Günther von Kluge
Günther Adolf Ferdinand von Kluge (30 October 1882 – 19 August 1944) was a German Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshal) during World War II who held commands on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He commanded the 4th Army of the Wehrmacht during the invasion of Poland in 1939 and the Battle of France in 1940, earning a promotion to Generalfeldmarschall. Kluge went on to command the 4th Army in Operation Barbarossa (the invasion of the Soviet Union) and the Battle for Moscow in 1941.
Günther von Kluge | |
|---|---|
Kluge in 1939 | |
| Birth name | Günther Adolf Ferdinand von Kluge |
| Other name(s) | Hans Günther von Kluge |
| Nickname(s) | Clever Hans |
| Born | 30 October 1882 Posen, Prussia, German Empire |
| Died | 19 August 1944 (aged 61) Metz, Nazi Germany |
| Allegiance | German Empire (1901–1918) Weimar Republic (1918–1933) Nazi Germany (1933–1944) |
| Branch |
German Army |
| Years of service | 1901–44 |
| Rank | Generalfeldmarschall |
| Unit | 46th Field Artillery Regiment |
| Commands held |
|
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II
|
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
| Spouse(s) |
Mathilde von Briesen
(m. 1907) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relations | Wolfgang von Kluge (brother) Eike-Henner Kluge (grandson) |
Amid the crisis of the Soviet counter-offensive in December 1941, Kluge was promoted to command Army Group Centre replacing Field Marshal Fedor von Bock. Several members of the German military resistance to Adolf Hitler served on his staff, including Henning von Tresckow. Kluge was aware of the plotters' activities but refused to offer his support unless Hitler was killed. His command on the Eastern Front lasted until October 1943 when Kluge was badly injured in a car accident.
Following a lengthy recuperation, Kluge was appointed OB West (Supreme Commander West) in occupied France in July 1944, after his predecessor, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, was dismissed for defeatism. Kluge's forces were unable to stop the momentum of the Allied invasion of Normandy, and he began to realise that the war in the West was lost. Although Kluge was not an active conspirator in the 20 July plot, in the aftermath of the failed coup he committed suicide on 19 August 1944, after having been recalled to Berlin for a meeting with Hitler. Kluge was replaced by Field Marshal Walter Model.