me was age 16, going to Germany for a family field trip and we toured Dachau concentration camp. After that, I immersed myself in German history to get more answers. After joining the Navy and being made Ship's Librarian, I got to read a lot as well. We'd get the latest stuff and it all seemed to be "Nazi" related.
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SPC Michael S.
The whole reason i joined the army was to go to Germany, and i got stuck in Elpaso for 3 1/2 years after training. Your kids have a head start. Empart your knowledge onto them every chance you get.
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PO3 Donald Murphy
SPC Michael S. - My dad was USAF stationed in England, but his brother was Army intel in Nurenburg. So we visited him and thats how I got to see Dachau and other war sites. Got to drive the same roads the Battle Of The Bulge took place on. Every so many miles there'd be a tank on a display area.
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Wish I would have had the 10 digit grid to where this ceremony was taking place back then. Can anyone say Shake and Bake? (Artillery or aviation folks might know what that refers to)
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